AUSTRALIA: Market soars 43.6 per cent

The Australian games market has mirrored the strong growth seen in other global territories, with 2007 boasting sales of AUD 1.3 billion – a 43.6 per cent increase compared to 2006, according to

IGN

.

15.4 million games were sold throughout the year, with a third of these being sold in the final three months of the year.

"Last year, Australians welcomed the arrival of the PS3 and marked a full year since the release of the Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii,” IEAA CEO Ron Curry stated.

The launch of highly anticipated next generation gaming drove console sales to almost AUD 500 million, nearly double the AUD 270 million sold in 2006.

"Sales figures also indicate a resurging popularity in handheld consoles with 2.3 million units of software for the Nintendo DS system purchased last year compared to the 840,000 purchased in 2006."