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Tuesday, December 1 - 2009

$750m Middle East gaming industry prepares for launch of 'DiRT 2' video game this September

  • United Arab Emirates: Tuesday, June 23 - 2009 at 14:38
  • PRESS RELEASE

The phenomenal growth of the video gaming industry across the Middle East continues this September with the launch of Colin McRae: DIRT 2 from developer Codemasters.

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  • $750m Middle East gaming industry prepares for launch of 'DiRT 2' video game this September.
    $750m Middle East gaming industry prepares for launch of 'DiRT 2' video game this September.
According to the PlayStation Division of Sony Gulf FZE the total Middle Eastern video gaming industry was said to be worth $750m in 2008 - a reflection of the region's young gaming demographic.

The multi-platform rally racing game is significant as it will feature the image and voice of Middle Eastern rallying legend Mohammed Ben Sulayem - the first time an Arab racing celebrity has featured in a videogame.

Colin McRae: DIRT 2 also continues Nissan Motor Company's marketing tactic of placing its cars in video games around the world with its 350Z sportscar featuring prominently in Colin McRae: DIRT 2 gameplay.

"We are delighted Codemasters chose to use the famous Nissan Z sportscar in the latest version of its renowned rallying game,"
said Monal Zeidan, General Manager, Marketing and Corporate Communications Nissan Middle East.

The 'Z' as it's affectionately known to thousands of car enthusiasts around the world - was officially introduced into Nissan's Middle East product range in 2003. Through four previous generations Nissan's affordable sportscar has achieved iconic status with performance car fans achieving over 1.5 million global sales since the first Datsun 240Z model was introduced in selected global markets in 1969.

Colin McRae: DiRT 2 will feature a roster of contemporary off-road racing events, taking players to the most diverse and challenging real-world environments. This World Tour will have players competing in aggressive multi-car and intense solo races at extraordinary new locations, from canyon racing and jungle trails to city stadium-based events.

"As motorsports is my ultimate passion, I am honored to be featured in Colin McRae: DIRT 2, one of the most anticipated racing games of the year. Working closely with Codemasters' team to develop a digital version of myself was a surreal experience. I look forward to the worldwide success of the game and I am confident that motorsports fans will have a great gaming experience,"
said Mohammed Ben Sulayem, 14-time FIA Middle East Rally Champion.

"Codemasters is delighted to have entered into this partnership with Mohammed, Nissan and PlayStation for the launch of Colin McRae: Dirt 2 in the Middle East. Codemasters has a reputation of producing the world's leading racing games and Colin McRae: Dirt 2 is the epitome of our development technology," commented Hal Bame, Director Distributor Territories Codemasters. "We believe the entire GCC region is at a tipping point in the video game industry and plan on investing heavily in product, on-line and overall marketing activity, in order to maximise what we feel is a market tailor-made for Codemasters' portfolio of products, including our official Formula 1 game lineup in 2009 and 2010."


A Colin McRae: Dirt 2 regional virtual racing competition on PlayStation3 will kick off across the region in September 2009. The winner will drive off with a brand new Nissan Z sports car, a version of which is featured in the game.

"Pluto is proud to be the official distributor of the widely popular DiRT racing series of games in the Middle East. As the regional gaming market continues to grow, Pluto together with Codemasters aim to bring the latest and most popular games to customers here which in turn, reflects our commitment to the Middle East. We are sure that Colin McRae: DiRT 2 will be a huge success in the region where gaming enthusiasts and racing fans can choose to play with or compete against UAE champion rally driver Ben Sulayem,"
said Rami El Hussein, Managing Director Pluto.

Colin McRae: Dirt 2 is scheduled to be released in September 2009 for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the Playstation3 computer entertainment system and Games For Windows LIVE, Wii, Nintendo DS and PSP (PlayStationPortable) system. The game will distributed regionally by Pluto Games.
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About Colin McRae: DiRT 2
The stunning sequel to the critically acclaimed smash hit of 2007, Colin McRae: DiRT 2 is set to revolutionise off-road racing. Big event atmosphere, incredible locations and a stellar line-up of the most powerful, officially licensed off-road racers are brought together in an all new World Tour.

