LETTERS Chart-Track won’t let off Steam


In a letter to MCV, GfK Chart-Track’s MD John Pinder takes Steam to task for not sharing sales data Dear MCV,


I read the recent Steam article (MCV 634 22/04/11) with a weary sense of déjà vu. Is Jason Holtman really advocating a return to the ‘90s, when key retailers refused to pool their data, claiming it’s better to supply sales direct to publishers? The implications of this approach for publishers are, of course, immense: not only would they need to contact dozens of sellers to gain a complete picture of their sales, but competitors’ sales would no longer be visible. What a stark contrast to the music industry, where


the (far more) dominant player iTunes has taken an open and progressive approach to supplying sales data, an approach which has been emulated by newer entrants to the market such as Spotify – to the benefit of the entire industry. Through the trade bodies UKIE and ERA, the UK games industry has over the past decade established a market information platform that is the envy of the world – fast, accurate, credible and independent. It’s not enough for a publisher to know his own sales minute-by-minute: industry requirements


have grown far more sophisticated. We know from years of experience with publishers, retailers and developers that the ability to benchmark every aspect of their business, to monitor competitor titles, to track market developments and to identify new trends are all key requirements.


A retreat from mutual co- operation back to isolationism would be a truly retrograde step – I urge Jason to join us in the 21st century. Kind regards,


John Pinder, Chart-Track is unhappy with Steam’s stance on digital charts GfK Chart-Track MD


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