Dude, I know plenty of statistics. I just think that this is a bullshit article. Or do you really believe it?

After looking at their site, I have no reason to not believe this survey they have conducted.  In 8 years they have become one of the top 25 trackers in the world (#24 to be exact). In fact, their weekly surveys remind me of the weekly political polls conducted here in the US. Everyone seems to qoute them all the time without questioning their exact methods. In fact, I know of no tracking site/service that releases their exact sources and methods. What would be the point? Then anyone could do it themselves. They always just release a general, one sentence explanation about their survey. Oh, something like "OXT’s GamePlan weekly tracking study surveys 1,000 U.S. gamers and buyers including hardcore gamers, casual gamers and everyone in between."

I find it ridiculous that people on a tracking site that does the exact same thing wish to criticize another tracking site. Maybe the survey is saying something people don't like. Something makes me believe that if PS3 was switched with 360 or Wii, and the game was Halo Reach or SMG2, there would be a different response. More in the line of "Awesome, that game is going to sell tons of 360's/Wii's!"

Research studies =/= sales tracking.

I think you might have missed the point. We are not doubting the "39%" of gamers who plan to buy GT5 do not yet own a PS3. What we have question about is how many gamers out of the 1000 sruveyed plan to buy GT5.

NiKKoM put it nicely in perpective in his post

It looks a lot different if he just post "22 gamers were surveyed and 50% of the gamers who plan to buy Halo Reach do not yet own a XBox360" than "22 gamers were surveyed and 2 plan to buy Halo Reach. 50% of the gamers who plan to buy Halo Reach do not yet own a XBox360."

Research studies =/= sales tracking. They offer studies into buyers' habits, so their clients can effectively market and plan for release dates and such. That is NOT the same as sales tracking at all, and if they want to keep it all behind closed doors, that's all well and good. But if a study surfaces (not a sales tracking estimate) like this study, and just gives a conclusion, then the validity of that study is suspicious.

If they said "The study was done by asking participants if they planned to buy GT5, and if so, if they already owned a PS3. 39% of those that responded yes to the first query responded no to the second." Now maybe the study was done differently, but the exclusion of such an explanation makes me feel like there is something to hide, and makes me think the study is not truthful. There are false studies EVERYWHERE, and hiding simple information is a great way to earn mistrust.

Well I've got a friend who's waiting for a Gran Turismo 5 Bundle when it comes out and he doesn't have a PS3 yet so yeh there are definitely people out there who are actually waiting to get a PS3 just for GT5.

You are problably right about Other M. Since I am thinking on buying a Wii when this game comes out

Same, I have numerous friends waiting. At the moment they're either with 360s and Forza 3 or still with GT4 on the PS2. Those with 360s intend to sell them to buy there PS3s when GT5s released. 

it doesn't make one lick of difference how many out of the 1000 plan to buy gt5 and a ps3. It's called extrapolation, and through it, you can tell the buying potential of millions upon millions of people. It's not the most accurate thing in the world. Surveying every single person would be the most exact, and even then, not guaranteed. However, there is no survey based firm that does such a thing because it is very very costly and takes a long time. Just look at the US Census to get a good idea of how difficult such a thing is.

I'm sorry that the three of you don't understand statistics. But point after point you have no reason to doubt this. Statistics is very methodical and intricate, and there are many levels of analysis that it goes through.

What I'd like you all to think about, as another set of infered evidence, is that for a company that is 24th in the US in stat tracking, do you really think they would say something if it could be easily proved wrong by any number of 15 year olds on a forum.

Wake up guys.

How is "39% (actually 33%) of all gamers (surveyed) who plan to buy GT5 do not yet own a ps3" any different from "the study was done by asking participants if they planned to buy GT5, and if so, if they already owned a PS3; 39% of those that responded yes to the first query responded no to the second"?  I'll give you the answer, there is no difference except for the wording.  Both of those statements give you the exact same info. 

Also, GamePlan is a tracking service.  It just offers much more info than just sales.  As such, they are not going to release the info on how exactly they do their research, so as not to be copied.  Just like this site.  Here is their website if you wish to do any further research on them.  http://www.gameplaninsights.com/

@ saicho

There is a huge difference between Nikkom doing a survey of 22 from his friends and family, most of which probably have similar tastes in gaming, and a completely unbiased company surveying 1,000 different gamers of all tastes and walks of life each week.  Also, the amount of gamers who said they plan to buy it truly doesn't matter, as not every gamer plans on buying it.  And even if the number of people who said they would buy it is small, then that would only prove further that it is accurate.  I say this because if GT5 sells 10 mil, that's still a very small number compared to the number of gamers/consoles out there (Wii+360+PS3 as of now = 142.86 mil, so 7% plan to buy it).  And of that 10 mil, about 3.3 mil will probably be buying a PS3 between now and around the time it releases. 

Of course, 10 mil is just an estimate and it could very well go on to sell more than that.  Also, surveys are never 100% accurate and usually give themselves a 5-10% margin of error.  However, they are still the only way to get a better picture of things as a whole.