SS ROTS Yoda Jedi Master Figure

[SixthScaleEdward]

But i'd rather not burn any bridges with the company in the hopes that they release something else in the future that i probably will love.

It's settled then.

kidding

I saw that you were quite honest in your review and I appreciate your effort to bring us this first-look on yoda
helping us make better decisions before our cards get charged.

 

[Optibotimus]

Yes of course there is. Simply stating that a company like SS, who use to want all this honesty and transparency with their product and fans, are not likely to endorse a reviewer who gives less than an overall swimming nod to their product. Business logical; yes. Who wouldn't do that? However, consumer wise, the "fan review" becomes more of a commercial, and not an unfettered assessment of the item.
Again, no disrespect to Optibotimus, his review is cool and he's been stand up in here and probably a little too transparent with us, but I do appreciate the effort.

Opti, I do think, however, by NOT reviewing a truly bad piece shows that your actions can be swayed by the need to maintain your relationship with the manufacturer, so objectivity is, by its very nature, compromised. That's not a criticism, just an observation and again, no disrespect. Most, if not all of us, in your position, would do the same.

Hell, I like Sean's reviews. They are funny and annoying in an adult swim kinda way. They ought to give him a show on AS!

I probably have been too transparent, but i didn't want to sound like a ****** screaming "IT'S NONE OF YOUR GOD DAMN BUSINESS!!"

I think i'm damned if i do and i'm damned if i don't. The bottom line is my business is reviewing figures and collectibles. If i burn that bridge, that can hurt MY business. So by not hurting theirs, it helps me maintain mine, if that makes sense.

 

[jedibear]

I think you're doing quite well.
The thing that works about your reviews is the plain speaking and the simple presentation of the figure. No bell-n-whistles, no cute animations, no endless self-promotions...just present the figure and talk about it.

Always works for me....

 

[DCFett]

I probably have been too transparent, but i didn't want to sound like a ****** screaming "IT'S NONE OF YOUR GOD DAMN BUSINESS!!"

I think i'm damned if i do and i'm damned if i don't. The bottom line is my business is reviewing figures and collectibles. If i burn that bridge, that can hurt MY business. So by not hurting theirs, it helps me maintain mine, if that makes sense.

Indeed. Well thanks for the very open commentary and the review! Much appreciated.

 

[sithlord13]

It seems a shame that that you would rather not reveiw a figure than post a negative review.
Feedback should be essential for manufacturers to learn from. I'm sure ESP with lower priced stuff that some of these companies must know its crap. Even Ssc etc must look at some items and think. Umm this is poor but it's too late now.

 

[Rorywan]

Except Rorywan. I always listen to Rorywan.

...ahh devil! Thanks for the callout, thats so sweet of you to say.



..ahem. But seriously, a reviewer who has a vested interest in keeping the supplier of the product happy, cannot possible be objective about their review. SS or any other company who sends their product out for wider exposure wouldn't be doing so if it damaged sales? So therefore they want/need positive reviews or they would stop doing it in the first place and these web reviewers would stop getting the product.

Surely that's not subjective?

I probably have been too transparent, but i didn't want to sound like a ****** screaming "IT'S NONE OF YOUR GOD DAMN BUSINESS!!"

I think i'm damned if i do and i'm damned if i don't. The bottom line is my business is reviewing figures and collectibles. If i burn that bridge, that can hurt MY business. So by not hurting theirs, it helps me maintain mine, if that makes sense.

Exactly, and I for one appreciate you being so transparent. It's great to see early reviews like yours, once we know the perimeters of the review? If that makes sense.

 

[RavenEye]

^ Tell that to Hasbro *******s who screwed up a good line of articulated figures and went back to 5 point basics. Just saying a company can do whatever they want.

 

[devilof76]

...ahh devil! Thanks for the callout, thats so sweet of you to say.

I know if I don't tell you on a regular basis, you'll think I don't love you anymore.

But seriously, the fact that he refrains from trashing figures he doesn't like is hardly evidence that his positive reviews (or any reviewer's, for that matter) aren't genuine. And do you really think they'll cut them off for being honest when a figure is not 10's across the board?

 

[Rorywan]

I know if I don't tell you on a regular basis, you'll think I don't love you anymore.

But seriously, the fact that he refrains from trashing figures he doesn't like is hardly evidence that his positive reviews (or any reviewer's, for that matter) aren't genuine. And do you really think they'll cut them off for being honest when a figure is not 10's across the board?

Yes. If it damages sales.

