#1: Maybe, I don't know, of course. But why are they getting so upset, then?

#2 & #3: You're right, there's a difference between facts and media (music or movies). And I also thought that a cooperation between NPD and VGChartz would have been a smart move.

(Getting a bit offtopic:)

But I think that a lot of those "archaic business models" that are going down the drain today will be sorely missed in the future. Take journalism, for example - traditional magazines are having a real hard time selling their quality work. This generation is getting used to the amateurish blog style of information instead: No separation between facts and opinion, moderators that heavily favor one side over the other, disrespectful language, poor fact-checking, dubious sources. What I'm trying to say is that some content is better if it's not user created.

You mentioned the RIAA - I can understand both sides, actually. It's useless working against the technological progress, the record industry should have started actively moving into the Internet business much earlier. On the other hand, it upsets me when I have to read that people don't appreciate the value of music at all. Recently I read on a forum: "Why do musicians still think they should be making money with their music? After all, even Mozart died pennyless." That's just fucked up, people don't realize they're sawing off the branch they're sitting on.

(more off topic)
I agree with most of your points. But I will say that while I might be sad about the amount of blog based drivel that people push as fact ,most local newspapers would be better staffed with your average blogger. There will always be a demand for the highest quality in journalism, tastes may become more banal but that line has been used about USA Today, TV, Internet, Video Games and everything else. It is the law of supply and demand. The New York Times and Wall Street Journal will survive, but only if they are willing to show up on my computer screen take marketshare from my local paper and from blogs. I think any falling in tastes is compensated by the larger diversity of voices we hear in news, and any prejudice needs to be balanced against the fact that at least people are up front about it now. Anyone can now be a reporter, and I don't need the title of editor in order to tell my opinion.

I am a firm believer that musicians deserve fair compensation but we need to remember copyrights and patents were invented to foster innovation for culture and public good not set up a welfare system. If they were smart they would have had a music download service availble with DRM free music years ago. Where the big losers are in the music industry is the distributors. They want the same money for the same service. Consumers don't have a problem paying money for music, they just don't like the distribution service. It is shameful I can't go to my local big box store click on a kiosk and have it spit out whatever combination of movies an music I want on CD/DVD/Blu-Ray for a fair price. The digital age has made access to things easier so why would a company try to limit how you can give them money?

NPD does 1 area for 20k/month at on average 10% difference from VGChartz numbers or so.

VGChartz does worldwide numbers with a smaller sample for free, although there is the inherant risk at the smaller sample.

And that is why NPD hates. Because ioi is simply showing that unless they have the best data analysis in the world, they are not worth more than 15 bucks a month, if that. Seeing as if I had 20k, it would go towards student loan payments and not NPD numbers, I can't confirm just how awesome their paid portion is. But 20k for stuff that's available in greater detail and free? Hmm, must crush capitalism...

@Elrhodeo,

I think at this point its somewhat of a mroal question for you, which is fine. I won't argue with you on it because its your opinion, I just wanted to give the info I had on what was going on around here.

I will say that you should expect others to debate you on the merits of those morals because a lot of people know that ioi does a lot of hard work around here along with several of the mods (ie TheSource, MrStickball, etc...) and I think you will find the idea that they somehow just rode the back of NPD annoys folks. I would say they still worked hard for what they have created and for me that is good enough to justify that they have taken the data from NPD beyond what any normal person would be able to do and did something more.

Its sort of like how wierd Al does a parody and because he goes that extra mile and actually makes it his own and works with it and changes it, he isn't in violation of any copyright laws etc...

Thats how I look at it anyways.

Yes, the democratization of the media definitely has positive effects as well. As you said, it's fantastic that everybody can get his views across to the people. But when it comes to information, I'd rather read a somewhat "boring" newspaper that sticks to the facts.

What you said about copyrights is interesting, because that is handled very differently in the US and Germany (where I'm from). The German equivalent is called "Urheberrecht", which roughly translates to "creator's right". Other than the copyright, it is part of the human rights, and it is inalienable, e.g. Michael Jackson could never have bought the Beatles' songs like he did in the US. If you wrote a song/book/whatever, it's yours from the moment you created it until you die (and 70 years beyond, for music anyway). So the primary purpose of the Urheberrecht is not "to foster innovation for culture and public good", but to protect your intellectual property.

