PlayStation 2 recently achieved sales of over 400,00 units in New Zealand, selling 21,800 units during November and December - 70% of total console sales.

This marks the seventh consecutive year Playstation 2 has been the number one games console in the market. In addition to record console sales, the new range of 'social gaming' titles have also proven very successful, with

SingStar Legends, Buzz!T Sports, and Buzz!T Junior Jungle selling in the tens of thousands of units.

"It is no surprise to us that PlayStation 2 was the number one selling gaming platform for Christmas. As the PlayStation 2 offering goes from strength to strength, more consumers are buying into the value proposition of the hardware and the unrivalled range of software on offer. Consumers obviously saw exceptional value in PlayStation 2," says Warwick Light, SCENZ's general manager of sales and marketing.

"With new platforms on the market, we stand by our belief that the gaming category is a long-haul race. The continued support and innovation of the PlayStation 2 platform shows that a console can enjoy a long lifespan and continue to grow its appeal to new audiences. Don't think that with the launch of our next generation console we will be forgetting about PlayStation 2 - far from it.

"

Christmas sales figures for 30 October to Dec 31 2006:

PS2 21,813 units = 70.9% of console market
PSP 9,560 units = 73% of handheld market[/list]Source: GFK sales tracking