By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. Close

Forums - Sales Discussion - Proposal: Crowdfunded non-profit sales tracker for the U.S.

mrstickball on 16 August 2019

NPD is $10,000 per report per month. If they find out you'd ever transmit the data elsewhere, you'd probably be in breach of their NDA or other licensing agreements.

Brett left VGC and with it, any hope of adding proper methodology.

The Patreon idea isn't a bad idea. If you need help on how to calculate sales for games/DLC, just give me a PM and I can tell you how to do it. I worked with Brett and a few others professionally for a few years on digital game tracking (FADE). I don't think the concept has changed much since I stopped doing it professionally. But you WILL need someone that's very, VERY fluent with data scrapers and at least one high-end ($200+/mo) server, for starters.



Back from the dead, I'm afraid.

Around the Network
I LOVE GIGGS on 19 August 2019
mrstickball said:

NPD is $10,000 per report per month. If they find out you'd ever transmit the data elsewhere, you'd probably be in breach of their NDA or other licensing agreements.

Brett left VGC and with it, any hope of adding proper methodology.

The Patreon idea isn't a bad idea. If you need help on how to calculate sales for games/DLC, just give me a PM and I can tell you how to do it. I worked with Brett and a few others professionally for a few years on digital game tracking (FADE). I don't think the concept has changed much since I stopped doing it professionally. But you WILL need someone that's very, VERY fluent with data scrapers and at least one high-end ($200+/mo) server, for starters.

I don't know if you know this Shadow, but this guy used to publish XBLA sales numbers and they were trusted more than the site he used to publish them on. I'd recommend speaking with him if you're serious about this. 

Summer of Arcade used to be more fun with his data.



Bofferbrauer2 on 09 September 2019
Shadow1980 said:
Well, I dropped this idea over at Era, and it seems that the general consensus so far is that there is no point. Apparently, the only ones who will ever have the privilege of obtaining any sales data is the NPD. They have a legal monopoly on it, and they and the game industry and retailers simply don't want this information going public. And some even insinuated that it was for the better, that sales data ought to be verboted to the unwashed masses.

If there really is no point, if the NPD really does have a permanent lock on U.S. sales data, I guess I might as well just drop my interest in cataloguing, discussing, and analyzing sales data. I guess it's my lot in life to have everything that interests me taken away from me.

With what justification do they think that data should be hidden from the people? Do they really prefer being lied upon/spinned around like a spintop?

It's quite possible that NPD has a permanent lock on that data... but who the heck are those idiots that do such pointless exclusivity deals in the first place?

And no, Shadow, the data we have might not be perfect and increasingly hard to get, but that certainly doesn't mean we should stop trying.



The Nintendo eShop rating Thread: http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/thread.php?id=237454 List as Google Doc:  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1aW2hXQT1TheElVS7z-F3pP-7nbqdrDqWNTxl6JoJWBY/edit?usp=sharing

The Steam/GOG key gifting thread: https://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/thread/242024/the-steamgog-key-gifting-thread/1/ 

Free Pc Games thread: https://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/thread/248138/free-pc-games/1/

zorg1000 on 09 September 2019
Bofferbrauer2 said:
Shadow1980 said:
Well, I dropped this idea over at Era, and it seems that the general consensus so far is that there is no point. Apparently, the only ones who will ever have the privilege of obtaining any sales data is the NPD. They have a legal monopoly on it, and they and the game industry and retailers simply don't want this information going public. And some even insinuated that it was for the better, that sales data ought to be verboted to the unwashed masses.

If there really is no point, if the NPD really does have a permanent lock on U.S. sales data, I guess I might as well just drop my interest in cataloguing, discussing, and analyzing sales data. I guess it's my lot in life to have everything that interests me taken away from me.

With what justification do they think that data should be hidden from the people? Do they really prefer being lied upon/spinned around like a spintop?

It's quite possible that NPD has a permanent lock on that data... but who the heck are those idiots that do such pointless exclusivity deals in the first place?

And no, Shadow, the data we have might not be perfect and increasingly hard to get, but that certainly doesn't mean we should stop trying.

They didnt say that, they said there is no incentive for companies to give out data like that to the general public so they dont.



When the herd loses its way, the shepard must kill the bull that leads them astray.

Bofferbrauer2 on 10 September 2019
zorg1000 said:
Bofferbrauer2 said:

With what justification do they think that data should be hidden from the people? Do they really prefer being lied upon/spinned around like a spintop?

It's quite possible that NPD has a permanent lock on that data... but who the heck are those idiots that do such pointless exclusivity deals in the first place?

And no, Shadow, the data we have might not be perfect and increasingly hard to get, but that certainly doesn't mean we should stop trying.

They didnt say that, they said there is no incentive for companies to give out data like that to the general public so they dont.

