Cheaper/Free Trials of XNA for Peer Reviewers

[G_tarRoCK3R]

This topic keeps popping up in various threads, so lets try and keep this convo in one place!

What is everyones thoughts on this topic? I feel that if we are only doing peer reviewing and playtesting that we should get to do it for free. Why? What benefit do we REALLY get for giving out our hard work. I really hope HMX is trying hard to get us cheaper/free playtest only accounts.

I for one don't really think I will renew my subscription and help out if I gotta pay another $100 a year. Now its not really about the money for me. Its the fact that what do I get out of helping the community in this aspect? I thought it would be fun and cool to see the song early, but after having being doing this a month or two now, I feel that its not enough and I can just play the demo's or whatever. Its ALOT of work and other people are benefiting from my hard work (authors, HMX, M$, labels)

Now of course I think there should be VERY strict guidelines so that this won't turn into "I love this song I will give it all positive reviews without even playing it!"

There should be a weighted voting system (I've heard mentioned before that would work very well) HMX could assign people with ranks based on their play tests and reviews. Say you have a new guy. His would be 0 count for input, until they move up the ranks once proven to be useful/helpful.

[overdriveguitarman]

I don't like that people are saying they don't want just anybody to be able to do it because they won't do a good job, and then say they need more people. That isn't going to work out both ways!

I have a lot of free time (obviously) and I would surely do a great job! But I am not going to pay so much to do this!

[G_tarRoCK3R]

I don't like that people are saying they don't want just anybody to be able to do it because they won't do a good job, and then say they need more people. That isn't going to work out both ways!

I have a lot of free time (obviously) and I would surely do a great job! But I am not going to pay so much to do this!

When did I say I don't want just anyone? If people are just going to free load the service (take all songs free for instance) and not helpout/particiapte and give adequate reviews, what good are they doing? Then will lose the "prilage' of a free account and have to then pay the $100 a year. I'm saying that yea we need more people to do this and playtesters shouldn't have to PAY to give QA.

[overdriveguitarman]

When did I say I don't want just anyone? If people are just going to free load the service (take all songs free for instance) and not helpout/particiapte and give adequate reviews, what good are they doing? Then will lose the "prilage' of a free account and have to then pay the $100 a year. I'm saying that yea we need more people to do this and playtesters shouldn't have to PAY to give QA.

You didn't say it but in another thread somebody said they didn't want it to be free so that people would have to be REALLY committed to this, but there aren't that many people that will do that!

[kingtonyx]

I do like that system, but a cost+reward system would work better.

[G_tarRoCK3R]

You didn't say it but in another thread somebody said they didn't want it to be free so that people would have to be REALLY committed to this, but there aren't that many people that will do that!

Did you read my OP? lol I addressed how it could work with it still being free....a weighted ranking system for voting powers.

I do like that system, but a cost+reward system would work better.

Honestly Tony, why are we paying to help them? They need our help.....they benefit. What do we get? Honestly, more authors should be peer reviewing/playtesting. Its not fair to the others that are doing this.

[overdriveguitarman]

I do like that system, but a cost+reward system would work better.

Oh yeah that's an idea!

But then that would require Harmonix to do more work wouldn't it?

How would they even know who to reward?


Say they decided to do a "You review it you keep it", then a lot of people would just go around reviewing as much stuff as they can without putting any care into it at all!

[kingtonyx]

You didn't say it but in another thread somebody said they didn't want it to be free so that people would have to be REALLY committed to this, but there aren't that many people that will do that!

the only problem with it being free to do is this...

say Ke$ha puts a song up for review

as soon as anyone caught wind of it, you've got 10,000 Ke$ha fans rushing the review site and the song is approved within 10 seconds with no one actually looking at the charts or anything

those people leave and never come back

[overdriveguitarman]

Did you read my OP? lol I addressed how it could work with it still being free....a weighted ranking system for voting powers.

You must have edited it because I did read your first post and it was different

[G_tarRoCK3R]

Oh yeah that's an idea!

But then that would require Harmonix to do more work wouldn't it?

How would they even know who to reward?


Say they decided to do a "You review it you keep it", then a lot of people would just go around reviewing as much stuff as they can without putting any care into it at all!

We shouldn't get the song for free.....idk what kind of rewards there can be. Rewards would be good, but free songs isn't really the way to go. They have to be QUALITY reviews you know? After reaching a certain (high) rank, maybe then you start to get rewards. But its not fair to the authors, artists etc. Which is why free would be best, no cost. Weighted voting system.

This is how I see it:

New guy, 0 reviews = 0 points
5-10 QUALITY reviews = 1 point
10-25 quality reviews = 2 points
25-50 reviews = 3 points

etc. etc.

With this way, to get a passing reviewed song you would need a certain # of voting points (lets say 15) If you get 5 (3) ranked person, your song can pass review. There should also be like a minimum # of people also like 12. This prevents people for just pushing reviews and positives without even looking at the song. HMX would have to go through a persons history and see how they give the reviews/play tests to be based off this.

Now that I think about it, this ranking should be for each instrument as well.

You must have edited it because I did read your first post and it was different

Yea sorry I was editing as I go xD