When Newsweek broke word the NPD Group would be reducing the amount of data released month-to-month to the public via the media, there was a decidedly mixed response. On one hand, it's frustrating we'll be unable to track, analyze and better understand the industry's performance every month, but not too shocking given the NPD Group only started releasing the information freely a year ago.

1UP contacted NPD Group PR representative David Riley, who expressed some shock over how many were upset over the upcoming change. "I had no idea this would be so ill-received. Honestly, I know this sounds ignorant but I really was taken aback when I started hearing/reading about this. It was unexpected," he said.

At the same time, the numbers leaked before and will inevitably leak again, though this time without the verification we've come to expect every month. Riley anticipates the industry policing itself in these situations and even blasts some of the 3rd party groups. "Regarding rogue sites that actively use existing data from market research firms, combine that data with estimates and then claim the data as their own -- it's true I'm no fan of

sociopathic behavior

and, as such, have real issues with sites like these but this has nothing to do with the change, either," he said. "The best way to approach this issue is to let the industry police it, or to simply wait and let the truth come out in the end. It always does."