What is Fusion?

• It’s our bespoke analytical platform that offers unrivalled flexibility to the user, putting you in complete control.
• All our data sources feed straight into Fusion, so you can see them all in one place.
• Fusion allows you to effortlessly monitor, compare and interpret complex, real time data in an instant.
• You’re able to fully customise your experience, to make the most informed decisions and stay one step ahead of the competition.

What flexibility do I have when using Fusion?

• Fusion offers a huge amount of flexibility when it comes to displaying and analysing our data, allowing you to look across the industry and its products as a whole or to focus in on one specific genre, publisher, developer,product, territory or retailer, plus everything in between. (Depending on your subscription package)
• You can analyse different data sources in one report, or break them up into individual reports.
• You’ll have the ability to display data in a variety of ways, including tables, line graphs, pie charts, column charts, images, text and more. You use only what you need.
• Easily export to CSV, XLXS, PNG & PDF to share with others who don’t have a Fusion account.

Do I need to install anything on my PC?

• Nope. Fusion runs entirely through any web browser. As soon as we’ve set up your account, you’ll receive an email link to Fusion with your login details and away you go!

What about new features or if we want something Fusion doesn’t have?

• We pride ourselves on working with our clients to deliver the best service that offers you exactly what you need. If you have ideas for any new features, we can work together to develop these and incorporate them into Fusion.
• We also have lots of our own ideas which our development team is always working hard to implement.  Sign up to receive announcements when new features are launched.

Do you offer training on how to use Fusion?

• Of course. Fusion, just like any software, has so much to offer and therefore we make sure you understand it and get the most out of the tool. We offer in-house and online training via screenshare and are never more than an email or phone call away should you have questions or need help.

Will I be required to create reports in Fusion myself?

• While we walk you through and offer you the keys to Fusion to create your own reports, we at Fancensus can also set up reports for you, ready for whenever you log into your account.

Exactly what PR & Social Media data do you offer?

• We track all gaming coverage across press and social platforms, from the moment it’s announced, through to launch and beyond.
• We currently monitor:
  • Websites
  • YouTube
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Twitch
  • Instagram
  • Reddit
  • Vk

When you say press and social media, what is it you are monitoring specifically?

• The list of things we track and gather is extensive, it includes everything from number of activities, front page coverage, article content analysis and article sentiment through to review scores and authors, YouTube views and influencers, Tweet count and Facebook reactions, plus much, much more.

For more detailed information please contact us on +44 (0) 1628 520 776 or info@fancensus.com

How far back does your data go?

• Press articles reach back as far as 2004.
• Twitter, YouTube and Facebook data goes back to the start of 2013.
• We have Vk and Instagram posts from early 2014.
• Reddit dates from 2015.
• Twitch stretches back to January 2016.

What types of press outlets and social accounts do you monitor?

• We monitor a huge range of specialist gaming outlets both big and small. We also monitor tech sites, film sites and a wide cross section of mainstream and lifestyle outlets, specifically their gaming areas.
• We monitor a variety of social media account types including:
  • Key influencers
  • Professional media outlets & journalists
  • Publishers and developers
  • Brands and IPs
  • Platform holders
  • Celebrities

What is the threshold for adding new key influencers on YouTube?

We have different tiered levels of Key Influencers, so the criteria for adding them varies.

• For all Key Influencers we only consider videos first seen after 2016.
• To be added to our highest top tier of Key Influencer, 1 of their videos must satisfy at least 1 of the following criteria:
  • • At least 100,000 views.
    • At least 50,000 video views AND 100,000 account subscribers.
• Our lowest tier of Key Influencers must have posted at least 5 videos with a combination of 2000 views between them for any one game.
• We also follow and collect data from any Influencers requested by one of our clients, regardless of their stats. So if we don’t already have a Key Influencer on our system that is relevant to your business we can very easily add them, including all their history.

How many sources do you monitor?

Currently we monitor:

• 3,300 Websites
• 16,500 YouTube channels
• 10,000 Twitter accounts
• 6,500 Facebook pages
• 8,000 Twitch channels
• 3,300 Instagram accounts
• 1,000 Subreddits
• 1,000 Vk accounts

What if you are not monitoring a site/account/channel we need?

• While we attempt to monitor all key outlets, if there are further you require we can easily add them at request.

When you add a new outlet will you only have data from that point?

• With regards to websites, yes, that is the case.
• For social media we can gather data dating back to when the account was first created.

How up to date is the data? How often do you grab articles, videos, Tweets, posts, etc?

• Press is quickest, every 15 minutes.
• Facebook & Instagram are slowest, at least once a day.
• YouTube, Twitter, Twitch, Vk & Reddit anywhere between.

What process do you use for gathering the data?

• For social media accounts we pull in every video, Tweet and post from the date we add that account to our system. We also go back and retrieve historical activity.
• Press articles are gathered using a mixture of RSS feeds and their front page using our bespoke, internal system.

What is the process for sorting data?

