How to deal with negativity

Is it? The purpose of a review isn't to help us sell our game, it's to inform others' buying decisions. If it's honest then it seems perfectly productive from that perspective.

Edit: And it could be productive to developers. If genuinely the only problem your game has is a lack of critical mass for multiplayer then that's a pretty specific problem you could focus on solving.

Free weekends, to attract players who are on the fence?

Special events to get existing players to come in at the same time, rather than spread out?

Add an assymetric mode where not everyone needs VR gear? (Assuming we're talking about the VR shooter by MDA, here.)

 

It depends on whether or not that person already refunded the game. If a person bought a game and likes the game but wishes the game had more players, then posting a negative review is actually counter to that person's self interests. If a person is so upset about the lack of players that they already refunded the game, then the negative review would not be counter productive for that person.

 

A Steam recommendation (independent of whether the review is positive or negative) is not about the person's self-interest, it's about the self-interest of the reader. A recommendation is not in the best interests of a reader if their experience will be negative due to things like a low player count.

Though you are right that it's an unpleasant feedback loop.

 

People complain about everything ... even the most successful things. If a creator listens to critics, they need to use a filter to figure out what criticism is actually on target and useful.

Continue being positive. Believing in your creation is the only way to get it done.

 

A Steam review is choice between recommending an not recommending something. Not recommending a game does not necessarily mean that it is a bad game.

Not recommending a very good multiplayer-only game with no player base seems quite reasonable to me.

 

I don't think reviews or recommendations are usually about anyone's strategic benefit. They are often simply an expression of whatever emotion the writer feels about the product. If someone is frustrated by something, they will find some basis to give a low score.

 

This is a good review, lots of constructive feedback. I tend to listen in on these more than negative ones