At least 73 per cent of actual global revenue from video gaming is lost every year due to piracy, said a report.

Dubai-based Arabian Anti-Piracy Alliance has highlighted the recent report published by top market research firm AM Mindpower Solutions to urge Internet gamers in the region to fully understand the adverse consequences of illegally downloading video games.

“The gaming industry is really big, both globally and in the Middle East, which is fuelled by a young, tech savvy demographic,” said Scott Butler, CEO, Arabian Anti-Piracy Alliance.

“However, piracy severely threatens the growth of this industry. In a bid to save some money, gaming enthusiasts often illegally download pirated versions of popular video games, without realizing the damage it is causing, both to their PCs and gaming consoles, but at a broader level, to the gaming industry and the economy as well.”

“Arabian Anti-Piracy Alliance is closely cooperating with governments across the region which is taking definite steps to tackle all forms of piracy, including illegal downloading of video games,” Butler said.

“In the UAE in particular, law enforcement actions are being conducted against subjects across the country deploying pirated PS3 software, in addition to raids on shops and outlets that possess PS3 Modships,” he added.

Arabian Anti-Piracy Alliance revealed that in 2010 a total of 165 gaming-related raids were conducted across the region, resulting in 135,531 seizures.

According to a recent report by PricewaterhouseCoopers, the global gaming market is expected to grow from $52.5 billion in 2009 to $86.8 billion in 2014.

The Middle East's video games industry is also expected to witness similar growth buoyed by factors such as the rising penetration of broadband combined with consoles with online capabilities, wireless phones capable of downloading games, and technologically advanced consoles. – TradeArabia News Service