Support NeoGAF

[Instro]

So... pay for GAF Gold for access to NPD numbers?

 

[Anasui Kishibe]

there goes my only reason to visit PS3Forums, and laugh

 

[M3d10n]

My point was that anybody who isn't packing the same kind of heat as porn stars doesn't need them (even then), so... yeah? At any rate, I can't say size has ever been an issue for me one way or the other.

Though, from a utility point of view, there is more danger in making sizes that are too big to fit snugly because then they'll slip off. Now that would be a distressing situation.

Spoiler

PROTIP: There's a reason the "large" sizes you can buy don't feature a warning about just this very thing.

I have very few insecurities about my anatomy, classicdms, but thank you for your concern. Do we wish to continue this line of conversation, though, because I could go on about little squirrel if you really want me to.

But those extra 2mm feel *so* much better.

 

[Vilix]

My point was that anybody who isn't packing the same kind of heat as porn stars doesn't need them (even then), so... yeah? At any rate, I can't say size has ever been an issue for me one way or the other.

Though, from a utility point of view, there is more danger in making sizes that are too big to fit snugly because then they'll slip off. Now that would be a distressing situation.

Spoiler

PROTIP: There's a reason the "large" sizes you can buy don't feature a warning about just this very thing.

I have very few insecurities about my anatomy, classicdms, but thank you for your concern. Do we wish to continue this line of conversation, though, because I could go on about little squirrel if you really want me to.

Vilix - *Checks which forums he's in* 0.o

 

[Tricky I Shadow]

: (

 

[LiquidMetal14]

Time for GAF GOLD (tm) to initiate and buy a subscription. we have the users!

 

[Helzown]

Who cares?

 

[mikeGFG]

good.

 

[nextgeneration]

R.I.P. NPD.

 

[kswiston]

I would imagine that, if someone was willing to post full leaks every month, some site out there would post the full leak. Seems as though no one is willing. At 10k/month I can see why.

However, the range thing would be nice. Even if it is rounded to the nearest 100k

Like

>100k
Game A
Game B
Game C
>200k
Game D

Hopefully we get ballpark numbers for some of the bigger releases somewhere.

 

[webcivilian]

R.I.P. NPD.

I really don't think that will be the case. NPD caters to businesses and this shift is clearly positioned towards them.

 

[a Master Ninja]

This turn of events hurts nobody more than Evilore. I wonder how much this "death of Sales-Age" will hurt site traffic.

 

[AstroLad]

They'll come back. Honestly NPD needs GAF way more than GAF needs NPD, as has been shown in the past.

 

[Stumpokapow]

The numbers are estimates.

NPD tells you how they sampled the numbers and a bit of info as to how they derived the total estimate.

If NPD does their statistical voodoo and estimates Kinect sold 3,217 copies, they can easily tell subscribers it sold 3200. Or 3204. or 3241. Etc. As long as the range lies within the stated confidence interval for their stated methodology, there's no harm done.

When some dipshit goes on GAF and posts that Kinect sold 3204 copies, NPD will know who leaked the numbers.

And not every customer has to have unique numbers for every piece of hardware/software.
Simply going with the 3 consoles and the top 5 software, and a range of -2 to +2, you've got 390,625 unique data sets.

and then two separate customers diff their spreadsheets and only leak numbers where they both agree or round to the nearest <n>, where <n> is a nice round number near the two numbers given to the two subscribers.

ta-da.

 

[hamchan]

If I was a rich man I would leak NPD numbers for y'all. Unfortunately I am not a rich man.

 

[Curufinwe]

They'll come back. Honestly NPD needs GAF way more than GAF needs NPD, as has been shown in the past.

How so?

 

[beelzebozo]

If I was a rich man I would leak NPD numbers for y'all. Unfortunately I am not a rich man.

if i was a rich man i would buy hundreds of thousands of copies of one very obscure weird game every month to make it number one and confuse the living fuck out of everyone

 

[GhaleonEB]

The numbers are estimates.

NPD tells you how they sampled the numbers and a bit of info as to how they derived the total estimate.

If NPD does their statistical voodoo and estimates Kinect sold 3,217 copies, they can easily tell subscribers it sold 3200. Or 3204. or 3241. Etc. As long as the range lies within the stated confidence interval for their stated methodology, there's no harm done.

When some dipshit goes on GAF and posts that Kinect sold 3204 copies, NPD will know who leaked the numbers.

And not every customer has to have unique numbers for every piece of hardware/software.
Simply going with the 3 consoles and the top 5 software, and a range of -2 to +2, you've got 390,625 unique data sets.

