Review bomb: Difference between revisions

A '''review bomb''' is an [[Internet]] phenomenon in which a large number of people or a few people with multiple accounts<ref>{{cite web |title=Random: AI: The Somnium Files Got Review-Bombed By Someone Obsessed With One Of Its Characters |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2020/02/random_ai_the_somnium_files_got_review-bombed_by_someone_obsessed_with_one_of_its_characters |website=Nintendo Life |date=12 February 2020}}</ref> post negative [[user review]]s online in an attempt to harm the sales or popularity of a product, a service, or a business.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.kotaku.com.au/2015/05/steam-review-bombing-is-a-problem/|title=Steam 'Review Bombing' Is A Problem|last=Grayson|first=Nathan|work=Steamed|date=19 April 2015|access-date=2017-08-10|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170810131259/http://steamed.kotaku.com/steam-review-bombing-is-a-problem-1701088582|archive-date=10 August 2017|url-status=livedead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> While a large number of negative reviews may simply be the result of a large number of customers independently criticizing something for poor quality, a review bomb may also be driven by a desire to draw attention to perceived political or cultural issues,<ref name="poly steam 2019">{{cite web | url = https://www.polygon.com/2020/2/6/21126787/steam-review-bombs-policy-effectiveness-valve | title = Valve intervened in 44 'review bomb' incidents on Steam last year | first= Charlie | last= Hall | date = February 6, 2020 | accessdate = February 19, 2020 |work = [[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] }}</ref> perhaps especially if the vendor seems unresponsive or inaccessible to direct feedback.<ref name="polygon anatomy">{{Cite web | url = https://www.polygon.com/2017/10/4/16418832/pubg-firewatch-steam-review-bomb | title = The anatomy of a review bombing campaign | first = Ben | last = Kuchera | date = October 4, 2017 | accessdate = October 4, 2017 | work = [[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171005051009/https://www.polygon.com/2017/10/4/16418832/pubg-firewatch-steam-review-bomb | archive-date = October 5, 2017 | url-status = live | df = mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://waypoint.vice.com/en_us/article/xwgdek/valves-solution-to-review-bombing-ignores-steams-longstanding-problems | title = Valve's "Solution" to Review Bombing Ignores Steam's Longstanding Problems | first = Patrick | last = Klepek | date = September 19, 2017 | accessdate = September 19, 2017 | work = [[Vice (magazine)|Vice]] | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170919224213/https://waypoint.vice.com/en_us/article/xwgdek/valves-solution-to-review-bombing-ignores-steams-longstanding-problems | archive-date = September 19, 2017 | url-status = live | df = mdy-all }}</ref> Review bombing also typically takes place over a short period of time and meant to disrupt established ratings that a product already has at review sites, sometimes backed by campaigns organized through online message boards.<ref name="polygon anatomy"/> It may be used as a mass-movement-driven [[coercion]] tactic, as a form of protest, or may simply be a form of [[Internet troll|trolling]].<ref name=":0" /> Review bombing is a similar practice to [[vote brigading]].

[[Amazon Prime Video]] series ''[[The Boys (TV series)|The Boys]]''{{'}} second season was review bombed due to its release schedule, and fourth season due to its politics.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-09-12 |title=Here’s Why Fans Flooded ’The Boys’ Season 2 With Bad Reviews |url=https://uproxx.com/tv/the-boys-season-2-review-bombed-explained/ |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=UPROXX |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ulatowski |first=Rachel |date=2024-06-18 |title=How Did It Take Four Seasons for MAGA To Realize ‘The Boys’ Is About Them? |url=https://www.themarysue.com/the-boys-season-4-how-did-maga-only-just-realize-its-about-them/ |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=The Mary Sue}}</ref>