Mobile Study Highlights U.S./European Differences

A new study commissioned by mobile phone publisher and developer I-play and carried out by independent research agency Skopos has highlighted the differences in behavior between mobile game customers in the U.S. and Europe. The result of a 2,500-person survey conducted in the U.S., UK, Italy, Spain and Germany showed that Americans fulfil the popular stereotype of being more competitive than other nations, with more than 45 percent of those surveyed claiming that they were “playing to win”, compared to just 17 percent of Europeans. 31 percent of American users also enjoy showing off their games to friends, compared to just 13 percent in Europe. U.S. mobile gamers were also found to play for longer, with 33 percent playing a single game for over 20 minutes, compared to 21 percent of European users. U.S. users were also found to play more often, with 8 percent claiming to play ten or more times a week, compared to 3 percent of Europeans. European mobile gamers tended to play more games that are both embedded and downloaded on their mobiles, although 29 percent of American users download two or more games a week, compared to 24 percent of Europeans. In the U.S. casual games are the most popular style of game, while Europeans favor “action” games. When it comes to finding out about games, 25 percent of Americans and 17 percent of Europeans cite a friend’s recommendation as being important, while 26 percent of American and 13 percent of Europeans said they would be likely to download more games if someone showed them what to do. Interestingly, 30 percent of Americans questioned said they discovered games via their carrier portals, compared to just 18 percent in Europe. Although the differences between U.S. and European preferences are intriguing, perhaps the most telling part of the survey is that 58 percent of U.S. users and 46 percent of Europeans said that easier gameplay in games would convince them to download new titles, emphasizing the casual nature of mobile game players.