in mexico the most popular console is the XBox360 and is the cheaper console

arcade model = 206 dollars
premium model = 310 dollars
Elite model = 380 dollars

the wii cost = 310 dollars

and the ps3 cost = 485 dollars

who knows? Piracy is a big issue in Latin America.

Off course I was joking. but the issue is money not the size of the population. Is a shame I know, but its real.

Why are you calling your own country unworthy?

no, when gears of war cost 3 dollars .

Only when consoles and games cost the same as everywhere else. Then Piracy will drop and consoles will fly off the store shelves.

South America has a good potential to become next big region for videogame market (not to mention the size for Brazil alone). But not before majority of its region become more developed and less piracy. As we know that videogame market is mostly for the developed society, it's usage and price is not for any low wage people to buy.

This is the same situation with Asia where majority of the country here is less developed than the leader like Japan. Anyway, asia has the new developed nation like Singapore, Taiwan (not a country as of China), Hong Kong (just a small region though) and lastly south korea. These nations will push the market a lot and we can already see the potential this gen when we already got the bundle, special edition and the specific version of the game from both Xbox360 and PS3, and even the mentioning in the official sheet of sale report for the region from the game company. And in the next 10 years  , with the grow of these new market and the new comer like China and the rest of South east asia.  I would say the next big region for videogame market will be asia first.

But it will eventually combine with japan to be whole asian region like what UK is in eu region now (because with growth of EU and US, japan will be too small to become big region in the next decade unless it combine with teh rest of asia like i mention). So saying Latin America is the forth big region is kind of accurate actually.

Anyway i'm not sure how fast the market grow middle east now?

Does anyone know why video games are so insanely expensive in latin america. We live in Norway, but my wife is from Brazil, and we just got back from holiday in São Paulo. New Wii games were about 250-280 Reais, which is 130 US dollars or so. I mean how is it even possible? I thought it was bad here in Norway, but even we get away with 80-90 dollars (at the current exchange rate).

The hardware prices are even worse, at the DUTY FREE in the airport, the Wii was soldt for $499 USD!!! AT THE DUTY FREE!

How can the industry ever expect to deal with piracy in latin america when one video game costs half of the minimum wage pr month?

@ksv - One word - TAXES. The government taxes the hell out of anything imported. If you order something online, you are exempt from taxes if it costs up to 50 dollars.

If it's more, you have to pay 60% of the value of the item as a tax. It's simply outrageous.

So, when consoles and games come here for the store to able to have profit, she has to put an outrageous price.

So, until that changes, piracy will be king here in Brazil.

And my fear is that my country is developing a culture of piracy. I think it will reach a point that even if the prices would go down, people will just continue to do piracy because its cheaper and they are so used to it.

PS - As for the duty free, its not just videogames. Everything in the duty free is too expensive. I think its because my country's policy says that if you return from abroad with 500 dollars worth of items you don't pay taxes on it, but the duty free gets another separate 500 that you can spend on, so they really try to suck people dry.

Not 4th but 5th. Fourth place belongs to China (for now), once China opens up it'll shoot to number 1. Pure math 1.3 billion > 300 million. And no, it wont take Africa a hundred years, more like 20. Most countries already have EDGE, Kenya has mobile television, SA has 3G, Wi-Fi, ADSL, Zambia, Tanzania and lots of others are getting optical cables too...Africas more advanced than most of you think, sure its not all flying cars and teleporting, but its not all huts and chickens either :p Google Earth any major African city and see for yourself. Back on topic, Latin America will get more relevant in the gaming world though, theres no denying that.