ESPN enters casual market

ESPN.com has entered the growing market for casual games by offering over 40 titles for free, covering racing, sports, card and puzzle genres.

All titles will be free online and supported by advertising, with the ESPN branding taking over developer Skyworks' popular Rcade.com site.

"Gaming is an important and fast-growing part of a fan's connection to sports," commented Raphael Poplock, VP of gaming at ESPN.

"The ESPN Arcade is the latest addition to ESPN's array of gaming initiatives — casual online games now join fantasy games, innovative content integration within console games, and news, information and reviews — all to provide sports fans with interactive connections to sports."

The ESPN Arcade will have built-in competitive and online community features including leaderboards and high scores, trophy systems and in-game chat.

"The collaboration with ESPN represents a unique and valuable offering for both advertisers and users, bringing Skyworks' industry-leading, casual games to ESPN's massive audience of sports fans," added Garry Kitchen, president of Skyworks.