The Shrine

<div style='font: 12pt Arial, Modern; text-align: justify; padding: 0% 8% 0% 8%; '>...why is everyone quoting so many sales figures, and arguing without trying to prove or state anything specific?

I really have no idea anymore about sales figures since Andrew Vestal and I parted ways back in '98. But I'd like to just possibly venture the thought that a lot of the figures y'all are claiming are not worth the pixels they're drawn on. Seriously. Movie studios ROUTINELY inflate weekend grosses, and it's the same with video game companies. Uninformed and opinionated people inflate them even higher. This is where a lot of the numbers you may be quoting are coming from. I very much doubt more than two or three people on this board have any real or comprehensive data! (I am not one of them.)

I really liked the way high school and college taught me to lay out an argument as follows:
1. State your point first.
2. Back it up with evidence and state facts.
3. Qualify the evidence; explain its relevance to your point.
4. Summarize your argument.

This makes for good arguments!!! Not big hot-air balloon fights. Fun wit-sharpening! It was the way I used to try to debate and discuss at the Shrine/AD and I loved the discussions we all had there.

Discussions are better when you go at them in an organized way. This is the summary.</div>

<div style='font: 12pt Modern; text-align: left; '>Though I think it's pretty safe to say that if it says 5 million on Nintendo's home page, it's unlikely to be more than that.</div>

<div style='font: 12pt Arial, Modern; text-align: justify; padding: 0% 8% 0% 8%; '>I agree. But that doesn't mean that we can argue without it. ;)</div>

<div style='font: 11pt Modern; text-align: left; '>Everyone? Wait just a second *looks at the thread* Ahhhh alright. It's just Seeker and Zeus with Nintendo sales numbers again as usual.</div>

<div style='font: 11pt "comic sans MS", Modern; text-align: left; '><b> Back it up with evidence and state facts.</b>

I read this somewhere....but I sure as hell ain't gonna prove it with evidence or facts.

<b>Qualify the evidence; explain its relevance to your point.</b>

I guess my point is....some things just need to be assumed to be true. How is this relevant? Well.....uh......

4. Summarize your argument.

When a woman tells you "Men are pigs!" You should say, "I wish!"</div>

<div style='font: 12pt Arial, Modern; text-align: justify; padding: 0% 8% 0% 8%; '>My point exactly!</div>

<div style='font: 12pt Arial, Modern; text-align: justify; padding: 0% 8% 0% 8%; '>Argh, does anyone know where I can get some real sales data?</div>

<div style='font: 12pt Modern; text-align: left; '>I can't find any hard sales data for the US but you can get comparative monthly sales data for about the last 2 years at <a href = http://www.npd.com/corp/content/ie/in_v ... htm>NPD</a> and weekly at <a href = http://www.iemag.com/trsts/index.asp>IEMag</a>. For Japanese sales you can get hard data for all million+ sellers as well as annual and weekly best sellers at <a href = http://come.to/magicbox>Magic Box</a></div>

<div style='font: 12pt Arial, Modern; text-align: justify; padding: 0% 8% 0% 8%; '>Thank you! You are a scholar.</div>