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NPD finally launches digital tracking to address "long-standing need"
- Thread starter Moskalova
- Start date
valkillmore
Member
I want to see those numbers
Shpeshal Nick
aka Collingwood
Will it?
I'd say that outside a very small number of exceptions, the consoles will continue outselling PC versions. Handily.
Neuromancer
Member
Well, they've got that right. It took them long enough. Digital games started getting big about 10 years ago.
Would self-published/indie titles be a blind spot forever for NPD then? Considering the rising popularity of self-publishing it will be... Oh let's call it interesting to see whether or not that becomes a factor in sales threads. Not like we get enough information from NPD for it to matter though 
I'd think he probably means what the differences will be between retail (both brick and mortar and online like Amazon etc.) and digital marketplaces in terms of what games sell the most.
Does it really benefit Sony, MS or Nintendo to disclose those numbers? I mean they really only report digital when it's good numbers regardless. At least 3rd parties are on board.
Damn I wanted to see Overwatch dominate with PC added.
That's what Im saying what the fuck?
They probably will have an asterisk saying (*not including digital) or something like that.
Or maybe they will have to split the lists into digi+phy and just Phy.
jackissocool
Member
I imagine they'll do the second.
AmuroChan
Member
That's going to be pointless though if the game doesn't make it in the top 10 because of the inflated numbers for 3rd party titles when it otherwise would've in the current system.
I think they should have two lists.
Obscuritas
Member
Game-changer.
What are the benefits for third-parties in disclosing their digital sales (serious question)? Whatever they are, I'd assume they'd apply to the first-parties as well.
The big consistent sellers (minecraft, GTA, sports games) will always be consistent but with PC data you could see new PC releases which blow up in popularity occasionally rise to the top 10.
StrongBlackVine
Banned
They need the Big 3 on board. Won't happen though.
infinityBCRT
Member
They should give hard numbers PLUS best estimates of the other guys based on general digital sales trends. Sick of seeing the NDP reports talking about software being down year of year when its really just more of it going over to digital.
Basileus777
Member
What's the point of having EA and Ubisoft as partners if Uplay and Origin data for "first party" titles isn't being tracked?
Which still doesn't prevent it from being interesting.
petethepanda
Member
NPD sometimes sounds as outdated as Nielsen.
#sorrynotsorry
Member
Yup this is a reason right here. It'll look bad, though admittedly no consumer in general really cares about NPD so it's hard to say if that even matters.
Sangetsu-II
Member
MS probably won't because if they do then there goes their PR every month. So much hard work in their PR Statement for nothing.
Third Thursday of the data period, which is the third Thursday after the close of the previous retail month. Subtle but important distinction. Yes, it sounds like it'll be that going forward.
CosmicQueso
Member
They are not doing the latter. One list mixing games with digital and ones without.
Third parties want to be able to benchmark. 1st parties can already see all sales on their systems so they don't benefit by sharing.
Third parties want to know how well the other guy is selling, that way they get more context on how well they themselves are doing. The only way that happens is if they spill the beans on their own results first. NPD pays them, they pay NPD, money moves around, info moves around... it all sort of works.
Nintendo/Sony/Microsoft have automatic, free access to all the sales info from everyone who makes games under their umbrella. That makes them spoiled. Why should they give up data just to get data? Why should they pay for data? Better for them strategically if they just hoard the data advantage they have over their own allies.
serversurfer
Member
They don't wanna embarrass their partners with their 900% digital sales.
To Far Away Times
Member
Yeah, on a one game basis I guess this could be useful but the moment you combine digital on some games and not on others, well, it pretty much makes any sort of ranking useless.
This also means the prediction thread would move out a week. Otherwise, there'd be a scant week between NPD results and the next prediction thread running for 2 weeks. (
)Ah ok. I got confused & was thinking the big 3 would submit all the digital sales from their storefronts (like I assume the B&Ms do for retail), and not just for the stuff they publish themselves.
Welfare
Member
Unless I'm misunderstanding, the gist of things is
- Gain of digital sales for most 3rd parties, but not all and no 1st party.
- Loss of specific retail sales, only grouped with digital.
- Loss of platform rankings.
- Pushed back a week.
So, the public actual gets less data from now on, without the gain of anything without leaks? I'm all for getting a clearer picture for sales data, but come on. Ranking games will be completely useless unless there will be specific charts for retail only and then retail plus digital.
- Gain of digital sales for most 3rd parties, but not all and no 1st party.
- Loss of specific retail sales, only grouped with digital.
- Loss of platform rankings.
- Pushed back a week.
So, the public actual gets less data from now on, without the gain of anything without leaks? I'm all for getting a clearer picture for sales data, but come on. Ranking games will be completely useless unless there will be specific charts for retail only and then retail plus digital.
