SO i was just on google looking at stuff and i decided to type in vgchartz and i saw"We don't referance vgchartz" on the first page like the 7th one down. So i click on it and read it. They say like are number are basicly pulled out of iois ass or something. heres the site.

http://blog.wired.com/games/2008/06/why-we-dont-ref.html

your thoughts?

ioi is usually correct, and I trust his numbers, but there isn't much we can do to convince people because his actual data (i.e. which shops provide it) and methods are hidden.

I remember wheni first came to this site i though that the numbers were just total guesses. So i can see how people think the numbers are made up. it wasn't until i became a member that i realised that that theese number are based on factual data.

1. VGChartz publicly makes corrections and updates. NPD hides any changes it makes. Thus people feel VGChartz data is unreliable because it changes and never see NPD information vary. (And everyone remembers the high-profile corrections).

2. VGChartz is free. NPD costs money. Thus, to some VGChartz is worthless while NPD is valuable.

3. VGChartz method is documented. NPD is proprietary and hidden. So people don't trust what they know about but accept on faith what they don't. (And ignore counterintuitive information like NPD has no current generation Wal-Mart or Toys R Us data -- which could be skewing its numbers if it is using old models).


I have seen VGChartz used everywhere from G4's X-Play to the NY Times, so there is some acceptance of it. Meanwhile, Wikipedia can't even get the sales for the Intellivision correct, based on the source that is cited in the article on its page -- so it is not perfect either.

Mike from Morgantown

Another note

I generally like Chris Kohler's work. But occasionally he goes off the deep end -- like his trashing of Mario Kart Wii over the Battle Mode changes (which might not be that great but are not why anyone else but him plays the game).

IMHO, this is one of those times.

Mike from Morgantown

Their loss.

Sometimes I wonder if these people would be happier if they paid thousands of dollars for our data.

Psst get rid of the "Z".

 ioi's ass is magical.  Anything that comes out of there is heaven sent.  Anything.

Woah!  Don't get any ideas, now!