Why VGChartz Is Complete Trash

KaosAngel

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#1 Edited By KaosAngel

I have been seeing people use VGChartz recently as total sale figures, and I decided to finally check out the site. I quickly realized after some fact checking and comparing developer numbers with theirs, that VGChartz is complete trash.

Exhibit A.

This is Polyphony Digital's numbers for their entire GT library, and to the left is the VGChartz numbers. VGChartz only got one of the games correct (GT3), and all the others are wrong. This is after the fact that PD's numbers are old, and VGChartz could have easily updated it in the past months, but they didn't.

Exhibit B.

Giant Bomb Thread Stating Black Ops Sold 7 Million
Activision Stating They Sold Only 5.6

The VGChartz article is before Activision, and shows that VGChartz feels as if they should post before the company even states it. Now some of you might say that PD makes up numbers to look good, but PD doesn't do that and I'm sure as hell Activision wouldn't under-sell COD, and are being honest about their sale figures.

So, next time someone brings up sales and uses VGChartz, remind them that the site is trash, and shouldn't be taken seriously. First time I honestly heard of the site yesterday, and surprised the fuck out of me that their numbers are wrong.

13 years ago

MattyFTM

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#2 Edited By MattyFTM Moderator

VGChartz serves a purpose. They give a very rough estimate of sales figures if a particular game hasn't had the figures revealed. They have got to be taken with a very big pinch of salt, but they do have a purpose.

13 years ago

Jimbo

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#3 Edited By Jimbo

The 5.6m Black Ops number is North America and UK only.

13 years ago

Mrskidders

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#4 Edited By Mrskidders

How did I know this post would mention Polyphony or GT somewhere.

13 years ago

Romination

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#5 Edited By Romination

I use them sometimes because other times, it's just really hard to find sales data, especially for small games no company really seems to care about. If I want to know how many copies of Chibi Robo sold, damn it, why won't anyone tell me!?

13 years ago

Gaff

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#6 Edited By Gaff

es·ti·mat·edes·ti·mat·ing

Definition of ESTIMATE

transitive verb

1

archaica : esteemb : appraise

2

a : to judge tentatively or approximately the value, worth, or significance of b : to determine roughly the size, extent, or nature of c : to produce a statement of the approximate cost of

WUT?!

@MattyFTM: Yeah, they're a nice resource for observing trends. What with the NPD - The NPD Group, a market research group that has built up a reputation on gaming fora and journalists alike for nice number porn - (just in case someone has been living under a rock the last couple of years) now ditching hard numbers (for both hardware and software sales), VGChartz is at least one party who doesn't have an obvious stake in the matter or a party who can tell the difference between units shipped and units sold, because most developers or publishers can't or won't.

You know, that much vaunted thing called impartiality, not accepting anything the developer or publisher tells you as gospel and dissenting opinions as heretics.

13 years ago

CaptainObvious

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#7 Edited By CaptainObvious

Oh, only 5.6 million.

13 years ago

Diamond

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#8 Edited By Diamond

They're estimates based on no actual data. Literally anyone could potentially do a better job than VGChartz. They serve no purpose because you might as well listen to me or the OP or anyone else to release OUR 'estimates' on the sales.

Anyone that assigns ANY relevance to VGChartz numbers is making a mistake.

13 years ago

Fallen189

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#9 Edited By Fallen189

Your threads are complete trash

13 years ago

General_D23

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#10 Edited By General_D23

@Mrskidders said:

" How did I know this post would mention Polyphony or GT somewhere. "

13 years ago

Mrskidders

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#11 Edited By Mrskidders

@Fallen189 said:

" Your threads are complete trash "

13 years ago

TheHBK

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#12 Edited By TheHBK

So your angry because GT5 is currently listed as having sold zero but you say it should list 10 million sold already???

Interesting case. I would like to subscribe to your newsletter.

13 years ago

KaosAngel

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#13 Edited By KaosAngel

@TheHBK said:

" So your angry because GT5 is currently listed as having sold zero but you say it should list 10 million sold already??? Interesting case. I would like to subscribe to your newsletter. "

You know, first time I laughed at your comment. It made me grin. I shall give you that follow now.

13 years ago