Topic: Do you use VGChartz as a source in how well games and consoles have sold?

[Phil]

If so...

STOP.

It makes you look silly! This is the same site that has a history of fudging numbers, making up numbers and then stealthily correcting them once real numbers (such as NPD) come out, and even once said the Wii sold more units than Nintendo had actually shipped out!

It's a sorry excuse for a site, yet I still see it's so common that people, even "journalists", quotE VGChartz, and it's usually always with the opening of "I know it's VGChartz, but..."

If you know it's VGChartz, then DON'T POST IT!

[marvel_moviefan_2012]

I looked through their site once, realized they had Atari 7800 listed as a million plus seller but there was no mention of the vastly more poplular Atari VCS on their chart and realized they were just goons.

[BlackNMild2k1]

We had a thread on this very subject, oh so long ago...


As promised here is the VGchartz vs NPD (April 2009)

[Phil]

We had a thread on this very subject, oh so long ago...

As promised here is the VGchartz vs NPD (April 2009)

Ooh! This will be a good read! Thanks for sharing, BlackNMild2k1!

[Ymeegod]

I use them.  Their estimates are usually on the mark or within a reasonable margin of error.  Also, NPD numbers are still estimates so their numbers are never 100% neither. 

NPD back in the days used to be great but nowadays a quick top 10 and a few hardware numbers/month is all you get (at least for the general public anyhow).  Miss the ole NPD.

[Stratos]

Using VG Chartz is like using Wikipedia in a college paper. It can be used, but in only for a few limited purposes.


Conjecture and guestimation are what I consider acceptable.


We all know that the numbers can be bunk, so if someone chooses to use them, don't jump down that person's throat. Often we have very little to go by in terms of sales numbers so this is the only way we can have any sorts of discussion about sales. It turns out wrong, it turns out wrong. So what? It gave us something to talk about and a platform for us to dialog about the game and it's performance.

[pokepal148]

I think even Tj Spyke knew better.

[Phil]

Using VG Chartz is like using Wikipedia in a college paper. It can be used, but in only for a few limited purposes.

Conjecture and guestimation are what I consider acceptable.

We all know that the numbers can be bunk, so if someone chooses to use them, don't jump down that person's throat. Often we have very little to go by in terms of sales numbers so this is the only way we can have any sorts of discussion about sales. It turns out wrong, it turns out wrong. So what? It gave us something to talk about and a platform for us to dialog about the game and it's performance.

Unfortunately, "we all" DON'T know that the numbers can be bunk. If we did, they wouldn't be used so commonly (even by game "journalists"), thus spreading misinformation and continuing the misconception that the numbers mean anything worthwhile, making people think they know what they're talking about when they just come off as ignorant and stupid instead.