Microsoft announced yesterday that they have refreshed their MSN Gaming site and improved it to connect players across social media for a unique casual gaming experience:
“We’ve made it easier to find and play the games you love while connecting to the people who matter most,” said Kevin Unangst, senior global director of PC and mobile gaming at Microsoft. “MSN Games, Windows Live Messenger and Bing reach millions of consumers every month, and we’re connecting all those players — and their social circles — for the first time with a great games experience at the center.”
Launching this afternoon, the latest addition to the Microsoft casual games portfolio is a preview of the new MSN Games (http://games.msn.com), which brings a fresh approach to the highly popular casual games destination. The new MSN Games lets players enjoy the best online games, challenge Facebook and Windows Live friends to beat their high scores, and keep track of their favorite celebrities — all in one place. Featuring a carefully curated selection of the best online games, real-time entertainment news from MSN Entertainment and an innovative design that even changes throughout the day, the new MSN Games joins a revitalized Windows Live Messenger and Bing Games to make the best casual games more social, more personal and more fun.
According to the press release you can connect to this unified gaming experience through MSN Games, Bing Games and Windows Live Messenger.
MSN Games Preview Page
The features of this overhauled gaming experience include:
More Social
•Easily connect with friends when you log in with your Facebook and/or Windows Live ID.
•Stay connected with instant updates on your friends’ statuses, games feeds and leaderboards.
•Stay competitive and challenge your friends to beat your high score, whether you play a game on the MSN Games preview, Windows Live Messenger or Bing.
•Share the fun quickly and easily with wall posts and status updates.More Personal
•Watch the new MSN Games preview home page change depending on what time of day it is at your location.
•Track all your favorite games, game history and scores.
•Make a game on Bing a Favorite, and play it on the new MSN Games, Windows Live Messenger or vice versa.More Fun
•From the latest indie titles to some of the biggest names in casual games, exclusive content and new releases regularly, play the latest and greatest games from wherever you are online.
•Stay informed by scrolling through entertainment and celebrity news from MSN Entertainment on the MSN Games preview home page.
•Compete for cash prizes in weekly giveaways at the Prize Corner on the new MSN Games preview.
I know many people enjoy the social gaming thing and I guess it is not a lot different then connecting to other games via Xbox Live or a PC based gaming network so I suspect this will be quite popular. Last month I wrote about the popularity of gaming on the social media site Facebook and so it is understandable that Microsoft has chosen to enter into this world of social gaming as well.
However, just in case your wondering, no sign of Farmville in this collection!