This is exactly what killed one of the sources GAF used for NPD leaks a few years back. NPD gave slightly different numbers to everyone for a few months, someone posted the exact number instead of rounded, and NPD had the source busted. The well dried up.

 

[Duke Togo]

Good, fuck sales-age.

 

[hamchan]

if i was a rich man i would buy hundreds of thousands of copies of one very obscure weird game every month to make it number one and confuse the living fuck out of everyone

Indeed.

The massive shortages would be hilarious.

 

[Opiate]

This seems like terrible business practice. NPD is letting VGC back them in to a corner.

 

[ShockingAlberto]

If I was a rich man

Ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum.

 

[Thunder Monkey]

Do we wish to continue this line of conversation, though, because I could go on about little squirrel if you really want me to.

*raises hand*

Ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum.

Is it weird that I agree?

 

[Zzoram]

This is exactly what killed one of the sources GAF used for NPD leaks a few years back. NPD gave slightly different numbers to everyone for a few months, someone posted the exact number instead of rounded, and NPD had the source busted. The well dried up.

Then the obvious solution is to round numbers. In case NPD gives dramatically different numbers, check with another subscriber that your numbers aren't too different.

 

[Haunted]

Clearly, the only valid choice is to treat every game that does not get its own PR proudly announcing X amounts of units sold as a complete bomba, a failure, a stain on the marketplace. This will obviously pressure publishers into releasing more comprehensive numbers as to dispel the assumptions which would have a negative impact on continued sales.

Spoiler

No, it won't.

Who cares?

...asks post #757. :lol

 

[AstroLad]

How so?

I don't remember all the details, but basically they threatened to pull all the numbers and then almost immediately started backtracking and pretty quickly came crawling back.

 

[fernoca]

Yeah, is like NPD just doesn't care.
For quite some time many places, companies, websites has been using "the chartz" because of this. But at least there was always the "hope" of some numbers being posted once a month. Now; they basically gave free reign to those other sites to continue making numbers and gaining traffic and recognition for nothing.

I continue wonder what the heck does NPD does that justifies this; that many of those companies that track movies at the box office, DVD sales, game sales in other regions, etc. don't; but release for free.

 

[Haunted]

I continue wonder what the heck does NPD does that justifies this; that many of those companies that track movies at the box office, DVD sales, game sales in other regions, etc. don't; but release for free.

Yes, I've asked this a couple times before, what makes the gaming industry so different from box office and DVD sales.

Who is providing these numbers and why are they free?

 

[Opiate]

Yes, I've asked this a couple times before, what makes the gaming industry so different from box office and DVD sales.

Who is providing these numbers and why are they free?

New York Times Best Seller list, Billboard charts, and even Famitsu, Chart Track and Media Create. Apparently the difficulty is not only isolated to the video game industry, but specifically the video game industry in North America.

 

[luxarific]

Aren't monopolies fantastic? Everyone wishing for a one console future pay attention.

Don't get this comment. The whole point of "one console future" is not that manufacturers will only make one type of box, but that every box will be able to play the same games. No more exclusives and no essentially duplicative hardware taking up space on my tv table. MS, Sony, Nintendo and others will still be able to differentiate their consoles with add-on services (Live, PSN) and functions. But all boxes will be able to play all games.

 

[Gin]

well this sucks - i am gonna miss all the npd threads and the epic gifs in them =(

whats worse is holiday is near - and i love to know how well games are doing.

 

[timetokill]

Don't get this comment. The whole point of "one console future" is not that manufacturers will only make one type of box, but that every box will be able to play the same games. No more exclusives and no essentially duplicative hardware taking up space on my tv table. MS, Sony, Nintendo and others will still be able to differentiate their consoles with add-on services (Live, PSN) and functions. But all boxes will be able to play all games.

If they each had their own add-on services, you'd still have a ton of exclusives showing up, even if it was just "exclusive content" for one platform or the other. Microsoft etc would focus on making the "extras" different enough that it's just like having an exclusive platform.

 

[Freezie KO]

Dammit. I thought this would be the month that Sin and Punishment 2 would've really taken off.

 

[luxarific]

If they each had their own add-on services, you'd still have a ton of exclusives showing up, even if it was just "exclusive content" for one platform or the other. Microsoft etc would focus on making the "extras" different enough that it's just like having an exclusive platform.

I don't really care about on-line games and add-ons (I very rarely purchase DLC at all, even if it's story based), it just annoys me that I have to own two not-cheap boxes that do almost the same thing to play disk exclusives like Uncharted, Gears, GoW, etc. I'm very happy that industry economics are pushing developers to go multiplatform. Just wish that first party developers would break free as well.

