Thoughts On Adding How Many Game Copies Were Made To The Site Database

[oldgamerz]

I just thought about this since for example when I googled  in the following game I was easily able to get information on how many units this one PS1 game sold in the US and came out with the following results on google. It got me thinking that, how many people would be willing to do the same and add how many copy of some of the items, or games sold into the database? to see how rare a game really is.

this is only a thought since google instantly gave me these results below about the NA release of "Tony Hawk Pro Skater" for the PS1 (NA) and the fact of how easy it is for this sites both members and staff are allowed to edit the database


over 2 million units

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 is listed in the Guinness World Records as the best-selling action sports video game for selling over 2 million units in the United States.


Final Fantasy VII
over 10 million units

FF7 information from google
The second-best-selling game on the console is Final Fantasy VII (1997), which sold over 10 million units. The top five is rounded out by Gran Turismo 2 (1999) selling 9.37 million units, Final Fantasy VIII (1999) with 8.6 million units sold, and Tekken 3 (1998) with 8.3 million units sold.

Or maybe we could start an ongoing thread somewhere? before entering doing any changes? to the database, or maybe not? what do you all think about this?

[tripredacus]

Can you verify that the numbers found are per release or for all releases combined? If that information cannot be verified, we cannot use it.

For example, is that "over 2 million" figure just for the original black label release of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 on PlayStation in the US?
Or does it also include sales data from the Greatest Hits version?
Or does it also include sales data from the Dreamcast, Nintendo 64, PC and Game Boy Color version?

Final Fantasy VII is even worse, if you consider there are 4 releases just in Playstation NA:
https://vgcollect.com/search/advanced/16/%22final%20fantasy%20vii%22/no-filter/ALL/ALL/ALL/ALL/ALL/no-filter/no-filter/no-filter

If you are looking for something to do on the db, I can certainly delegate a task.

[oldgamerz]

so far doing more googling about Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 and 2 for the PS1, I need to find out more about the other versions like the greatest hits version

My custom question from google

how many copies of tony hawk pro skater 2 for the PS1 was made?

(googles answer)
1.5 million units
Activision's Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 on the PlayStation took the second spot with 1.5 million units, and the original Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, also on the PlayStation, came in third overall with 1.3 million units (2001)

unfortunately I don't really know where to find anymore information, I know what you are saying but the internet seems empty of this information since Wikipedia cannot be trusted and that entry in the google database is from January 12 2001


first results when looking up FF7
11 million copies
After Years of Anticipation, Final Fantasy VII Fans Get Their Reboot. The original, released 23 years ago, sold more than 11 million copies and inspired spinoffs, animated movies and fan fiction.

My custom question to goggle
how many copies of final fantasy 7 for the ps1 was produced NA version

(results)
How many copies of ff7 original were sold?
9.8 million copies
For reference, Square Enix has said the original Final Fantasy 7 for PlayStation sold 9.8 million copies worldwide as of December 2005, accounting for eight years of sales. Apr 21, 2020

Final Fantasy 7 is even harder to find the truth

[tripredacus]

OK but those responses still don't mean anything to us if we can't break down the copies sold per release, including the variations. Otherwise, this type of information is better to be put onto wikis and not onto our game entries.

[oldgamerz]

thats fine with me, that is why I needed a 2nd opinion

[telly]

The other problem is that sales data isn't static, it would need to be updated over time.

[Cartagia]

Also, I don't know about everyone else, but I'd want to exact numbers, not estimates.  "Over 2 million" has a ton of wiggle room.

[oldgamerz]

Also, I don't know about everyone else, but I'd want to exact numbers, not estimates.  "Over 2 million" has a ton of wiggle room.

Yes finding that exact data is probably next to impossible unless there was a website on every single games stock. The only way we could do this is on estimates only. Like how Retro Collect did on some of their games (for example) some of the games in their database had game rarity badges based on (what I guess) was an estimation of how rare a game might be.

For example the (VR) badge was for Vary Rare (R) was for Rare (U) was for Uncommon (C) was for Common I think and (VC) was for vary common. the problem with that site was, only staff could add edit or remove anything from the database. and since they didn't have a lot of staff at the time I was there, most entries were not entered, only a few games in their database even had photos and or rarity badges this site has a way bigger and way more accurate as a result of users contribution to the database as well as moderators and admins/staff

I realize now that finding an exact amount of every game or most games is probably impossible, sense I don't even think the inner web could even have any more information about most retro games stock count.

I've noticed a lot of information that has been removed from the internet like how many golf courses are in every single Tiger Woods PGA tour game. That information is no longer there even on sites like wikipedia

[oldgamerz]

OK but those responses still don't mean anything to us if we can't break down the copies sold per release, including the variations. Otherwise, this type of information is better to be put onto wikis and not onto our game entries.

yes this is one of the main issues. Like you said with the variations in everything even rarity badges would probably be of no usage,

(edit) unless the extreme faction of guessing or based on how many people own a said game, like Mario Kart 64 original  NA version could be considered VC vary common

The other problem is that sales data isn't static, it would need to be updated over time.

another issue

[SilverBow]

I used this site over the years to find the number of units shipped for a particular title and entered this information into my personal database. The numbers don't become static until about 2 years have elapsed.

https://www.vgchartz.com/

[oldgamerz]

I used this site over the years to find the number of units shipped for a particular title and entered this information into my personal database. The numbers don't become static until about 2 years have elapsed.

https://www.vgchartz.com/

that is an awesome site thanks for this