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How can we improve this platform for everyone

Kenka

Kenka

Member
Enthusiast
First thread, so excuse me if it feels off-topic.

I have been a sales-age follower for the majority of my life and like many of you, Thursday is my 'Media Create thread' day. I haven't missed a thread on that topic since Super Smash Bros Melee's launch and I guess that there are quite a few of us in this forum who follow these threads more than any other topics about video games, or any topic period.

And yet, I don't have enough of it. I feel like it will never be enough. Thus, I was wondering how we can improve the availbility of the data on this forum. A dedicated thread about sourcing arguments is pinned in this section but it barely scratches my itch. I would like to know for example everything about Shin Megami Tensei and Madden series entries, ranging from pre-order figures to weekly sales and LTD figures worldwide.

Thus, I wondered if we could make all this sales data ready to be checked at any point. Would that cost something? I guess so. Data isn't free. But I want to know how much, and what is achievable if we all work to make our hobby even more enjoyable. Thanks for reading.
 
I guess a thread cataloging of games with links to the threads that corresponds with their weeks on sale could be feasible with most games. Wouldn't cost a thing, just time.
 
I appreciate the thread!

Do you mean Like "crowd-sourcing" the funding from Install Base users to obtain sales data reports?

A couple points for the sake of discussion:

- feels like thru some of our extra-awesome fellow members like Chris and Benji, we do have pretty good roundabout access to that data?

- Cost aside, there are probably restrictions for how that report data can be distributed. 🤔
 
I think ultimately that's what the Database will be about. It is not quite there yet but as more and more people contribute and compile data, it'll evolve into something more meaningful.

There are some projects that are in the works to animate the forum beyong the usual data drops, but more on this soon ;)
 
I think I might have to pull the original title of installbase. It’s the only thing missing here

Tbone & FRIENDS
 
That's what the Database is for

People just need to collect the data
 
MysticGon said:
I guess a thread cataloging of games with links to the threads that corresponds with their weeks on sale could be feasible with most games. Wouldn't cost a thing, just time.
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uncleoptimus said:
I appreciate the thread!

Do you mean Like "crowd-sourcing" the funding from Install Base users to obtain sales data reports?

A couple points for the sake of discussion:

- feels like thru some of our extra-awesome fellow members like Chris and Benji, we do have pretty good roundabout access to that data?
- Cost aside, there are probably restrictions for how that report data can be distributed. 🤔
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These are good ideas. Having a list of games with every thread (or even better) posts about their sales and reports regarding them would be awesome. You litterally would have any information you want your fingertip. It would be a lot of work but if we want to sell this forum eventually, it could be an asset for sure. Also, "crowd-funding" sales data as you put is an idea that has been floating around for a long time. @Oscar has an amazing patreon (sadly only in French) which serves in part this purpose. We could set up a patreon for Installbase in which we could donate money to our most valuables contributors, and for the sake of gathering data that is otherwise not accessible publicly.
Lelouch0612 said:
I think ultimately that's what the Database will be about. It is not quite there yet but as more and more people contribute and compile data, it'll evolve into something more meaningful.

There are some projects that are in the works to animate the forum beyong the usual data drops, but more on this soon ;)
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I look forward to any initiative you have in the drawers. Keep em coming.
 
Tbone5189 said:
I think I might have to pull the original title of installbase. It’s the only thing missing here

Tbone & FRIENDS
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We need some kind of general thread where TBone and I can brainstorm wild hypotheticals and then come back to bask in our glory (or eat crow).

No but in all seriousness I think some generalized sales discussion thread would be helpful. For Japan, the MC thread kind of already does this, but the NPD thread tends to beore focused on listing monthly predictions for example. Dedicated discussion thread could help keep the monthly prediction threads cleaner.

Just a thought.
 
Allow non-members to see the whole thread instead of just the first page. Feels like gatekeeping for no reasons. We're not a secret club.
 
McSpeed said:
Allow non-members to see the whole thread instead of just the first page. Feels like gatekeeping for no reasons. We're not a secret club.
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This has been addressed at launch.
DarkDetective said:
Hi everyone!

This is the first post-launch update I write for you. The news that ResetEra has been acquired by MOBA Network has caused for an extreme increase in demand from people to join our forum. While the site has been up for a week now, there is still a lot of work behind the scenes that needs to be done before Install Base goes fully public. However, due to the current situation, we have decided to make it possible for everybody out there to register for an account. This means a Sign Up button will appear on the front page later today!

