Microsoft has expanded its casual games portfolio with a new website that brings together the combined games offering of Xbox Live, MSN Games and Windows Live Messenger.

There is also specific information for developers on each of these casual games ‘platforms’, as well as a list of upcoming casual games conferences and trade shows.

The site boasts that: “Microsoft Casual Games develops, publishes, and distributes web-based and downloadable games in every major casual game genre (puzzle, word, card and arcade). On a monthly basis, Microsoft Casual Games reaches more than 120 million global players; that’s more than a third of the US population.”

It also includes an advert and link for Carbonated Games, the first-party Microsoft developer of casual Xbox Live titles such as Hexic and Uno.

Microsoft provides a ‘Casual Games Factsheet’ through the site, which reads:

“The casual games space is growing at an unprecedented rate, and Microsoft has emerged as an undisputed leader in multiple-platform casual offerings, with more than ten years of experience in the space.

“According to DFC Intelligence, revenue from casual games is expected to grow from USD713 million in 2005 to USD1.56 billion in 2008, fuelled by the global appeal of games such as Bejeweled, Hexic, Diner Dash and Bespelled.”