RIM may be gearing up to officially announce BlackBerry Messenger 6, the latest version of the BlackBerry peer-to-peer messaging service--BBM to fans.

Real-time gaming among BlackBerry owners is one possible new feature suggested by a source known to the BlackBerry site PocketBerry.

The rumor specifically addressed playing under the BBM log-in name, chatting with other gamers who aren't on your friend list, and integrating gaming results into your status update. BlackBerry Messenger 6 may be supported on all OS 5 devices and up, according to the rumor.

So how far off is the rumor Hopefully it's right on the mark. Gaming with BBM is something we predicted before the BlackBerry Developer Conference in San Francisco this past September. Indeed, at that conference, RIM laid out plans to give BlackBerry Messenger a new social life by extending the Messenger platform so other apps could tap into BBM's ability to push content between contacts.

We'll keep you updated, of course, on any and all newsworthy developments.