 

[Fredescu]

NPD are seriously lacking in vision if they can't see the potential of presenting this information to the public. I'm sure there's some nice advertising revenue to be made out of a weekly top ten site or something like that.

 

[butter_stick]

Dammit. I thought this would be the month that Sin and Punishment 2 would've really taken off.

It was. It's a shame you'll never see the figures, but they're pleasantly surprising.

 

[Haunted]

New York Times Best Seller list, Billboard charts, and even Famitsu, Chart Track and Media Create. Apparently the difficulty is not only isolated to the video game industry, but specifically the video game industry in North America.

It's puzzling and frustrating.

 

[CitizenCope]

there goes my only reason to visit PS3Forums, and laugh

Was about to post the same.:lol

 

[Poimandres]

Wii is a fad confirmed!
PS3 gaining ground!
No Halo hardware bump!

 

[Truespeed]

Now, I know I've run this meme into the ground, but I can (if needed) create a Visual Basic GUI to approximate the monthly sales figures for consoles and software if required. I'll be on standby.

 

[Opiate]

NPD are seriously lacking in vision if they can't see the potential of presenting this information to the public. I'm sure there's some nice advertising revenue to be made out of a weekly top ten site or something like that.

If you've ever seen VGC, it's smothered in ads to an almost nauseating degree. The head of VGC has quit his day job and hired a full time staff, a staff which is getting paid. Not paid well, mind you, but paid. That's just so far.

It would be nice if that money were spent to increase the accuracy of their information. It's possible that's actually happening: I don't know.

 

[Vyer]

That's a shame. Sales age created some of the most entertaining shit on here. :lol

I don't really care about on-line games and add-ons (I very rarely purchase DLC at all, even if it's story based).

All well and good, but you are probably (if not already) headed for the minority, and that side of the industry is only going to grow.

 

[Rhindle]

New York Times Best Seller list, Billboard charts, and even Famitsu, Chart Track and Media Create. Apparently the difficulty is not only isolated to the video game industry, but specifically the video game industry in North America.

As far as I know:

Nobody publishes DVD sales numbers. No one publishes CD sales numbers. Or book sales numbers. All you get is sales rankings, plus an occasional award for selling 500K or a million copies of something.

I'm not happy about this news, but the sense of entitlement is misplaced. NPD thought it could benefit its business by publishing some numbers and generating some publicity/goodwill. Apparently, it did not work out for them.

 

[GrotesqueBeauty]

 

[shintoki]

Clearly, the only valid choice is to treat every game that does not get its own PR proudly announcing X amounts of units sold as a complete bomba, a failure, a stain on the marketplace. This will obviously pressure publishers into releasing more comprehensive numbers as to dispel the assumptions which would have a negative impact on continued sales.

Spoiler

No, it won't.

From this day forward, Every game shall be the Bomba!

It's better to subject them all to it than to play favorites.

 

[CTLance]

Aw.

I only just found out about this. This makes me sad.

So hardcore salesagers will need to retreat to offsite discussion now, I guess. Back to the dark ages we go.

This bites.

 

[sangreal]

They always have a way of tracking those people down. We had a guy like that...not anymore.

Not because they caught him (he adjusted the numbers and he still posts), but because the practice was banned when NPD started making threats. Then they reached the compromise of releasing the numbers officially or whatever

 

[Zzoram]

Not because they caught him (he adjusted the numbers and he still posts), but because the practice was banned when NPD started making threats. Then they reached the compromise of releasing the numbers officially or whatever

But now that the deal is off, will leaks be tolerated again? If they are unsourced unverified leaks not coming from a moderator or admin, surely NPD couldn't make a fuss, otherwise they would be verifying the numbers.

 

[Karma]

Monthly analysis from NPD industry analyst, Anita Frazier, will include software sales figures at both the sku and title level for various new releases

Should get numbers for Reach and other top titles at least.

 

[Opiate]

As far as I know:

Nobody publishes DVD sales numbers. No one publishes CD sales numbers. Or book sales numbers. All you get is sales rankings, plus an occasional award for selling 500K or a million copies of something.

I'm not happy about this news, but the sense of entitlement is misplaced. NPD thought it could benefit its business by publishing some numbers and generating some publicity/goodwill. Apparently, it did not work out for them.

No one suggested that the information provided by other sources was absolute and comprehensive (for the record, however, both Billboard and the Box Office as examples, frequently provide direct sales data, particularly at the launch of a major new property on CD or DVD). But what we have now is 1) Nothing vs 2) A weekly ranking of all the titles for DVD/CD/Singles/Box Office/Books/etc.