It's a mark of the continued rise of Android as an iPhone competitor that social gaming publisher SGN has released the first cross-platform real-time 3D game for iPhone and Android.

First released for iPhone in December 2009, Skies of Glory is a WWII flight combat game. It's now released for Android phones running Android 2.0 OS.

Commercial break

As part of the gameplay, SGN is playing up the OS rivalry, saying that Android players will be able spot, engage and shoot down iOS players, and vice versa. You'll also be able to set up OS teams.

However, there are some differences between the two versions, which demonstrate how the App Store and Android Market continue to be different commercial entities.

Notably you can get an iPhone version of the game for free (there's also a $6.99 premium version), while the Android version of Skies of Glory (currently only available in the US it seems) costs $4.99.

All gamers, all connections

"Smartphones are becoming accessible to all, and we are really excited to offer a true multi-platform, multiplayer social mobile gaming experience through Skies of Glory," said SGN CEO Randy Breen.

"As more and more people connect with family and friends through gaming, we continue to facilitate that connection regardless of users' device or platform preferences."

Skies of Glory is the first game to use SGN and development partner Revo Studios' Open Platform Multiplayer Framework, which supports a variety of platforms and connections including EDGE, 3G and wi-fi.