• It’s a three level system implemented through our custom-developed internal engine.
• We use keywords as a means to automatically group activities relating to the same product together after they have entered our system.
• Our team of dedicated experts check the automated system to confirm everything is correct.
• Any activities that do not match a keyword are processed manually.

Do we need to set up keywords or inform you of games to start tracking?

• No, not at all. We automatically track all video games from their first mention whether it’s an official announcement or even just a rumour. You will not need to set anything up. You can simply search any game using Fusion whenever you want.

Does that mean I can look at competitive products as well as my own?

• Of course. We treat every product the same so you will see the same level of quality tracking across every game in our database.

How do you gather circulation figures for websites?

• We gather unique monthly visitor counts for websites from HypeStat. We are open to using other sources as well if preferred.

This short video gives more info. about our Communications Data Module.

Exactly what Sales Data do you offer?

• We track all types of sales-related data for all video game products across digital and physical stores, for the whole lifetime of the product from the moment pre-ordering goes live.
• For Video Games, we currently track:
  • Pre-order numbers.
  • Sell-in numbers.
  • Weekly sell-through and stock figures (inc. gsd & gfk).
  • Daily sell-through.
  • Online prices and stock statuses (inc. competitor products)
• For films we utilise the OCC weekly digital sales and their monthly VOD data, as well as online pricing.

How many retailers do you monitor?

 With regards Video Games, we monitor:

• >350 retailers for sell-through.
• >590 digital and physical online stores for Price Monitoring.

Please contact us for more details about retailers for film & TV products: +44 (0)1628 520 776 or info@fancensus.com

What territories do you cover / how many countries?

• We cover 44 countries worldwide for sell-through including Export and LATAM.
• We cover 59 countries worldwide for price monitoring including LATAM and Asia.
• We can add other territories at request.
• We currently only cover the UK for film products, but we can add more territories for pricing data at request. 

How far back does your data go?

• We’ve been processing individual retailer Sell Through and Pre Orders for video game clients since 2006.
• Such data is subject to individual licenses from 3rd party data owners.
• Our game price monitoring data goes back to 2017.
• We launched Film pricing data on 1st October 2020, so data for film products only goes back that far. 
• We have OCC film data back to the start of July 2019, however we may be able to import further historical data if required. 

What types of retail outlets do you monitor?

• We monitor large specialist retailer chains and small independents, as well as large general retailers and supermarkets.
• We monitor both digital and physical retailers.

What if you are not monitoring a retailer we need?

• For sell-through, we can monitor any new retailer that you have an agreement with.
• For price monitoring we can monitor any new online retailer at request.

When you add a new retailer will you only have data from that point?

• For sell-through we can import historical data if you or the retailer can supply it.
• For price monitoring we can import any historical data that you have tracked internally.

Processing and Use of Sales Data:

How up to date is the data? How often do you collect data?

• Stock and sales data varies depending on product and territory. For the most part it’s collected weekly, however global sales data for new game releases is imported daily, as well as comprehensive store-level daily data for certain US retailers.
• Pricing data is collected twice a week for all products with additional daily captures for digital titles.
• When and how often we collect data is negotiable and something that we can tailor to your needs.
• We capture pricing data more frequently on a temporary basis during high promotional times such as Black Friday.

What process do you use for gathering the data?

• We have a relationship with ChartTrack, gfk, OCC and directly with retailers.
• Pricing data is collected via our bespoke internal system.

What is the process for sorting data?

• Data is sorted automatically by our system, manual checks are then carried out by our analytics team.

How can the data be viewed?

• You can view all available data using, Fusion, our pioneering analytics platform.
• We can incorporate our data into your own internal systems via API or FTP transfers.

Can you incorporate our own data?

• Yes, absolutely. We will provide you with a direct email address to email your files to. Upon receipt, your data will be automatically imported into our system.
• We can also import your back-data/history.

Can I look at competitive products as well as my own?

• Competitor products can be tracked for online pricing.

What exactly is Discoverability Data?

• In order to protect the investment in a product, understanding your visibility online and how easily your product can be discovered is now more crucial than ever before.
• We track online retailers to allow your product discoverability to be monitored against competitive titles. (i.e where products are located within the store and how easy it is to find them.)
• Additionally our data can also provide you with a fast and reliable compliance check for agreed marketing activities and use of artwork within each retailer.

When you say digital store, do you mean a whole store in its entirety?

• This is dependent on the store and our client’s needs. Currently, in most cases we only capture specific areas within a store.
• We always capture the landing home page from every store, which includes the main flowcase or premium paid for spot wherever there is one. Plus the New Release section, as well as the Upcoming, Offers and Best Selling areas.
• We capture up to 5 pages per URL (per section)
• Exactly what is captured from a store is negotiable and something that we can tailor to each individual client.

What exactly is a flowcase?

• This is a prime promotional spot, most often located at the top of a page, usually consisting of much bigger images than the rest of the box shots. The flowcase may contain several images and will automatically scroll through them all, one at a time in a loop. Clicking an image in a flowcase will link either to just the product itself or to an area containing multiple products that are in some way related.

How many retailers do you monitor?

