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PlayStation breaks 3m mark in Middle East

Combined sales of the PSone and PS2 have broken the 3 million unit mark in the Middle East, making the region into the fastest growing games market in the world - with sales expected to double for PS2 next year.

Combined sales of the PSone and PS2 have broken the 3 million unit mark in the Middle East, making the region into the fastest growing games market in the world - with sales expected to double for PS2 next year.

The PS2 installed base in the region is about 300,000 units, and is expected to climb past the 600,000 mark within the year - aided by the introduction of new software and growing penetration levels of internet access.

The Middle East is traditionally not a major marketplace for games consoles, and it's unlikely to become an important market in the near future - although as most manufacturers group it with Europe in their projections, Sony's success in the area lends further weight to Europe's claim to be the world's largest games market.

"We are confident of maintaining high growth levels in the next few years," commented Sony Gulf FZE managing director Yasuhide Yokota, attributing this success to "the continuing growth surge in the regional computer gaming market, which has been fueled by rising Internet penetration levels, and the introduction of superior gaming concepts like EyeToy."

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Rob Fahey avatar
Rob Fahey is a former editor of GamesIndustry.biz who has spent several years living in Japan and probably still has a mint condition Dreamcast Samba de Amigo set.