GameSpot and the NPD Group today announced a partnership to improve their respective game-industry tracking services.

　　Beginning by the end of next month, GameSpot Trax and the NPD Group's entertainment-focused division, NPD Funworld, will use each other's statistics to provide game publishers, retailers, investors, and others that closely track the industry with a more complete picture of a game's buying cycle.

　　In addition, NPD Group will begin using information from GameSpot-affiliate Game Rankings.com in its PowerView service to better show how editorial review scores affect a game's sales.

　　Launched in the first quarter of 2003, GameSpot Trax follows and analyzes consumer awareness, interest, and purchase intent, campaign effectiveness, audience profiles, and editorial coverage through the real-time tracking of the activities of more than 1 million daily GameSpot network visitors, more than 6 million registered users, and editorial coverage delivered by 350 online and offline media outlets.

　　GameSpot Trax and NPD customers can use the companies' combined information to inform a wide array of business decisions, including product development and distribution plans, marketing and public relations strategies, and inventory control.