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Forums - Sales - Microsoft: VGChartz uses "polling based methods" to track sales

MARCUSDJACKSON on 15 November 2010

ok! is it working?



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Hyruken on 15 November 2010

Looks like MS might not be sending a xmas card to the VGC site runners this year then.



XanderZane on 15 November 2010
leatherhat said:

Vgchartz is always hustling. 

Everything is undertracked, everything is overtracked. 


Yup... that's about right I would say.



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yo_john117 on 15 November 2010
Fab_GS said:

VGC actually uses "polling based methods".

 

From
http://www.vgchartz.com/methodology.php

"All sales estimates on VGChartz are arrived at via a number of proprietrary and ever-developing methods:

  • Polling end users to find out what games they are currently purchasing and playing
  • Polling retail partners to find out what games and hardware they are selling
  • Using statistical trend fitting and historical data for similar games
  • Studying resell prices to determine consumer demand and inventory levels
  • Consulting with publishers and manufacturers to find out how many units they are introducing into the channel

For all hardware and top 50 software, sales estimates will be arrived at from at least three of the distinct methods listed above to ensure accuracy. For software below the top 50, sales estimates may be arrived at from only one or two of the methods since less data (and time!) is available. For lifetime sales, particularly for games and hardware that have now stopped selling, data can be considered to be very accurate and will be checked against manufacturer shipment data. VGChartz holds no responsibility for the use of our weekly sales estimates – any business decisions made are made at your own risk."

Wow they really do use mostly polling methods...but I still trust Vgchartz numbers seeing as the majority of the time they are within a 10% margin of error.

And if MS really wants to downplay Vgchartz maybe they should release some numbers too show how KINECT is doing.  



kitler53 on 15 November 2010

geez, if MS doesn't like us soo much why don't they just release some numbers instead of all this stupid FUD.



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Kasz216 on 15 November 2010

Er... considering that NPD and their internal trackers are also just polling retailers... I fail to see the difference.

Outside of sample size anyway.



Mummelmann on 15 November 2010

Lol, the big wigs are getting really mad now!

-MichelleObamawhyumadtho.jpg-



darthdevidem01 on 15 November 2010

 

EVERY SALES TRACKER ALSO DOES THIS!!!!



All hail the KING, Andrespetmonkey

Torillian on 15 November 2010
Kasz216 said:

Er... considering that NPD and their internal trackers are also just polling retailers... I fail to see the difference.

Outside of sample size anyway.


I guess the idea is that if you pay for the data like NPD or someone you have significant pull over like MS then it is more likely to be accurate.  Or something like that anyway.  More than likely the real reason to use the term "polling based" as though they don't use them themselves is because they know how bad that sounds to the average internet user. 

I'm really curious to see what kind of numbers MS will eventually put out there and how different or similar it will look to VGC's.



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Nomad Blue on 15 November 2010
Jordahn said:

So we are to NOT believe VGChartz's numbers, but we are to believe that is costs less than $60 to make one Kinect unit?


Nope.  The cost of the Kinect parts was said to be <$60, but that doesn't mean the cost of one Kinect unit <$60.