Anyway, you're right that there's too many people in the music industry to feed, most of which have become more and more obsolete - especially in distribution and fabrication (I still heavily favor Vinyl, but it will inevitably become extinct). After all, we live in the internet age. Technically it is possible to access all songs there ever were from anywhere (and it will be even easier in the future), so any attempt to restrict access is doomed to failure. But how will composers get paid, who will make promotion and all that when running a label becomes completely unprofitable? I really don't know.

 I our courtry the founders of the copyright system invisioned a system where people were rewarded for their creation, and compensated for it, but at the same time they wanted motivation to produce more. A carrot and stick approach that has largely been abandoned by those who think a one-hit wonder should continue paying to the great-great grandchildren. I am not form there but I have read there is a great battle in the UK between thsoe who want to keep copyrights at 50 years or extend them to 100. I favor something similar to the patent system where you are given a period of time(maybe life or 50 years whichever is longer) to make money off of a work, and make derivitive works , but after that it becomes fair use (like classical music or literature) and anyone can perform it or make their own derivitive works. Various archival projects working with the national library and smithonian have run into trouble because may works (particularly early jazz and blues) are still under copyright but they can't locate the possesors fo those rights so they can't make preservation copies. I don't want the grandchildren of 1/10 of 1% of artist demanding payment to cause the rest of the created works to dissapear.

 The way to make money off an infinite product is by giving something the consumers can't or wont do themselves. As concert tickes have gone up you see less artist complain because the music becomes a promotioanl tool to sell those tickets, t-shirts, and fanclub what not.

The record companies have evolved formats not to bring us better fidelity, it has been to make it generally more palatable for consumption. The cd was a revolution but it frailty(which the record companies so enjoyed) is one of it's downfalls. If you stay ahead of the consumer they will flock to you. Now that any old lady can burn dvds companies are desperate to move to high-def formats. They don't really believe the drm is unbeatable, but they know it will be many years untill the ease and cost of copying are in the range of the average consumer.  Music doen't have that luxury becasue sacd and dvd-audio failed to give people additional useability. I am not sure where they go from here but some sort of download and burn station in stores with every song ever released is the first step. If this had appeared 10 years ago with the equivilant online component, I don't know if that would have done it, but it is better than suing your customers. 

Plenty of artist have shown what tech can do. Pearl Jam allows concert goers to buy a copy of the concert the day after they go to it, download it immediately, and have a cd mailed to them. People are still willing ot pay for that even though they have already seen it. CD could easily have gone the multimedia route and returned the longbox with a making-of dvds, videos, concert stills, artwork etc. That was a big selling point for dvds. They charge a $10 premium or more for special edition and people eat those up because they want the difinitive copy. Do I see what with cd? Sometimes but rarely. You could have a random percentage of cds autographed by the artist, you could offer .flac copies of the song on the cd, making of commentary, fan club membership, virtual goods, credit twoards t-shirts or other mechandise.

Competition for the entertainment dollar is high but I refuse to believe that those people who have paid money for music wouldn't continue to pay for the music-related expierience. 

No offense guys but we are a wee bit off topic now going into copyright law and such. Probably a good topic to start up outside the sales forum possibly in gaming or off-topic. But lets not derail JL's thread any more than we have already.

A derailed thread... on the internet!?  Heavens to murgatroyd, somebody call the presses! 

Anyway, VG Chartz is fun because there's a lot of very well informed people on it and they present a great opportunity to learn more about an industry I like.  If I can share some of what I know too, all the better.

I'm betting that the people who dislike this place have likely never given it a serious thought in the first place.  

Just thought I'd add my two cents...

VGChartz is great. As a free service, I think its invaluable, and the forums are people by decent, generally logical people, which is a great deal more than I can say for just about any other gaming forum I know.

Keep up the great work.