Van Life Simulator (RV Camping Simulator/RV Camping Simulator) is a heartwarming simulation game based on the theme of van life, which has accumulated a whopping 1.5 million wishlists on Steam. However, before and after the game was launched, the developer was found to be trying to persuade users to delete negative reviews. This behavior caused an uproar in the player community!
Asking users to delete negative reviews is a big no-no!
For a long time, Steam’s review system has been credible because it is an expression of users’ true opinions. When developers start actively asking users to remove negative reviews, the credibility of the system is undermined. Players have a very low tolerance for this kind of exchanging nice words for benefits. Once discovered, it will often trigger a greater backlash.
The “personality” of 1.5 million wishlists collapsed
This game had already accumulated a lot of popularity before its release due to its unique theme and art style. However, this incident made many people begin to re-examine this team. Although the developer’s apology statement has been issued, the players’ question is very direct: Why wasn’t it handled this way at the beginning?
This turmoil is undoubtedly a serious injury for an independent game with a lot of expectations.
For independent developers who already rely on word-of-mouth from players, trust is extremely valuable. Once word of the proactive request to delete negative reviews spreads, it will be difficult to restore players’ trust in the team in the short term. This lesson is costly, but it may also be an opportunity for the entire industry to rethink “what to do in the face of negative reviews.”