I-Play, developer of mobile games in Europe and the US, has just completed a five country survey of mobile gaming habits. The study compares the views of American and European mobile gamers and finds several interesting differences: Americans are driven by a need to \"win\" the game, yet US mobile gamers prefer \"casual\" games while their Euro counterparts prefer \"action\" titles.

In some ways, Americans remained true to the stereotype of a competitive, belligerent citizenry: To questions about \"Why you play games,\" 45% of Americans said they play to win. Only 17% of Europeans said that winning was primary. Americans also play longer with 33% of Americans playing a single game for over 20 minutes, while only 21% of Euro gamers played for so long. And, predictably Americans do it more often: 8% of US mobile gamers play for more than 10 times per week, while only 3% of Euro gamers play so often.

While Americans do it more often, longer, and always with their eyes on the prize, Euro gamers are more open to experimentation. 30% of American mobile gamers find games through their wireless carrier\'s portal, while only 18% of Europeans are so limited in their selection. The study sites the recent boom in all-inclusive packages that include free game downloads as a major factor in mobile gaming\'s rise in popularity in the US.

In the end, the portrait drawn is this: American mobile gamers are a casual audience. 22% of American mobile gamers prefer \"casual\" games and 58% say that simplicity is the most important aspect of the game. American gamers are also much more likely to play the games their friends are playing: 31% of American gamers show their mobile games to their friends, while only 13% of Europeans do so. And a full quarter of American gamers said that they would download more mobile games if they could figure out how to do it, implying that the technical issues and limited selection offered by wireless carriers is still stifling the mobile gaming industry in the US.

Read the complete I-Play study here. And check out screens from their recently released 2 Fast 2 Furious game below.