GTA publisher Take-Two Interactive has admitted that video game review bombing campaigns can hurt profits and harm reputation. The surprise admission came in a recent 10-K SEC filing, which summarizes Take-Two’s financial performance for stakeholders.
Why Take-Two is worried about video game review bombing
Player-driven review bombing campaigns — which often take place on Steam and Metacritic — are designed to bring ratings down. We’ve previously heard from developers that their bonuses are often tied to Metacritic review scores, with Take-Two adding that the lower a game’s rating, the harder it is for players to find and recommend its games.
Take-Two also referenced “defamation campaigns intended to harm” game ratings, warning that such campaigns can lead to a loss of players and revenues. The company also said that review bombing can result in “reputational harm,” and may require additional spendng on advertising and marketing, presumably to clean things up.
While Take-Two has its reasons for disclosing these risks in a regulatory filing, this admission is most certainly going to end up backfiring. We’ve seen far too many review bombing campaigns led by groups of online trolls with sinister intentions, and this information is only going to encourage such behavior. Here’s hoping we’re wrong.