Nielsen and EEDAR join forces to provide 'unprecedented' game tracking data
by Alexander Sliwinski 
{ Nov 2nd 2009 at 11:00PM } 
The data will be combined beginning in March of 2010 and be available to both Nielsen Video Game Tracking and EEDAR subscribers. This may not mean much to the average gamer, but to stat-obsessed executives and folks in marketing departments, this is like licking triple-chocolate ice cream covered in bacon and honey.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Darth Bradwart, Dark Lord of the Sith @ Nov 2nd 2009 11:03PM
Great. More 'data' fanboys can use in their flame wars.
SpyderTaco (PSN: Ar4chNova89) @ Nov 2nd 2009 11:09PM
That comment made me realize something...
There are virtually no Wii fanboys on Joystiq anymore.
Where are the "We're #1 on the NPD" junkies?
Markez @ Nov 2nd 2009 11:11PM
YOU TWO SHUT YOUR DATAHOLES
IM NUMBER 1!!!
Donald @ Nov 2nd 2009 11:12PM
Actually playing games instead of trolling the Joystiq comments, perhaps?
Darth Bradwart, Dark Lord of the Sith @ Nov 2nd 2009 11:13PM
That is true...I haven't seen a Wiibot in a while.
Curious...I feel a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced.
Markez @ Nov 2nd 2009 11:15PM
No that was just me, ran out of butter while making dinner, was a little upset.
tmacairjordan87 @ Nov 2nd 2009 11:57PM
@Spyder
I hate to start this, so I'm just going to say it and leave. But when I kept telling you a lot of veterans weren't posting anymore because of how bad you and the other Sony people were making it, I wasn't bullshitting. I talk to a lot of the nintendo fanboys who used to roam here (most of them I used to battle on here back in the day) and you guys have basically driven them away. They read the articles still, but they rarely post.
I'm not looking to start a fight, just explaining.
Darth Bradwart, Dark Lord of the Sith @ Nov 2nd 2009 11:59PM
Oh, no...why is it always on my posts?
I would say that fanboys of all consoles have been the problem. When you've got 360 people screaming 'PS3 HAZ NO GAM3Z!" and PS3 people shouting "RROD!" and the Wii guy bashing everyone with 'WE'RE NUMBER ONE!!!!11!", it tends to get annoying.
Things are calmer now.
But the next-gen is upon us. The calm before the storm, perhaps?
SpyderTaco (PSN: Ar4chNova89) @ Nov 3rd 2009 12:14AM
I caused the fanboys to leave?
Where is my medal?
esposch @ Nov 3rd 2009 12:50AM
Calling Supesmashbrosfan94 - YOUR SERVICES ARE NEEDED!!
Please, pull another "hilarious prank" on those PS3 "idiots with limited taste."
No, in all honesty us Wii fanboys have been silent recently because even we believe Nintendo has let us down. So few good games for such a long time - like being a PS3 owner 2 years ago.
And we've been playing our DSes. That's had a great line up recently, best of all consoles IMO.
SoshiKitai @ Nov 3rd 2009 12:53AM
Most Wii fanboys were created in defense against PS3 and 360 fanboys who would attack the Wii with relentless abandon.
Unlike the other fanboys, Wii fanboys actually GOT TIRED of fighting and went back to just playing games - learning that they could ignore the fanboys.
Other Wii fanboys created merely from their own love of Nintendo (or new love to Nintendo if they're young), just couldn't handle the constant barrage of "shovelware!!!!" comments - because they knew there was a crapload of shovelware and too few good games coming out to forgive all the shovelware.
For every good game, there would be 10 other shovelware games to bury it.
Some switched sides for "losing faith" (which was usually caused for their idiotic high hopes in something that was never promised).
And the ones of the casual crowd found out this site was full of pissy little twats that they just stopped coming here and went somewhere else to say how much they had fun with their kids and friends on a Wii game.
Also... A LOT left after "Nintendo Wii Fanboy" turned just into Joystiq Nintendo.
SoshiKitai @ Nov 3rd 2009 12:56AM
"So few good games for such a long time"
COMPLETELY depends on your taste on games.
I'm actually far behind on my Wii games and need to catch up a good deal.
Obviously the number of good games aren't coming out in the number and speed as 360 and PS3 consoles are, but they are coming out often enough to keep me occupied until the next comes out. The Wii is the system I'm furthest behind compared to the other systems I own. But that's my tastes.
esposch @ Nov 3rd 2009 4:16AM
@Soshi
So true!
Why did they merge the fanboy sites!?
The quality and sense of community dropped off so much after they did that I bailed to Nintendolife (which actually benefited from merging WiiWare World and VC-Reviews). But eventually I left there, and here I am.
Actually, if anyone wants a site like NIntendoWiiFanboy was, then may I recommend Tinycartridge.com. It's not Wii-centric, but it's just like the good ol' days before the merge...
Extinction @ Nov 3rd 2009 5:38AM
That;s because all wii fanboys realized wii sucks.
Mr Khan @ Nov 3rd 2009 8:34AM
Basically, i'm the last of the old guard of Nintendo fanboys, the last either to not become disillusioned or just quit posting as much.
Markez @ Nov 2nd 2009 11:10PM
What show is that? I'm not an anime fan by any means, but it reminds me of a show this kid I knew ages ago in highschool use to always watch. The main guy in the show was obsessed with chicks but was a big nerd and hornball. Wonder Boy, or Super Dude, or something stupid like that. I think the way game research is done via the Wii is pretty neat.