We will manually approve all account creations, and because we don't want to flood the community (or give our mods a heart attack), we will approve new members slowly but steadily. So please invite all your friends who are interested in talking video game sales and business! It may take a while before they get approved, but we're glad to have them nonetheless!

We have decided to still keep the threads closed for non-members for now, while we're still in soft-launch. Behind the scenes, we're still working on a lot of things that need to be implemented before we're fully version 1.0. For example, we're going to implement advertisements to monetise the website (we will update the Privacy Policy because of this, but you'll get a notification for that, once it's ready). We're also tweaking some internal guidelines, for example for the moderators, to make sure that the organisation behind Install Base is ready when lots of new users join the discussion. When that's all done, we will make the forum viewable for everyone.

Oh, and of course there's also a dark mode somewhere in there.

I hope you've been enjoying the forum. Please share your thoughts with us in the Community Discussion and Moderation Feedback thread.
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When replies reach over 1K, the # of replies stops going up in increments of 1 and instead changes to increments of 1K (i.e. 998- 999- 1K- then stays at 1K until 2K is reached). Is there any way of having the reply count continue to go up in increments of 1 after reaching 1K replies?
 
Nenned said:
When replies reach over 1K, the # of replies stops going up in increments of 1 and instead changes to increments of 1K (i.e. 998- 999- 1K- then stays at 1K until 2K is reached). Is there any way of having the reply count continue to go up in increments of 1 after reaching 1K replies?
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It does keep couting. Look at the number next to the share and bookmark button. Your post is the #19 in this thread, mine is #20.
 
ktpoison said:
It does keep couting. Look at the number next to the share and bookmark button. Your post is the #19 in this thread, mine is #20.
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I'm talking about when looking at the listing of topics on the forum (so before entering a thread). I've gotten used to the habit of noting the # of replies before entering a thread and then noting the reply # when I enter a thread so I know about how many replies I have to read (or how active the thread has been since my last visit). I can't do that if the # of replies is stuck at 1K until it reaches 2K. It's a small thing, no biggie. Just thought I'd mention it.
 
Nenned said:
I'm talking about when looking at the listing of topics on the forum (so before entering a thread). I've gotten used to the habit of noting the # of replies before entering a thread and then noting the reply # when I enter a thread so I know about how many replies I have to read (or how active the thread has been since my last visit). I can't do that if the # of replies is stuck at 1K until it reaches 2K. It's a small thing, no biggie. Just thought I'd mention it.
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Yeah, i do the same and it's slightly annoying. It's not that bad since it mostly affects the MC threads so it resets every week.
As you said it's no biggie but it might be a quick win.
 
I do feel there should be a way to separate the data-based threads from the "idle banter" threads. Or at least some way to segregate threads that have actual constructive sales data and analysis within them from those that are more just for "fun discussion".

Some examples of which I would consider to be part of each category:

Data-based threads:
  • Media Create/NPD/EU sales
  • eShop/PSN/Gamepass
  • Financials
  • Sales updates on any and all games
  • Fuga: Melodies of Steel budget thread
  • SMT5 prediction (there's a lot of research and numbers in there)
"Fun Discussion" threads:
  • Your controversial sales opinions thread
  • Will X game sell better than Y game threads (especially when there's 0 correlation between the two games)
  • Most predictions threads that do not use numbers as their basis

This isn't to say such discussions shouldn't be allowed, but there isn't always going to be hard data for us to study, which means that people will inevitably want other things to talk about, or to create threads to kill time, which means we're going to be seeing a lot of these crop up in the future. However, when there are so many of them, they tend to clutter up the front page, which makes it difficult to keep track of the actual data-based discussions.
 
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Ishaan said:
I do feel there should be a way to separate the data-based threads from the "idle banter" threads. Or at least some way to segregate threads that have actual constructive sales data and analysis within them from those that are more just for "fun discussion".

