Keen to show there's more to the battle in mobile market than mere sales figures, mobile app discovery specialist Mplayit has published statistics that place iPhone comfortably ahead of its rivals when it comes to gaming.

According to the firm's figures – based on traffic generated from its Facebook app store - games make up just 20 percent of the 130,000 plus iPhone apps on the Mplayit network, yet account for almost 50 percent of the format's traffic.

In comparison, 30 percent of Mplayit's BlackBerry users browse games, Android is even further behind on a lowly 20 percent.

What's the frequency?

Drawn from data collected over a two week period at the end of January 2010, Mplayit's findings also highlight the various types of games users of the three major smartphone markets like to sample.

The most active categories - Arcade, Casual, Card/Casino, and Puzzle – dominate across the board.

However, a closer look reveals there are some subtle differences between the platforms, music games soaring on iPhone – due to what Mplayit describes as its "media-centric iPod heritage", Android users preferring what the firm labels "geeky games", while the BlackBerry's audience opts for television and movie tie-ins.

You can see the complete breakdown of categories and games per OS type here.

Developers the key

But rather than heaping praise on Apple for its success, it's Mplayit's belief that the studios behind the apps should be congratulated, and they will have a significant bearing on any fightback by iPhone's rivals.

"iPhone developers are driving this phenomenon, putting out simply fantastic games that get people excited," Michael Powers, founder and CEO of Mplayit, commented.

"But the developer catch up is underway on Android. Intense competition on the iPhone makes it increasingly hard for stuff to surface. Android is an uncrowded, even playing field that we expect will grow and grow quickly. And although Blackberry is renowned for apps, it continues to be underrated and overlooked as a games platform."

Indeed, Myplayit surmises that BlackBerry's gaming line-up is dominated by already established franchises and publishers, the firm advising that start-ups are more likely to enjoy success on iPhone and, to a greater extent, Android.