GameSpot Trax, NPD Announce Strategic Partnership

Consumer video game site GameSpot and U.S. video game chart compiler The NPD Group have announced a strategic partnership. This will mean that the companies will offer each other's statistics in both the GameSpot Trax game tracking service and the NPD Group's sales information. In particular, the tracking tools will combine NPD Funworld's sales transaction data on video games and PC games with the pre-release buzz and editorial coverage data from GameSpot Trax. GameSpot's Trax service, which originally launched in 2003, and uses demographic information gathered from GameSpot's website and elsewhere to help publishers, analysts, and other professionals gather information about particular games and trends, is expected to re-launch in the second quarter of 2005 with newly integrated sales data from NPD. "The Internet enables marketers to observe users' preferences and buying intention trends like never before," said Vince Broady, cofounder of GameSpot and senior vice president of games and entertainment, CNET Networks. "Our partnership with The NPD Group now allows us to combine GameSpot Trax's deep online user insights with offline buyer activity to create a comprehensive, 360-degree perspective."