marc said:
Uhm a free fan based website is usually not as corrupt as your highly valued expensive industry publisher. Have you ever read those expensive magazines and their game reviews? They are all paid off by companies. So to answer your question, I would be more inclined to believe the source making little to no profit especially in todays world. |
A free fan-based website can also be much more biased than one with more of an image to keep intact.
Sure NPD is probably biased as well(and being paid off for some titles they review), but think about their industry; if all of the games they review were perfect because the company was paid off, soon enough the magazine won't be considered any good and even getting paid off will not keep them in business.
A similar case could be said about VG, but they don't have as much on the line.
NPD has to keep their image good otherwise they will not see enough money and fail. They have to stay professional by being honest as much as possible.