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US?based DFC Intelligence forecasts worldwide spending on games software and hardware to hit $US 57bn in 2009, and some 11 countries, including Australia will see national sales go over the $1US bn mark.

The best selling console is the Nintendo Wii, which is dominating the market at the moment, says the analyst firm.

According to DFC, "On the surface it seems like the PSP has been a huge success.  By the end of fiscal 2006, Sony announced they had shipped over 17 million PSP systems worldwide.  This was comparable to the Nintendo DS shipments at almost twice the price."

And the analysts predict that the PlayStation 3 will catch up, and that software sales for Sony's console will match the Wii's by 2012.

However, in a harbinger for Sony, DFC also notes that, "While it has always been clear that Sony's dominant market share was destined to decline, there now appears to be the distinct possibility the PlayStation 3 could end up third in market share behind both the Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii".

The most used platform for computer gaming, says the report remains the PC and games for the PC were worth $US 7bn in 2007 and are expected to reach some $US19bn by 2013.