http://www.gamespot.com/news/show_blog_entry.php?topic_id=26464136

I expect to be banned, shortly. The last time I posted numbers from VGChartz to correct Gamespot, they banned me for a week. I bet this time...

"
 
pencilpusher69

"Chartz-ing out the Wrong Course
Business journalism is based on having good, fast, reliable data available to analyze and work into stories. So it's easy to see why some in the game press fell in love with VGChartz, a site that organizes historical and current game and hardware sales data by week and region. The free site provides some rather robust graphing and comparison features, and even earned a glowing write-up from O'Reilly's popular Radar blog. Is VGChartz the answer to every game journalist's data-based dreams?

Not so fast. Simon Carless over at Game Set Watch has put together a pretty thorough expose of some of the shoddy practices behind the creation of the VGChartz "data." Carless' piece details a variety of statistical sins, but the most egregious is probably the way the site adjusts sales figures after the fact to line them up with more reliable (and fact-based) estimates from the likes of the NPD Group. In light of this revelation, it would be pretty irresponsible for a game journalist to treat VGChartz data as anything more than an educated guess. It's a shame, because a site with VGChartz' presentation and accurate data would be a must-visit for any journalist."

As somebody who frequents that site, I have to call b.s. on this claim. Do they make adjustments to numbers that are off? Yes. Weekly. And they make it known.

Are their numbers off from the NPD?

HARDLY.

Seems like some sties are tired of hearing about how well other sites are doing. No?

pencilpusher69

Oh, and lastly, I find it HILARIOUS, that this site is saying "Journalists" shouldn't treat a site that puts out ESTIMATES before the NPD releases there numbers, when SAID SITE CONSTANTLY POSTS ESTIMATES FROM MICHAEL PACHTER AND OTHERS, WHO ARE NEVER ANYWHERE NEAR RIGHT.

At least VGChartz is damn close.

And hooray for hipocrisy!
Posted Jul 3, 2008 6:51 am GMT -12
Rate this comment
/
(+0)

Well, VGChartz is an educated guess.

But it is a damn good one. What is the problem with adjusting sales numbers? VGChartz is not here to compete, we're here to provide sales.

You know, it's pretty annoying how ioi can completely dismantles arguments made from some of these detractors and the plague they created continues to spread over the internet.

I trust this site everyone knows it isnt 100% accurate but it is always in the ballpark. what site can be 100% accurate anyway.

And one more post I left them:

"Oh, and LOL at it being a "sin" that VGChartz should correct themselves.

Being that they're in the biz of having stats and numbers that will be available for years to come, it'd be a SIN if they DIDN'T correct themselves.

When was the last time GS posted a retraction about incorrect sales guestimates from Michael Pachter???

Oh, right..."

Wait Gamespot still exists? I thought the lame review guy left and everyone decided to boycott it or something.

I appreciate what VGChartz stands for and does, and Brett is one of the most kickass people in this world.

It seems like some people are just jealous of all the attention and traffic this site is getting. It shows a lot about those people when they let their jealousy take control of them.

The fact that VGChartz DOES change it's numbers if they are off is a good thing. How are we supposed to get closer to the truth if we don't take knowledge and grow from it?

Well, if it's any consolation, Gamespot is still running damage control stories about how the poor game press is being pressured by the big, bad publishers to give raving reviews to games.

They of course do this story magnanimously, making themselves out to be one of the agents of change that will stop that from happening.

If only we could all forget about Ubisoft...

Disgusting Gamespot.

VG chartz is free, accurate and even if they aren't accurate on some numbers they can admit and change them. In no way is that a bad thing. The guy from gamespot sounds like a condescending lawyer saying "well why didn't you advertise your MGS4 numbers as prominent estimates" which Chartz did. That entire artical was a bunch of BS rehetoric and sounded like he was talking to a bunch of uneducated people. I started reading Chartz 4 months ago and the community here is far from uneducated and im sure can see right through this nonsense.