Earlier today, the Port Washington, NY-based NPD Group, which tracks sales data for the videogame industry and other sectors, issued a press release about a new service that it would be offering along with its counterparts in the U.K. and Japan. Titled the "Top Global Markets Report," the three companies state that it will be "the first report to integrate point-of-sale (POS) data for video game software sales in the world’s largest games markets," specifically the United States (NPD), the U.K. (Chart-Track) and Japan (Enterbrain). To clarify some details in the announcement, we dashed off some questions to NPD toys and videogames analyst Anita Frazier and corporate marketing director David Riley. Here's what they wrote back:

How did this collaboration among The NPD Group, Gfk Chart-Track Ltd and Enterbrain come about? Who approached who first?

David Riley: The foundation for this was built back in 2004 when we met with Enterbrain at E3. NPD's relationship with Enterbrain grew from there. We've had long-standing relationships and various business partnerships with both GfK and Chart-Track, so it only made sense to form this alliance.

Will the Top Global Markets Report be issued in North America simultaneously with the monthly NPD videogame reports ? If not, how soon afterwards can we expect the global report?

Anita Frazier: This is a top global markets report, not a comprehensive global tracker. The report will be issued to subscribing clients. The Global Markets database won't be available simultaneously with the standard U.S. database. It will be released a few days after but we don't have a set schedule at this time.

Which parts of the report will be made available to media and the public? Can we expect to receive both hardware and software data?

Frazier: The details of what all three companies will agree to release publicly are still being worked out. This is mostly a product designed for clients to help them with their business intelligence efforts. While it would be great to release some combined data publicly, that is not the reason this new product is being offered.

Chart-Track releases data on a weekly basis, while NPD does so monthly. Why doesn't NPD release weekly reports? Was this the reason that the joint reports will be issued monthly?

Frazier: We have always released our data monthly per our agreements with retail partners.

Was this something your clients were asking you for? How do you see them making use of this data?

Anita: Clients that subscribe must also subscribe to the individual services of the three participating entities. The combined products will help make business intelligence analysis easier for our mutual clients.

How close is The NPD Group to signing deals with data researchers in other PAL countries and other territories?

Frazier: The nature of future business collaborations is proprietary and confidential.

How does this service compare to what's offered by, say, VGChartz?

Riley: No comment

See below for the press release from NPD.

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Leading Market Research Firms Join Forces to Provide First Multi-CONTINENT View of Video Game software sales

New Report Provides Comprehensive View of Global Video Games Sales

in World's Largest Games Markets

NEW YORK, TOKYO, LONDON, August 21, 2008 - Leading providers of consumer and retail information in the video games industry, The NPD Group, GfK Chart-Track Limited and Enterbrain, Inc., today announced the release of Top Global Markets Report, the first report to integrate point-of-sale (POS) data for video game software sales in the world's largest games markets.

The leading games information sources in the U.S, U.K. and Japan - the largest games markets in the world - have joined forces to provide the gaming industry with a single source for sales data providing detailed insight into what's happening in these important markets.

Top Global Markets Report gives the video game industry the ability to equip itself with a monthly report that provides jointly-contributed, title-level video games software sales by country. Data can be viewed as an integrated total market view or as side-by-side country comparisons.

"The video games business has become increasingly global, with the majority of the publishers releasing games in multiple markets," said Anita Frazier, industry analyst, The NPD Group. "The U.S, as the world's largest market will be able to view and compare sales for the first time outside of their own market."

The report allows users to track titles, unit sales and share, as well as dollar sales and revenue share in order to quickly respond to shifts in the marketplace. It gives users the ability to know the market and competitors across countries in order to analyze and respond to global gaming market trends.

"We are excited to be working more closely with NPD and Enterbrain," said John Pinder, Managing Director, GfK Chart-Track Limited. "This partnership represents a great opportunity to benefit not only our clients but the industry as a whole by providing a comprehensive, industry-supported view of sales across the three largest video game markets,

"We are very grateful to start such a valuable service and alliance with NPD and GfK Chart-Track Limited," said Hirokazu Hamamura, President, Enterbrain, Inc. "This service gives us the ability to better help game publishers and developers by providing them with a more global view of market performance."

Methodology

Information in this report is based on POS data that comes directly from the leading games sales data providers in each country covered by this report.

About The NPD Group, Inc.

The NPD Group is the leading provider of reliable and comprehensive consumer and retail information for a wide range of industries. Today, more than 1,600 manufacturers, retailers, and service companies rely on NPD to help them drive critical business decisions at the global, national, and local market levels. NPD helps our clients to identify new business opportunities and guide product development, marketing, sales, merchandising, and other functions. Information is available for the following industry sectors: automotive, beauty, commercial technology, consumer technology, entertainment, fashion, food and beverage, foodservice, home, office supplies, software, sports, toys, and wireless. For more information, contact us or visit http://www.npd.com/

About GfK Chart-Track Limited

GfK Chart-Track Limited, a research company based in West London, monitors sales of music, videos and software through retail in the UK, Ireland and Denmark. GfK Chart-Track Limited has established an unparalleled reputation for fast and accurate retail research in the home entertainment market. The methodology used across all GfK Chart-Track Limited's services is continuous quantitative retail research, giving clients a broad range of statistical information from GfK Chart-Track Limited's standard and customized services, enabling them to track market size, market trends and product sales through retail. For more information, visit http://www.chart-track.co.uk/

About Enterbrain, Inc.

ENTERBRAIN, INC. is a publisher of top-selling magazines, with each representing a field within the video game industry, including its flagship series of Famitsu magazines - its most popular being Weekly Famitsu. Additionally, Enterbrain, Inc., a publisher of various entertainment books and magazines in genres such as PC game, horse racing, cartoons, game strategy books, and fighting, has also developed numerous hit video games, such as the Derby Stallion series, and put its efforts into network services with sites such as Famitsu.com, as well as mobile phone sites. Enterbrain, Inc. also provides the most comprehensive up-to-date information on Japan's game hardware/software industry and publishes the 'Famitsu White Paper'. For more information, visit http://www.enterbrain.co.jp/

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