With regards Video Games, we monitor >650 digital and physical online stores Worldwide.

With regards Films, we monitor 12 stores in the UK only.

What territories do you cover / how many countries?

• We cover 59 countries worldwide for Video Game Discoverability, including LATAM and Asia.
• We can add other territories at request.
• We currently only cover the UK for film products, but we can add more territories at request.

What types of stores do you monitor?

• All types of stores including PSN, Xbox Live, Steam, Amazon and Gamestop,
• We also monitor subscription based stores such as Virgin, BT TV, Sky, Apple TV, and freely accessible stores such as GooglePlay and YouTube. For stores such as Amazon we can collect data from both Prime and non-prime versions of accounts.
• We monitor a variety of store formats including, set top boxes and consoles, through to web-based platforms and dongles.
• We also gather data from stores using a variety of consumer profiles, so you can see placements of products within taylored accounts such as those favouring FPS or Sports titles, for example.

For a full list of retailers please contact us on +44 (0)1628 520 776 or email info@fancensus.com.

What if you are not monitoring a store we need?

• If there are further stores you require, however, their inclusion could be dependent on the technical infrastructure of the store, and some stores may take longer to add than others.

When you add a new store will you only have data from that point?

• Yes, unfortunately there’s no way for us to access previous versions of the store to collect product location or image data from an earlier date.

 Processing and Use of Disoverability Data:

How up to date is the data? How often do you grab data?

• Data is collected from most stores twice a week, with set top boxes only once a week and taylored console accounts daily. However, we are open to capturing data more often if required. We can also capture more frequently on a temporary basis during high promotional times such as Black Friday.

What process do you use for gathering the data?

• We have developed our own bespoke engine that automatically captures the data at the same time each week. It utilises a blend of capturing HMTL and image recognition.

What is the process for sorting data?

• Our custom-developed internal engine recognises and automatically links captured images and data to the relevant product.
• Any brand new products not yet on our system are automatically set up and other data including studio or publisher, release date and any relevant metadata is automatically added to the product.
• Our team of dedicated experts also manually check the automated system to confirm everything is correct.

Do we need to inform you of products to start tracking?

• No, not for new products. All new products are tracked from at least 8 weeks prior to release.
• We’re currently tracking over 2000 digital game titles that have been released from 2018 onwards and more than 1200 physical game products released from October 2019 onwards, if there are any you require that we’re not alredy tracking we can easily add them for you upon request.
• We track around 1400 movies, but this number is constantly increasing as we add new releases once they’ve reached a sales threshold. If we are not currently tracking any products that you need we can easily add them for you.
• You would need to inform us if there is a specific TV show that you would like us to track, as at the moment these are very limited.

Does that mean I can look at competitive products as well as my own?

• Of course. We treat every product the same so you will see the same level of quality tracking across all products in our database

Discoverability data can be blended with pricing data from the same stores and analysed together for even more insight!

This short video helps to explain our Discoverability Data Module.

What exactly is Community Data?

• There are two types of community data, the first comes from private communities such as a publisher’s or developer’s own community forum(s), the second comes from public communities such as Steam and Reddit.

What data is collected from communities?

• • • For client forums we currently monitor:
      • Post/Thread count
      • Number of replies
      • Thread creator
      • Responder
      • Type of responder or poster such as moderator or community manager, etc.
      • Number of views
      • Thread tags
      • Thread title and content
      • Other data from specific forums can vary depending on the structure of the forum and needs of the client. We can tailor this to specific requirements.
     
    • For Steam we currently monitor player numbers and reviews, but have plans to expand on this. We can also add other elements of Steam data if required.
  • 
    
    • What we track for Reddit includes:
      • Number of active followers
      • Awards & Award Count
      • Number of Comments
      • Flairs
      • Post Count
      • Post Downvotes & Upvotes
      • User Comment Karma & Post Karma
      • And more

  What countries do you cover?

  • Reddit and Steam are Worldwide, for specific community forums we can cover any countries that the forum operates in.

  For more detailed information please contact us on +44 (0)1628 520 776 or email info@fancensus.com.

Is there a set price list?

• At Fancensus we understand every company’s requirements are very different and so we customise a price around your specific needs.

What can influence the price?

• That’s the beauty of using Fancensus, you are able to select the data and features you want included in your subscription.
• This can include the number of data sources, products or territories you want to see, the amount of users who have access to Fusion or whether you want to make use of historical data or other additional features.
• We also offer a consultancy service alongside the use of Fusion to help you get the most out of our data.

Can you analyse & interpret the data for us?

• Yes, absolutely! We offer a full consultancy service if required.
• We can also provide benchmarks and help set KPIs.

Can you create dashboards / reports for us?

• Of course! Our services include the set up of tailored reports to meet your requirements.
• If you’re not exactly sure what you need, we can help with that too!

What if we require something very specific that’s not covered by what you already offer?

• We pride ourselves on being able to develop whatever it is our clients need. We have an in-house development team to fulfil requests that come in from clients.
• We are always happy to implement new ideas whenever possible.