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."

Galacticdramon via uk.gamespot.com »