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Amazon Removing Negative Reviews for Spore After DRM Backlash

September 09, 2008 in News comments 7

Amazon.com has decided to remove the most negative reviews for Spore. The review was rated 3000 out of 3300 of being helpful, and was a good review. To read it click the source.

For the last couple of days we’ve seen thousands of users back lashing against EA on Amazon for their restrictive DRM which limits the game to only 3 installs. Today, Amazon deleted the most viewed negative review against Spore.
Twisted via gameviper.com »
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  • 1
    Deathsythe Sep 9, 08
    I can't see the possible justification for removing user-feedback and reviews - it is one of the basic principles that their site is founded on.

    That's like removing comments from GameGrep, or posts from Neoseeker.

    The corporate control over the userbase has begun.
    So much for the customer always being right.
    • 0
      GTA_Fanatic Sep 9, 08
      No it's not quite like that because Amazon is making a profit from the game and Neoseeker makes profits from ads. Amazon wishes to continue making money off the game.
      I'm surprised that they've never done this before...
      If you owned a store, would you let someone stand inside your store and say "You're [insert item here] is [insert complaint here]" over and over again?
      No, you would want your customers to keep buying that item, regardless of whether the statement was true or not.
      It's not necessarily right, but it's not like they're somehow deleting negetive stuff on other websites.
      They're not breaking any law.
      • 1
        Deathsythe Sep 10, 08
        I never said anything about it breaking any law- but it is destroying one of the fundamental aspects of any retail site- the ability for users to leave reviews for products and let other users know what they think of them.

        If the users didn't find the reviews helpful- they would vote accordingly.

        By removing bad reviews it may cause people not to buy that product and in turn not receive any payment for selling it because no-one wishes to purchase it because it has received very negative reviews. It is playing the market - skewing the results to make something they are trying to sell look better than the userbase has already determined that it is.

        I'm all pro-capitalism, but this is a very dangerous business practice.


        How would you feel if a website was silencing and removing reviews that said that a product could kill or maim you? Under the justification that it was creating bad-publicity and their sales were suffering?

        Same scenario - different level.
        • 0
          GTA_Fanatic Sep 10, 08
          Re-read this:

          quote GTA_Fanatic
          It's not necessarily right, but it's not like they're somehow deleting negetive stuff on other websites.
  • 0
    Cruxis Mana Sep 9, 08
    In fairness, it wasn't even a review, it was just a jab at the issue.
    • 0
      Deathsythe Sep 9, 08
      Not necessarily, he did jab at the game as well.
      quote
      Evolution doesn’t even matter anymore. You can add as many legs to a creature as you want, but it won’t be any faster than a one legged creature with higher leg stats. “Creating” your creatures is pointless (cosmetic only, because everything is based on stats), and brings you about the same excitement as dressing up a plastic doll.
      Its right there in the article.

  • 0
    Bale Fire* Sep 10, 08
    Looks like Amazon has restored the reviews. Obviously realised the potential backlash for what their doing.

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