If it weren't so costly, I'd try to go to court with them, blaming them of fraud and tax evasion, that they don't declare all their sales and thus their income. And argue that because of this, it's a public interest to have access to the sales numbers, as it would make fraudulent actions more difficult if everybody had an eye on them.



The Nintendo eShop rating Thread: http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/thread.php?id=237454 List as Google Doc:  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1aW2hXQT1TheElVS7z-F3pP-7nbqdrDqWNTxl6JoJWBY/edit?usp=sharing

The Steam/GOG key gifting thread: https://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/thread/242024/the-steamgog-key-gifting-thread/1/ 

Free Pc Games thread: https://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/thread/248138/free-pc-games/1/

Around the Network
Bofferbrauer2 on 13 September 2019
Shadow1980 said:
zorg1000 said:

They didnt say that, they said there is no incentive for companies to give out data like that to the general public so they dont.

What I'd like to know, and what nobody seems willing or able to explain, is why things are so different in Japan. They have three different sales trackers, two of which are still divulging sales figures publicly. And they're video game magazines. Video game magazines! If a couple of video game magazines can track and publish sales in Japan, then why the hell can't anyone compete with the NPD in the U.S.? Why can't IGN or GameSpot or Game Informer do what Famitsu and Dengeki do? Why can't anyone? Is it the retailers being secretive? Does the NPD Group somehow have their loyalty? Or do some people simply assume that with no real backing?

Well, how about trying to start a tracker in another region? I mean, how long are we yearning already for a tracker for Europe? Maybe instead of trying to outdo NPD we could try and get a tracker for Europe, the EU or at least the Eurozone started.



The Nintendo eShop rating Thread: http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/thread.php?id=237454 List as Google Doc:  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1aW2hXQT1TheElVS7z-F3pP-7nbqdrDqWNTxl6JoJWBY/edit?usp=sharing

The Steam/GOG key gifting thread: https://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/thread/242024/the-steamgog-key-gifting-thread/1/ 

Free Pc Games thread: https://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/thread/248138/free-pc-games/1/

zorg1000 on 13 September 2019
Bofferbrauer2 said:
Shadow1980 said:

What I'd like to know, and what nobody seems willing or able to explain, is why things are so different in Japan. They have three different sales trackers, two of which are still divulging sales figures publicly. And they're video game magazines. Video game magazines! If a couple of video game magazines can track and publish sales in Japan, then why the hell can't anyone compete with the NPD in the U.S.? Why can't IGN or GameSpot or Game Informer do what Famitsu and Dengeki do? Why can't anyone? Is it the retailers being secretive? Does the NPD Group somehow have their loyalty? Or do some people simply assume that with no real backing?

Well, how about trying to start a tracker in another region? I mean, how long are we yearning already for a tracker for Europe? Maybe instead of trying to outdo NPD we could try and get a tracker for Europe, the EU or at least the Eurozone started.

That's already a thing.



When the herd loses its way, the shepard must kill the bull that leads them astray.

Darwinianevolution on 13 September 2019

Analyzing crowfunding projects would be a good addition to the site, especially considering how many of them are and how bigger companies seem interested in the concept.



You know it deserves the GOTY.

Come join The 2018 Obscure Game Monthly Review Thread.

Bofferbrauer2 on 13 September 2019
zorg1000 said:
Bofferbrauer2 said:

Well, how about trying to start a tracker in another region? I mean, how long are we yearning already for a tracker for Europe? Maybe instead of trying to outdo NPD we could try and get a tracker for Europe, the EU or at least the Eurozone started.

That's already a thing.

Really? What tracker tracks the EU sales?



The Nintendo eShop rating Thread: http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/thread.php?id=237454 List as Google Doc:  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1aW2hXQT1TheElVS7z-F3pP-7nbqdrDqWNTxl6JoJWBY/edit?usp=sharing

The Steam/GOG key gifting thread: https://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/thread/242024/the-steamgog-key-gifting-thread/1/ 

Free Pc Games thread: https://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/thread/248138/free-pc-games/1/

konnichiwa on 13 September 2019
Shadow1980 said:
zorg1000 said:

They didnt say that, they said there is no incentive for companies to give out data like that to the general public so they dont.

What I'd like to know, and what nobody seems willing or able to explain, is why things are so different in Japan. They have three different sales trackers, two of which are still divulging sales figures publicly. And they're video game magazines. Video game magazines! If a couple of video game magazines can track and publish sales in Japan, then why the hell can't anyone compete with the NPD in the U.S.? Why can't IGN or GameSpot or Game Informer do what Famitsu and Dengeki do? Why can't anyone? Is it the retailers being secretive? Does the NPD Group somehow have their loyalty? Or do some people simply assume that with no real backing?

Because NPD probably gives a nice sum to gamestores like Gamestop.