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Europe's Gaming Tastes - Apparently

Galacticdramon | June 24, 2008 | News | PC Playstation 2 
Usually the forgotten continent for gamers, Europe's gaming scene has received some attention in the form of a claim by Forbes that Europe's gamers prefer sports games and - guess what - casual games.

While it comes as no surprise perhaps that football games are more popular in Europe than they are across the Atlantic, what may be slightly more unexpected is that apparently, European players prefer casual games they can pick up, play and put down as they wish on excursions and the like as opposed to "epic tales", which presumably includes RPGs. Whether or not that's because many of these epic RPG types aren't even released here isn't discussed.

The article also cites how Halo 3's sales in Europe were just over a fifth of the sales in the States, and compares the massive popularity of Brain Age over here to its lesser popularity over there. FIFA selling better here is, perhaps, hardly surprising given its nature.

So, apparently, that's Europe's gaming tastes. We as a continent like sports games and casual games more than shooters and epic games. Which could explain why sports and casual games tend to be the only ones immune from the famous release date gaps which plague European gamers so often.
The article goes on to argue that the continent favors older consoles and plays more casual games. "Guns and gore don't sell as well in Europe because Europeans like short, so-called casual games, rather than the long, epic tales that keep gamers pounding on their consoles for hours," notes Forbes. "People can play these short games on trains and subways on their way to work."
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  • 0 thumbs!
    Slumpy monkey | June 24, 2008
    This sounds like Bull crap to me. I hate casual games as they finish in like a day.

    Sports is more popular here so its obvious that its going to be more popular.
    • -1 thumbs!
      Seproth | June 25, 2008
      Oh, since you represent the whole of a continent eh?
  • 1 thumbs!
    BlackLabel | June 24, 2008
    I like sports games but i hate casual games. I am a hardcore gamer at heart, i will pick Half-Life 2 over any of the casual bullshit Nintendo tries to ram down the throats of middle aged mothers and their children.
  • 0 thumbs!
    KyLeDaWg | June 25, 2008
    I'm pretty sure someone posted this a couple days ago.
  • 0 thumbs!
    Tiger of Wu | June 25, 2008
    As I read the article in the source two words came to mind, those being stereotyping and dumbasses.
  • -3 thumbs!
    Murray3 | June 25, 2008
    Australia mentioned at all? Now there's a forgotten continent for you...
    • 0 thumbs!
      BlackLabel | June 25, 2008
      Become a European continent and maybe just maybe you will be included in a grouping/stereotype aimed at Europeans.
  • 0 thumbs!
    Chris717 | June 25, 2008
    At least you got Dualshock 3
  • -2 thumbs!
    killer bee | June 25, 2008
    Well from reading the article I got the idea they didn't have a clue.
    Firstly the current GEN of consoles, like the 360 and PS3 have been out much longer and for a lot cheaper in America, then in Europe
    They talk about halo 3, which isn't that good, so I could have told you it wouldn't have sold, since we like good games.
    Also it only gives sales figures fro a couple of FPS games. So basically to be a hardcore gamer you have to only play FPS titles.
  • 3 thumbs!
    BradSK | June 25, 2008
    "Forbes is an arsehole" says Europe - Apparantly.

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