Some examples of which I would consider to be part of each category:

Data-based threads:
  • Media Create/NPD/EU sales
  • eShop/PSN/Gamepass
  • Financials
  • Sales updates on any and all games
  • Fuga: Melodies of Steel budget thread
  • SMT5 prediction (there's a lot of research and numbers in there)
"Fun Discussion" threads:
  • Your controversial sales opinions thread
  • Will X game sell better than Y game threads (especially when there's 0 correlation between the two games)
  • Most predictions threads that do not use numbers as their basis

This isn't to say such discussions shouldn't be allowed, but there isn't always going to be hard data for us to study, which means that people will inevitably want other things to talk about, or to create threads to kill time, which means we're going to be seeing a lot of these crop up in the future. However, when there are so many of them, they tend to clutter up the front page, which makes it difficult to keep track of the actual data-based discussions.
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Perhaps a sub forum for general gaming discussion? I love that we have a forum that's heavily focused on sales data, but at the rate this place seems to be growing, I see no reason why this can't become an all encompassing gaming forum that puts a priority on sales data. My personal preference would be gaming discussion that's not politically charged as such discussion has turned me off other gaming forums, but obviously I can't speak for anyone else.
 
Windom Earle said:
Perhaps a sub forum for general gaming discussion? I love that we have a forum that's heavily focused on sales data, but at the rate this place seems to be growing, I see no reason why this can't become an all encompassing gaming forum that puts a priority on sales data. My personal preference would be gaming discussion that's not politically charged as such discussion has turned me off other gaming forums, but obviously I can't speak for anyone else.
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I think this is a bad idea for four reasons:

1. The broader your scope, the more drama and politics you invite. Even just strictly talking sales we've already seen some drama go down here. Now imagine if we were a catchall forum with controversial gaming topics like "Why women criticize sexualized character designs" littering the board. As a woman, I believe topics like this may have a place somewhere, just not here. The sales community wanted a place that's just sales to escape the baggage of Resetera which actually encouraged drama for clicks.

2. Other sites have the first-mover advantage. Reddit, NeoGAF, Resetera, Famiboards, Twitter, VGChartz, Something Awful, IGN Boards, GameFAQs, 4Chan, etc. all exist for regular gaming discussion. Why wouldn't you go there instead? What makes IB unique is its specialization.

3. Specialization attracts robust discourse. You're more likely to have knowledgeable people with robust insights on the market join a specialized forum dedicated to sales, rather than yet another catchall gaming forum.

4. The sales community deals with a lot of sensitive data, with many insights not fully public. It seems more appropriate to take a more cautious and measured approach to forum-building than attempting to become as massive and as widespread as quickly as possible.
 
Simar said:
This has been addressed at launch.
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Yes I know, but I fear what was temporary measure will become a feature. I'm using various terminal for browsing online, mostly professional stuff I'm not allowed to store any credentials in. It's a huge pain in the neck to connect each time to browse the discussions.
 
Aquamarine said:
I think this is a bad idea for four reasons:

1. The broader your scope, the more drama and politics you invite. Even just strictly talking sales we've already seen some drama go down here. Now imagine if we were a catchall forum with controversial gaming topics like "Why women criticize sexualized character designs" littering the board. As a woman, I believe topics like this may have a place somewhere, just not here. The sales community wanted a place that's just sales to escape the baggage of Resetera which actually encouraged drama for clicks.

2. Other sites have the first-mover advantage. Reddit, NeoGAF, Resetera, Famiboards, Twitter, VGChartz, Something Awful, IGN Boards, GameFAQs, 4Chan, etc. all exist for regular gaming discussion. Why wouldn't you go there instead? What makes IB unique is its specialization.

3. Specialization attracts robust discourse. You're more likely to have knowledgeable people with robust insights on the market join a specialized forum dedicated to sales, rather than yet another catchall gaming forum.

4. The sales community deals with a lot of sensitive data, with many insights not fully public. It seems more appropriate to take a more cautious and measured approach to forum-building than attempting to become as massive and as widespread as quickly as possible.
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I agree with most of your post. In my previous post I stated that some of the other forums being politically charged turned me off from posting at them. How do you invite broader gaming discussion and avoid those traps? It would take very specific rules and be difficult to police that kind of discussion. Of course, if it were achievable, it would be a lot more appealing to post here than most of the other corners of the internet you mentioned.

This place seems like it has the capability to take the reigns as the leading gaming forum, which is why I suggested it (maybe I'm an idealist), but I can't really disagree with points 3 and 4 either. I'd like to post on a forum that checks every box, and I'm sure many others would as well, but as you mentioned, it would be very difficult to avoid the pitfalls that would come with increased traffic and topic diversity.
 
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