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Direct2Drive In Support Of Digital Sales Charts
PC- and Mac-based digital download retailer says charts will add credibility to digital download marketplace.
Rich Keen, marketing director of Direct2Drive, told MCV that he felt that the establishment of sales charts for digital downloads was an important step for the marketplace to progress.
“From our perspective, it’s one of the most positive things that could happen to add validity to the digital marketplace,” he said, explaining that charts would not only demonstrate confidence by companies like his in their businesses but also show consumers the extent and importance of the market.
His comments come in the wake of Steam’s head of business development, Jason Holtman, claiming last week that sales data was owned by publishers and that it wasn’t necessarily in their interests to share it publicly in charts.
Asked at which point it might be that digital sales charts would become a necessity, Keen said, “It will be when new digital releases massively affect week one sales on console.”
Integrating digital sales figures with shop sales for PC titles, he added, would stop the general belief that the PC games market is in decline. “You wouldn’t see a sharp decline; you’d see flat sales or even slight growth. That’s great for the industry. We’re very keen on the idea. But it needs all the players to come to the table, which means killing some of the scepticism that exists.”
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Copyright 2006 - 2009 Future Publishing Limited, Beauford Court 30 Monmouth Street Bath, UK BA1 2BW
England and Wales company registration number 2008885
Us PC gamers are too busy playing our games, rather than talking/arguing bullshit about pointless sales figures.
True. But a chart may stimulate interest in PC gaming and promote future investment in games. So indirectly it does matter.
But a chart may stimulate interest in PC gaming and promote future investment in games. So indirectly it does matter.
I would disagree with your point above. The PC market is doing just fine without the need of such charts/figures getting published every week/month.
Also, no one is a PC gamer by mistake! Therefore nobody could careless, hence why there isn't a chart/s.
Unfortunately PC gaming is not an island where the normal rules of the market do not apply, however much you would like to dream otherwise. Apart from the extreme niche products, PC gaming has to compete with other platforms like any other. Anything that stimulates growth is therefore a good thing if you're interested in seeing new games on the platform. Which presumably you are.
Steam don't want their competitors to see how much money they are making. That's what this is all about. It's got nothing to do with gaming charts, which would definitely promote PC gaming as a whole.
It would certainly promote a new kind of PC argument. Let people argue over speculative figures rather than actual ones. It'll cut down all that 'my favourite game sold 47 more copies than your favourite game so it's better, and that's a fact.' nonsense that happens all the time.
But there's no reason they have to know. All they need to do is provide Chart Track or whoever with the numbers, and they add them all up with everyone else's.
Actual sales figures would not be needed to be released for a viable chart. Just a run down of what has sold the most. Top of the Pops didn't say 'And now number one with X amount of sales, Take That!"
Here, here.