ioi speaks out about ergh "VGC analysts"

[Zod95]

ioi said:

The only reason there has ever been any questions raised over VGChartz numbers is because of the relationship we have with GAF and the misinformation that they spread back in 2005 - 2007 when VGChartz was first launched. This is a personal issue that stems from the fact that I used to post on GAF and fell out with some of the users on there when I pointed out that a lot of the existing data was flawed and wanted to do a better job by starting VGChartz. Had none of that happened and VGChartz just came out of the blue then none of this would exist. The backlash is a direct result of the enormous rise in popularity that the site had when it first launched since it offered something that was truly unique and filled a gap in the market. The users of GAF and other related sites couldn't get their head around it.

When a representative from Nielson, Bloomberg etc gets in touch to work with us they don't bring up any issues and treat us as they treat any other data partner. It is only on the realms of internet forums, N4G etc that these issues seem to exist. Believe me, I have spent a number of years trying to explain and defend the site but at the end of the day there is no point. Each week our latest chart gets posted on at least 50 different forums, we get more than 4 million unique users each month and have more than 30 professional data partners who subscribe to and use our data - I don't have the time or indeed the inclination to keep trying to convince people who are too narrow-minded to understand and will probably never get it! Things are going just fine as it is.

If that's true, I kind of understand your first reaction to the "hostile" users of this thread. I was having an impression about you that's probably far from being true. Still, you should always try to treat your community respectfully no matter what. Positive behaviour generates positive behaviour. And, after all, this is your userbase, your "baby". How do you want it to be when it "grows up"? Like in a company, the environment of a website is defined from top to bottom. You are at the top, so you are the first one responsible for the community to be what it is (regardless whether I think it's good or bad).

But, out of curiosity, why do you think the existing data at that moment was flawed and why those GAF members got mad when you said such a thing? And does IGN has anything to do with that?