So I've been spending a couple days roaming around London and Paris, and I've noticed a few things.  Gaming ads, displays, and shops are a lot less prolific here in Europe than they are in the U.S.  Even walking around Piccadilly Circus, you don't see the same presence from video game companies as you do when walking around, say, Times Square, NY, or Las Vegas, NV.

Of course the U.S. is a larger and more diverse market, but it is interesting to see.  In the U.S., whenever we hear facts and figures about how consoles are selling overseas, the numbers are always fractions of what they are in the U.S.  And even if you ignore the size comparisons, you still get the impression that video gaming just isn't as prevalent in Europe as it is in the U.S.  From what I can tell from walking around, video games aren't really too popular at all.  Is it the expense of the systems?  Is it a market ignored?  Are there just too many other cool things to do in Europe?  I'm not sure really... But if I were to guess what is the hottest commodity simply by counting storefronts, then cell phones have got everything beat by a mile.

Chime in if you are from Europe.  Let us know your perspective as a gamer...  How popular is gaming for you guys?