Important Announcement regarding a change of policy of my reviews on OBS
Hej everybody!
I’ve been made aware of the fact that featured reviewers (an illustrious circle to which I happen to belong) on OBS (Drivethrurpg & RPGNow) usually don’t post bad reviews there – i.e. no 1 or 2-star ratings. From a business standpoint, that’s a valid decision on their part.
The OBS-guys and gals have shown me nothing but kindness and hence I will follow this request – especially since I have been asked in an exceedingly civil manner and am still free to post all my reviews, including the low-star-rating ones here and in the other places like Nerdtrek and GMS magazine. So no, my ratings will in no way be compromised, but you’ll see the bad ones no longer on OBS.
This means that in the future, you’ll have yet another reason for checking this site here and/or getting the RSS-feed etc. 😉
Still, I wanted to make you aware of this change in my reviewer’s policy and apologize to those of you who primarily read my reviews on OBS for the added inconvenience of having to check this site. I’d also like to apologize to those publishers that have assured me that even bad reviews tend to garner them slight spikes in revenue for not being able to publish low rating-reviews on OBS anymore.
Finally, I have a question: Sometimes people ask me what books I consider essential in my campaigns – is there an interest for lists of those products here?
Tomorrow, I’ll have another BIG review (plus a short one) in the pipeline – see you then!
Endzeitgeist out.
1. Even 1 stars are you still going to be posting them on Paizo and d20PFsrd?
2. I think there is an interest in such a list. However isn’t your “seal of approval” kind of like that?
Hej Greg!
First of all: Thanks for commenting!
1.Yes, I’ll keep posting them there.
2.Yes, it is – but I’m talking about a list of e.g. “DM’s Essentials, basic books etc., classes & achetypes I use in my home-game etc. (Coincidentally: Looking forward to hopefully adding Liber Influxus Communis-classes to the lists once it’s done. ^^
Honestly, it makes it sound like they think they’re doing you the favor instead of the other way around. Now I can’t trust a single review I get through OBS. (And don’t get me started about the percentage of reviewers who take my stuff for free and then do nothing with it.)
It seems strange for OBS to shoot themselves in the foot and work to undermine the trustworthiness of their featured reviewers, but I understand why you are going along with the policy. I still come here for all of your reviews, so it doesn’t affect me personally and I’m always happy to use your links as a thanks for the great service you provide.
Thank you so much for your support Caedwyr! Without you and some people like you out there, I wouldn’t be able to continue doing this.
And yes, personally, I’m not a fan of their policy from a consumer standpoint, but I understand where they’re coming from business-wise…so yeah. Thanks for being understanding.
That’s definitely disappointing news as a consumer. I don’t think it really serves anyone well to frown upon low rating reviews from featured reviewers, especially when so many publishers use their review feedback as a springboard to improve their products.
A list of “EZG Essentials” is of great interest to me; I always like to know what other GM/DM’s find is enriching their game or making their session prep faster or easier. Or just stuff that gets a lot of table use.
Completely unrelated: I may just be oblivious (most likely) or it may be new, but that EZG logo is killer!
Hej Ken!
Great to hear! If there’s enough interest, I’ll indeed make an “Essentials”-list, starting with teh absolute bare bones.
And yes, the logo is new! It will from now on double as my seal of approval in respective reviews and is damn kick ass! Artist Tommi Salama did an exceedingly awesome job here! 🙂
The first impression I get from your new logo is that I get a fist pump if I get a seal of approval for something. Truly, a worthier goal would be hard to imagine.
An earth-shattering fist pump raised to the skies – yes, that’s the visual! 🙂
(I also love the KMFDM-cover-style aesthetics…)
A cosmic fist pump? Alright, you just topped my imagination. Well done.
And do we get to slap it on the cover if we get your seal of approval?
Gotta check that with the artist…good question!
I don’t like OBS policy, its dumb to me, and I will be telling them so. You give out a free copy you take your chances. But I understand and appreciate your reasons.
Steve. Russell Rite Publishing,
I must say I don’t care for OBS policy either. Definitely makes me trust the reviews there less.
That definitely reduces the utility of the review process in some ways. I appreciate the effort reviewers put into the writing of the reviews.