Back at E3 2009 Microsoft announced that Facebook and Twitter would be integrated into the Xbox 360 dashboard. Speaking with Eurogamer Microsoft’s James Halton revealed that both services are due sometime this autumn, but didn’t give an exact release date. However, apparently they will arrive “before Christmas”.

Now, you may wonder why they’re not part of the dashboard update coming later next month (currently being trialled by a selection of Xbox Live users). The reason is that both will be separate applications so will launch separately, much like when a game is released on Xbox Live Arcade. In that way they want be that intrusive if you don’t want to use the services.

Personally I’m tired of people saying “What’s the point? We can do this on our PC”. You can also play games on your PC, but that doesn’t mean you always want to. It’s just another way of updating your Facebook/Twitter when you’re not at your PC and I’m all for that. I’m not sure my friends on both sites will want to know what game I’m currently playing, but it’s still a cool feature nonetheless. Although, do separate applications mean we won’t be able to update our Facebook/Twitter from inside the game? Even if it’s updated automatically? It doesn’t sound nearly half as good if that’s the case.

There’s no word on the Last.fm or Sky integration yet, but hopefully they won’t take too long to arrive.

In other news the DSi now has Facebook intergration (also announced at E3), but it’s Japan only for the moment.

It’s not a bad week for games, which is fortunate as we’re coming up to the Summer - a notoriously dry season for games. Personally I’m tempted by Klonoa, but take a look at the list yourself to see what takes your fancy (if anything).

Damnation (PS3, PC, X360) 22/5

Originally an Unreal Tournament 2004 mod (which I played, and thought it was quite good) Damnation has now evolved into a full retail release. The game is set in an alternate 20th century where the American Civil War is still raging and everything is rendered in steampunk; and you’ll make use of acrobatic talents and a unique ‘spirit vision’ to get through the game. Unfortunately if Eurogamer’s review is anything to go by an interesting premise doesn’t always make a good game.

Punch-Out!! (Wii) 22/5

Readers who owned a NES may remember the original Punch-Out!!, a colourful cartoony boxing game that, at least according to Wikipedia, has ‘consistently been ranked amongst the best games released for the NES platform’. If you’re feeling nostalgic then Nintendo has you covered as 11 boxers from the NES release make their return. Let’s just hope that you don’t let Glass Joe take you down.

Bionic Commando (PS3, X360) 22/5

Yet another re-visit to a franchise that was around on the NES (although it originally came out in arcades) Bionic Commando is a direct sequel to the second game (the first NES release). You swing around the environment, while using your bionic arm to carry out attacks - such as launching boulders and cars at enemies. Check out the demo on Xbox Live if you want to see it for yourself.

Klonoa (Wii) 22/5

It’s all about the old games this week, isn’t it? Klonoa was one of my favourite platformer games for the PSOne, and it’s a shame that it wasn’t that popular when it first came out. Thankfully this Wii update will hopefully make people aware of how great a game this is, and with updated visuals they’re in for a treat!

Other releases:

• UFC 2009 Undisputed (PS3, X360) 22/5
• Pokémon Platinum (DS) 22/5
• EA Sports Active (Wii) 22/5
• Demigod (PC) 22/5
• Aqua Panic (Wii) 22/5
• Big Family Games (Wii) 21/5
• Dawn of Discovery (DS, Wii) 22/5
• Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (Wii) 22/5
• Rock Revolution (X360) 22/5
• Neopets Puzzle Adventure (DS) 22/5
• Mind Body & Soul: Nutrition Matters (DS) 22/5
• Diva Girls: Making the Music (DS) 22/5
• Octomania (Wii) 22/5
• Restaurant Empire 2 (PC) 22/5

A new system update arrived for the Wii today - hitting at the same time as Nintendo’s President Satoru Iwata’s keynote speech at GDC (Game Developer’s Conference)  - that adds a new SD card menu option to the Wii menu.

The new update allows Wii owners to launch extra channels straight from an SD card, and can also download directly from the Wii shop channel to an SD card. This means you can launch games directly from the SD card, effectively creating a cheap storage system for the Wii.  However, save game data must still be stored on the Wii itself.

After clicking the new “SD” icon in the bottom left of the Wii menu a group of 20 screens of 12 channels a piece will launch. This means that you can store up to 240 games with the right size of card, of which up to 32GB are available for use.

This should finally put to rest complaints that the Wii doesn’t have enough storage for downloading games, as there’s no limit to how many SD cards you can buy and fill.

Update 4.0 also came with four new games for the Wii’s Virtual Console, priced at around £3.50 a piece. These games are the side-scroller Mappy, Gaplus (Galaga 3), the vertical shoot-’em-up Starforce, and a maze game adapted modified from Super Pac-Man hardware called The Tower of Druaga.

GoNintendo brings news that Nintendo are preparing to release an updated version of the Wii Opera web browser. It will reportedly hit this December, with a bunch of new features and tweaks.

Version 2.0 will add new buttons, compatibility with the upcoming Wii Speak (which comes with the new Animal Crossing), the ability to check your Wii mail and (as pictured in the top right) a tab cube with support of up to 6 tabs.

The updated browser will cost 500 Wii points, but those that already own the browser will get the upgrade for me.

So, valued readers, do you any of you actually use the Wii browser? I can’t see the point in browsing the Internet on a console, as that’s what my PC is for.

Wii Opera Browser 2.0 details - GoNintendo