Side note 1 - 1200 'active gamers' sure sounds like a great samplel
Side note 2 - I got bacon flavored lip balm for my birthday, but it really tastes more like french toast.
KaBob799 @ Nov 2nd 2009 11:17PM
Yeah 1200 seems like a terrible sample size for this sort of thing especially considering that a lot of people wont do online surveys which messes up the data even more.
matthew_neitzer @ Nov 2nd 2009 11:33PM
http://skepticblog.org/2009/07/09/fun-with-manga/
Emophia @ Nov 2nd 2009 11:47PM
Golden boy is what you're thinking off, though it looks nothing like the pic.
Darth Bradwart, Dark Lord of the Sith @ Nov 2nd 2009 11:50PM
1200 is too small.
It should be...
*sunglasses*
OVER 9000!
Crayfish @ Nov 3rd 2009 1:01AM
The image gives away the source of the picture.
Protip: it's the text that begins with "source"
Markez @ Nov 3rd 2009 1:18AM
I saw that, yes. Protip - I said "reminds me of". Thanks, Emophia, that's exactly it :P
Crayfish @ Nov 3rd 2009 3:04AM
Protip: My mistake, but when you begin your post with "What show is that?" it kind of gives the impression that you haven't read the source written on it. Given that you just read the answer yourself.
I'm now confused as to exactly what show you were asking about, since you already knew where the image came from.
Markez @ Nov 3rd 2009 3:10AM
Yeah my bad, I guess that was a little unclear. I think moreso the scene reminded me of the show which I couldn't quite remember. So apparently it was Golden Boy, had stuck in my memory because f how awful and weird it was.
Mr Khan @ Nov 3rd 2009 8:35AM
I agree. 1,200 is way too small, given the vast userbase sizes even in America alone. That would be too small even if they were detailing just one console base, instead of all 5
KSPRAYDAD ... no longer playing games @ Nov 2nd 2009 11:16PM
Jesse Divinich has been shown to be a better than avg hack analyst (MP for instance) so I'm happy to see his firm expanding their information empire.
TheBrainninja @ Nov 2nd 2009 11:18PM
After reading a lot of Sankaku Complex and Danny Choo over the last week, I just accepted the random moe chick without question.
Then I remembered I was on Joystiq and that there was probably a reason for the pic. "The Manga Guide to Statistics," eh? By O'Reilly no less, who knew?
RKN @ Nov 3rd 2009 12:42AM
When I was at Fry's Electronics last month, I actually saw a book called The Manga Guide To Databases, which is what I am studying. Absolutely fucking amazing that today's society is so ADHD that they need anime and manga characters to keep them focused. I've also seen manga versions of Shakespeare classics, that's just going a bit too crazy for me.
SoshiKitai @ Nov 3rd 2009 12:59AM
"Absolutely fucking amazing that today's society is so ADHD that they need anime and manga characters to keep them focused."
They've had these kinds of guides for quite some time.
It's just that they're more recent in shores other than Japan.
The first one I ever saw here was a manga's guide to html I believe.
Whatever, that stuff's lame...
Lurkero @ Nov 3rd 2009 12:37AM
Now Nielsen can be just as inaccurate and ineffectual with Videogame ratings!
Crayfish @ Nov 3rd 2009 12:58AM
So will the 1,200 active gamers representing the entire gaming community be made up of grumpy old men and women who play nothing but Sudoku and JAG tv-to-video game adaptations?
michas_pi @ Nov 3rd 2009 3:25AM
http://nostarch.com/mg_mbiology.htm
Mr Khan @ Nov 3rd 2009 8:38AM
I've always been very skeptical of these Nielsen reports (mostly because they showed low, low numbers for Nintendo), and now that skepticism seems a little more justified. 1,200 gamers? That's it? And what do we qualify as "active gamer?" Are they focusing themselves on the hard-to-define "hardcore gamer?"
Prox @ Nov 3rd 2009 9:01AM
No joke. Why don't they just use the data from my Xbox Live profile (or something similar on other systems). These consoles connect to the internet. It should be elementary to see what games ALL people are playing.
guttertalk @ Nov 3rd 2009 10:01AM
Nielsen was criticized for years with their low samples for television ratings--when they equipped 5000 homes with the meters.
Plus, I'm skeptical of surveys, especially when it comes to recording habits rather than opinions. I've done user studies for work and found that people's account of their actions is off from what is observed and recorded.
And then there's the fanboy mentality.
Benjamin Heckendorn @ Nov 3rd 2009 10:37AM
In the spring we were part of the Nielsen ratings for sweeps week on TV. Granted it was just for that week, and it was the "paper" method", but holy hell did it feel primitive:
1) Separate book for every TV hooked up to cable. (so some went empty)
2) You were supposed to fill in every channel you get ahead of time. Screw that.
3) For each show you wrote down the name, how long you watched it and who watched it.
4) At the end you mail the books back for super-fast results!
In a world with digital cable, on-demand, satellite TV and always-on internet Nielsen felt like the stone age. Granted, they do have boxes for some families, but I have to wonder how much laziness goes into filling out those books.
It might explain why the top shows rarely change, even if they're incredibly dated, not funny comedies starring Charlie Sheen.
And just think, this could be coming to videogames! Oh also Nielsen MAILS you cash for participating. If that doesn't scream "30 years ago" I don't know what does.
the Sawyer family @ Nov 3rd 2009 11:21AM
what about the tracking firm of Frequently Analyzing Games Survey ?