Gaming is distinctly divided in 3 regions.

North America
Europe
Japan

But there are markets are being largely ignored.

These Markets being:

Latin America

China

Korea

Pakistan

So lets get started




Latin America

In the US where everybody thinks the center of gamdom is Fighting games are pretty much
yeah we like SOME but WTF is SNK. Only the most hardcore like us really pay any attention to what SNK does anymore. But in Mexico and parts of Latin America KOF and SNK games are HUGE. Due in part to the fact that Neo Geo Games were translated into their language.
A look over at SNK-Capcom.com a few weeks back I saw that KOF XII and Samurai Shodown Edge of Destiny are actually BETA TESTING in Mexico. KOF IS HUGE there Absolutely huge like Mario level.

Nintendo isn't ignoring the hispanic market either, Including Spanish on their game packages and Manuals.

The 2007 Pac Man World Champion? He was from Mexico as well.

Brazil is another gaming hotbed. Long after it sold nothing in the US the Sega Master System thrived not only in Europe but Also Brazil. Where Master System games were made
up until the mid 90s. Even now Varients on the Master system are being released in Brazil.
Current games also do quite well there as well.

In Countries not run by dictatorships the economy in Latin America is pretty good and there's a whole mess of gamers who are just begging to be marketed to.

Then again even a super corrupt nation like Mexico is sustaining a very high gaming market.




China

China is growing into a global gaming power. There has been since the Famicom days even a huge gaming market in China and the PC market is even huger. But one thinks china
you think 1 thing.......Piracy. arrr Matey Tis true china has a lot of Pirated gaming booty all kinds that ye seek ye shall find. But the 2nd Issue of PIQ had a very interesting write up on China's gaming scene. China is not retro based anymore unless you travel to Hong Kong.
Indeed Chinese language Versions of Halo (which will work in our 360s) and other high Profile games are available in China. Ubi Soft and others have studios in China as well.
With it's improving economy and over 1 billion people WELL OVER 1 billion people. China is a cash cow the game industry needs to keep a good eye on. MMOs are HUGE there PC gaming has always been well supported even by Legit Chinese software houses. China isn't just growing to be a Global Super power but a gaming super power as well.

The Super A can could've been an amazing system too........




South Korea

Korean games don't get much love. I've played a ton and the level of polish and love put
into Korean games including the Recent Kingdom under fire circle of Doom just have a nice
level of Polish alot of Japanese games are lacking these days. This is a fresh area not just for gamers but developers lots of hungry programmers just waiting to out do Japan are all over Korea. As far as consoles go this could be a huge market for Microsoft where Korean gamers typically don't buy Japanese Hardware due to centuries old animosities between Korea and Japan. the 360 could be HUGE in Korea if given the chance.

Korean edition games do exist for the PS2 and everybody knows Korea as the country where the national Sport is Starcraft. But along with korean language version of Guilty Gear XX #reload (and it's infamous korea only soundtrack) and Tekken. Korea is also a budding RPG Market many great RPGs are being made in Korea that out JRPG many modern JRPGs

Gaming is already huge in Korea I mean.....it's like the national sport. It's a shame it's being largely ignored in Favor of it's weird island neighbor. If Microsoft want to get a foothold in Asia don't look to Japan....Look to South Korea.


Pakistan

Pakistan and in fact many Middle eastern countries are bustling havens for the retro gamer.
Arcades are still alive there. Many budding programers are wanting to create games for the rest of the world. Tournaments for KOF and DDR are common through out the Country where we now believe Bin Laden is hiding.

So why Pakistan and not other middle eastern countries?

It simply has the largest gaming community tons of Hardcore gamers and Arcades still do well.

If you love retro........Pakistan


So there you have it. gaming companies need to realize there's more to the world than the US, Europe and Japan

However I don't see the industry growing to be more global until publishers start showing Europe More respect.