So, what does Windows 7 mean for casual gaming?

“We will have a bunch of new casual games that will be built into Windows 7 Home Premium,” he stated. “You’ll not only be able to play Solitaire, but you’ll also be able to play the likes of Backgammon and Chess. And many of these games are fully internet enabled, with a quick matchmaking system so you can play with someone else in other parts of the world. And these are built-in games.

“And all these games are located in an area called the Game Explorer. And the Game Explorer is really neat, because whenever you install a game it goes into this area so you can find your games really easily. But it also allows publishers to highlight updates for their games, be it DLC or bug fixes.

“Previously you’d normally have to go to the publisher or developers website, and find the details and the right versions. It’s not easy, and you have to keep checking the updates. But in Game Explorer, publishers can put in a notification and a quick button that allows consumers to update their games instantly.”

And in these days of the Wii and iPod Touch, Munsell adds that the new touch control compatibility of Windows 7 will also open new casual gaming doors.

“Another area that is really cool involves multi-touch,” he added. “A lot of our partners will be coming out with multi-touch PCs at Window 7’s launch, and these PCs are capable of recognising one, two, three, four or even five touch points on your screen at any one time, depending on the technology they use.

“Windows 7 has touch built into its DNA. Everything is touch enabled, whether you want to browse your desktop or surf the web. But now what’s really exciting is games developers are taking advantage of this touch mechanics because it is built into Windows 7.”

Of course, arguably the biggest thing Microsoft could do to boost casual gaming would be to ensure its new OS is gentle on the CPU – few things benefit the casual gamer as much as a fast browser and smooth Flash operation.