Colin McRae: DiRT 2 sets its spectacular events in lush jungles, huge stadiums and around stunning locations in London and LA, each lined with hundreds of thousands of cheering spectators. A line-up of best of breed vehicles from race one lets players focus on fast-paced, redline racing. Each can be customised and upgraded to enter different classes and grow with the player's skill and reputation.

With a host of traditional and new events, including Rally, Rallycross and Raid, Colin McRae: DiRT 2 will deliver an unprecedented experience on a tour that goes places racing fans have never been before. Built on the latest iteration of the award winning EGO Engine at Codemasters Studios, Colin McRae: DiRT 2 delivers jawdropping levels of damage. Complete with comprehensive multiplayer options, including full 8 player head-to-head racing, Colin McRae: DiRT 2 is rally, redefined

About Codemasters:
Codemasters is a leading developer and publisher of best-selling interactive entertainment products for a global audience across multiple gaming platforms and channels. Established in 1986, the company's dominant brands include Colin McRae DiRT, Race Driver GRID, Overlord and Operation Flashpoint; the company recently secured the exclusive worldwide video game rights to FORMULA 1. Codemasters is headquartered in Warwickshire UK, with North American operations based in Universal City, Calif. The company also maintains operations in Japan, Germany, France, Spain, Benelux and Malaysia.

About Nissan Middle East:
Nissan is a leading automotive brand in the Middle East. It boasts one of the most popular and successful vehicle line-ups in the region. Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. became the first Japanese car manufacturer to establish a regional HQ in June 1994. Nissan operations cover over 20 countries across the region making it one of the largest representations in the Middle East amongst Japanese automotive brands.

Nissan reported its best ever Middle East regional sales results for the financial year 2008 with the company and its distributors achieving over 200,000 sales.

About Pluto:
A member of Pragma Holding, Pluto is currently one of the leading retail distributors in the Middle East with four fully owned offices in Saudi (Riyadh & Jeddah), UAE, and Egypt as well as sales force in Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon and Jordan.

Pluto's distribution business was launched in 2002 and has since offered its partners and retailers quality products and value added services such as product knowledge seminars and trainings, merchandising, joint marketing initiatives, stock management, unified pricing, transparency by linking suppliers with local retailers, product localization and a hassle free environment for all retailers.

Pluto represents a large portfolio of world-class brands including Microsoft, Saitek, UBISOFT, THQ, Konami, Atari and many others. The company has been proactively managing a broad range of entertainment software, accessories and consoles, offering retailers more than 600 SKUs a year.

About PlayStation Division, Sony Gulf FZE:
PlayStation Division, Sony Gulf FZE based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is responsible for the distribution, marketing and sales of Playstation3, PlayStation2, PSP (PlayStationPortable) , and Playstation Network software and hardware across the GCC, Levant and North African markets.

Since the launch of Playstation 3 in November 2006, over 16.8 million units have been sold globally and continue to be sold at a record level. Maintaining its position as one of the most successful consumer electronic products in history, PlayStation 2 has sold over 137.7 million systems worldwide.

Since its launch at the end of 2004, over 44.5 million PSPs have been sold globally, highlighting the importance of the portable entertainment market. With the huge increase in interest and accessibility of network applications and network gaming, over 15 million accounts have registered to PlayStation Network, the free-to-access interactive environment, and over 236 million items have been downloaded.



For more information, please contact:
Hakam Kherallah
Senior Manager
Corporate Communications Department
Nissan Middle East FZE
Tel: +971 4 881 7500
Fax: +971 4 881 9747
or
Vivian Hawat
TBWA\RAAD Middle East
Tel: + 971 4 425 8800 ext. 8976

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