RealNetworks, Cingular back casual games

With Web game operators Pogo.com and Skilljam.com already operating in the mobile sector, the market seems ripe for other casual games vendors to follow. In that vein, RealNetworks yesterday announced the US launch of RealArcade Mobile on the Cingular network.

The service was released in a similar form on Europe's O2 network ealier in the week. RealArcade brings several casual games to mobile, offering them in a subscription-based bundle.

RealArcade products are found under Cingular MEdia's game menu and are available via two pricing plans. For $5.99 (monthly, recurring), gamers gain access to all RealArcade games simultaneously. For a more modest $2.49 monthly, players can play one game at a time and can switch at any point. RealArcade also offers demos of all its games.

The RealArcade titles currently available are puzzle games (each of which originated as a Web-based game) that involve matching like units, either by color or by shape. These games recombine familiar concepts and should be immediately playable by anyone. Combo Chaos is a melange of Memory and Elimimatch, while Pile Up is a mixture of Puyo Puyo and Zuma. Gem Drop is a simple recasting of Columns. Finally, Shape Shifter asks placers to match shapes with their moving silhouettes.

RealArcade is currently available only on Cingular and O2, but future carrier deals may be pending.