My post (AGAIN) from the other thread.
1. Luke Plunkett from Kotaku just made a huge error.
2. All 3 video game companies (as with virtually all major electronics firms) report their sales as "sold". But they don't sell directly to you and I, they sell directly to retailers. Retailers ARE their consumers...not us.
3. Prior to March 31, 2007, Sony reported the total number of units manufactured. On that day they switched to the industry standard method noted in point 2.
4. Units sold to end consumers (that's us) are reported via 3rd party tracking firms such as NPD. Anytime, ANYTIME, either of the big 3 claim sales figures sold to end users (us again) they will always, ALWAYS, indicate the sales are in accordance with one of the tracking firms...be it NPD, GfK Chart Track or Media Create. None of the big 3 track point of sale because they pay those other tracking firms for the results of their services.
5. Every quarter Sony releases their financial information to the public on their Investor Relations web site. You may find the following statement on all of them since March 31, 2007, "From FY07 the method of reporting unit sales was changed from production shipments to recorded sales (FY06 reclassified). As noted above recorded sales for them are retailers and distributors...not end market consumers (us).
Being in the media myself, it always pangs me to see our industry writers do all they can to lower our standards.
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GIBiz, whom I am a member of, is geared more toward industry professionals than the end consumer. With that in mind, everyone there fully understands that sold for Sony means sold to retail. Remember, Sony's consumers are distributors and retailers, not us as we do not buy directly from Sony. Not a single person there has suggest the article refers to "sold to consumers" because it's an understood issue and never was subject to debate.
The rEVOLution is not being televised