Optibotimus seems to think so as well?

 

[devilof76]

So every reviewer who has given them a less than perfect evaluation is no longer getting figures from them?

Michael Crawford, for example. When has he ever demonstrated bias? When was he excommunicated?

 

[Rorywan]

So every reviewer who has given them a less than perfect evaluation is no longer getting figures from them?

Michael Crawford, for example. When has he ever demonstrated bias? When was he excommunicated?

No, not at all. There is a large differencel between saying something is not perfect and saying something is pretty bad. Which is why most of these sponsored reviews are middling to good.

As much as I enjoy reading Michael Crawfords reviews, IMO they are pretty positive about everything most of the time, he has made a few genuine negative remarks about prices and value for money, but generally I find his reviews pretty restrained.

 

[devilof76]

So...what you're saying is that having an incentive to lie is proof that all/most positive reviews are lies?

Or...what you're saying is that refusing to pay people to **** on their product is proof that all/most positive reviews are lies?

No, of course that's not what you're saying. That would be dumb.

 

[Rorywan]

I'm not saying any of those things.
I'm saying that a sponsored review is a non objective review.
That's all.

It cannot be. Even if you absolutely don't care about pissing off your sponser, you still didn't pay for the item. It's a different mindset entirely.

 

[The Josh]

I enjoy doing my reviews but there are always going to be people who think you could do it better. Folks will question why you say this or that for no reason other than their own speculation. They assume you say nice things because you get stuff for free. I've heard this myself which I always kind of chuckle at. I've gotten hardly anything for free from anyone. So when I review something it's because I want to talk about it. If I don't review something it's because I just didn't feel like it. Style wise I just write about things how I'd talk about it if I was having a conversation with you. I do the same thing when I've done video reviews as most of you know. I just like that style of review myself.

If someone is getting thing for free and they don't I can't blame them from not doing it. It's not fun to set there and write over and over how bad something is. As far as SS not putting negative reviews on their site that makes sense. Why would anyone expect them to?

 

[Rorywan]

I enjoy doing my reviews but there are always going to be people who think you could do it better. Folks will question why you say this or that for no reason other than their own speculation. They assume you say nice things because you get stuff for free. I've heard this myself which I always kind of chuckle at. I've gotten hardly anything for free from anyone. So when I review something it's because I want to talk about it. If I don't review something it's because I just didn't feel like it. Style wise I just write about things how I'd talk about it if I was having a conversation with you. I do the same thing when I've done video reviews as most of you know. I just like that style of review myself.

If someone is getting thing for free and they don't I can't blame them from not doing it. It's not fun to set there and write over and over how bad something is. As far as SS not putting negative reviews on their site that makes sense. Why would anyone expect them to.

Exactly. The particular reviewer we are discussing has openly admitted to walking a careful line so as to not burn bridges with his sponsor. So this conversation is pretty defunct as far as I'm concerned. Of course it makes sense, it's business at the end of the day.

Do I think a particularly positive or negative review is an indication of sponsorship pressure or not. Absolutely not.

 

[The Josh]

I think it's a matter of word choices to be honest. You can say something isn't top notch and be nice about. That was the best advice I was given when I started writing reviews.

If someone wants to start giving me stuff so I can find out if there is pressure I'm open to it.

 

[devilof76]

I'm not saying any of those things.
I'm saying that a sponsored review is a non objective review.
That's all.

It cannot be. Even if you absolutely don't care about pissing off your sponser, you still didn't pay for the item. It's a different mindset entirely.

Speak for yourself.

If you think it's impossible to be honest, and sponsored, I don't know what to tell you.

 

[Rorywan]

I am. and I don't expect you to tell me anything.
Thanks though.

And again, you seem keen to put your words in my mouth, but I didn't say that. I never mentioned honesty.

I said, I don't believe it's possible to be objective in a sponsored review.

If you want to ignore the actual example of this posted here already and have your rose tinted view of the process. You are more than entitled to it sir.

I think it's a matter of word choices to be honest. You can say something isn't top notch and be nice about. That was the best advice I was given when I started writing reviews.

If someone wants to start giving me stuff so I can find out if there is pressure I'm open to it.

 

[devilof76]

If the validity of your opinion requires that you limit your data to a single example, I'm not the one looking at a world tinted pink.

 

[Rorywan]

If the validity of your opinion requires that you limit your data to a single example, I'm not the one looking at a world tinted pink.

It doesn't and I wasn't. You should get a job writing for Fox News.