Beyond that, I don’t know what else to say.

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=18919

you could just pull estimates by averaging from neogaf’s prediction posts, they’re usually just as close and aren’t published by liars who go back and edit their numbers without noting it. if accuracy and transparency isn’t important to you then I guess I just can’t help you.

If they call one store, heck no. If they call 20 stores, then there numbers start to have some weight to them.

vgchartz openly replaces some of their homegrown data with official NPD data. This isn’t nefarious: they are open about this. NPD has better data and they know it. vgchartz should use NPD data where appropriate. Obviously, NPD is USA only (sometimes Canada), so they have to go elsewhere for non U.S. data.

Also, even in that link you cite: vghcartz clearly changed their numbers significantly, but even their original numbers were ballpark accurate and correctly picked up the general trend of a surge in PS3 sales that week before the NPD data was available.

http://www.ps3blog.net/2007/07/19/ps3-outsells-360-in-na/

http://vgchartz.com/aweekly.php?date=39278

henning didn’t want to believe me that they’re full of shit. read the number hennings post, then click through to vgchartz’s page and look at the numbers that are there now. They’re entirely different becuase the asshats went back and changed them after the npds came out.

so, you can either believe that henning is unable to copy and paste a simple list of numbers, or you have to belive vgchartz is a full out scam and should be ignored.

Any more specific reason to distrust their numbers? You can argue that their sample is too small, it’s a bad sample, their methods are poor, or they are prone to error, but I don’t think it’s fair to dismiss vgchartz out of hand like that. Also, there aren’t many better options. Sure, NPD and MediaCreate have more accurate data, and when there is comparable data to use from them, I use it. But, for many stats, such as cumulative Europe sales, I don’t see any better alternative to vgchartz and their data seems roughly accurate.

their “data” is averaging out sales from last month, making up a number, and throwing a dart at a board

I think it’s just internal corporate politics, external politics and regulations, and just red tape that Sony should do a better job of cutting through.