Facebook and Twitter are, as you might expect, cut-down versions of the social networks, tweaked to cater for the console interface. One nice feature of the Facebook integration is the ability to merge your Facebook and Xbox Live friends lists.

Movies On Demand brings streaming and downloadable movie rentals to the console, with titles available in HD and SD. But be warned: you’ll need a nippy connection to stream in 1080p. Around 100 movies are currently available in the preview, so expect a similar number for the public launch next week.

“We’re delivering some truly exciting social entertainment experiences to our members,” said Andrew Jenkins, product manager for Xbox LIVE Australia. “The difference for Xbox LIVE has always been our community and we’ve already seen a tremendous response to these features in our public preview. It’s the community that drives us forward and allows us to pioneer new ways of connecting people through the entertainment they love.”

One thing we will be missing out on is Last.fm, the music-streaming service launching in other territories as part of this dashboard update. Microsoft has yet to comment on why Last.fm will not be available in Australia.

Can’t fault their timing; just as people are about to abandon the first game en masse to pick up the sequel. Ah well. Better late than never, eh?

In related Left 4 Dead news, the Left 4 Dead 2 demo, which was previously restricted to Xbox Live Gold subscribers, is now open to silver subscribers too. Have at it, hoss.

Today through November 2, Valve invites the spirits of the dead into Team Fortress 2 in the form of terrifying paper bag hats. The masks are unlocked via five new update-specific achievements, with names like “Candy Coroner” and “Attack O’ Lantern”, the latter of which might have something to do with the exploding pumpkins added in the update.

The update also brings a new KOTH map called Harvest, through which wanders the restless spirit of Zepheniah Mann. Crossing his path will cause you to freeze with terror, leaving you open to all sorts of deadly Halloween mischief. On top of that, “the mangled corpses of the recently deceased will plague the living… with candy!” I have no idea what that means, and I’m a little scared to find out.

Team Fortress 2 Pumpkin Patch [Team Fortress 2]

Xbox 360 System Update – Wireless Adapter WPA2 support [Major Nelson]

Says Major Nelson, the Xbox Live community guru:

When Preview Program members start receiving the Xbox 360 system update next week, one of the changes is that unauthorised Memory Units will no longer work with the Xbox 360. If you’ve moved your profile or saved games onto one to “back it up,” you’d better move it back onto an authorised Xbox 360 storage device prior to taking the update. If you continue to use an unauthorised Memory Unit after the update, you will not be able to access your stored profile or saved games.

If you’re interested in what devices are authorised storage devices, that list is about three names long.

Don’t Use Unauthorized Xbox 360 Storage Devices [Major Nelson, via Gamers Reports]

A quick scan of the Nintendo tech support forum tells the tale of a system update gone slightly awry. The update is freezing halfway through. The update is giving system errors informing customers that their Wii has been modified and then failing to start. There are even reports of random disk read errors following the update. While some of the problems can be attributed to modified systems, customers are reporting issues with units right out of the box.

Kotakuite Crazy Weavile submitted a possible explanation for the problems on the Nintendo forums, suggesting that the latest update irresponsibly updated the system’s bootloader, only to find himself banned shortly thereafter.

While no help is on the horizon for modded console owners, Nintendo tech Jane posted a message in the forums yesterday instructing owners of unmodded Wiis to send their units in for a free repair.

Some of you have reported problems with your Wii console after updating to the Wii System Menu 4.2. The symptoms most people are describing usually occur when the Wii has been modified. However, some of you also mention your system has never been modified.

We’d like to help get your system working properly again. If you’re experiencing problems with your Wii console after downloading Wii System Menu 4.2, and you believe your system has not been modified, please give us a call. If we find that you have a normal system and the update caused your system to not work, we’ll repair it at no charge.

Appears to be an infantry map, and a tight, close-range one at that, so gunners should be thrilled. Those (like me) hoping for another expansive level ala Seaside Skirmish, well, you keep on hoping.

Additionally the update enables support for wireless microphones and lays down an “audition” feature you may use when the Rock Band Network enters its open beta.

When “Audition Mode” goes live, RBN members will be able to “upload songs from their PCs and audition their songs using our suite of song audition and testing tools”, according to the official Rock Band Forums. Currently, Rock Band Network is in closed beta and the game will tell you ‘To enter Audition Mode, you must be signed into an Xbox Live enabled gamer profile that is a member of the XNA Creators Club and connected to Xbox Live.’” Harmonix says the open beta will commence in the coming weeks.

Meantime, gamers will find improvements to the hammer on/pull off tricks in guitar play. The forum says these improvements were brought over from The Beatles: Rock Band, which featured “much more robust handling” of hammer-on and pull-off.

Other upgrades: In the sort menu, you may now arrange songs according to the star rating you’ve achieved in each of them. Unplayed songs will be grouped accordingly. This helps players chart their progress toward five-starring every song they own.

The game will also support wireless mikes, such as the Lips microphone. Ion Drum Kits now have velocity sensitivity in both drum fills and freestyle mode. And most conveniently, background downloading in the Music Store has been enabled, so you no longer have to wait for the complete download of a purchased song before moving on to another.

As for the PS3, Harmonix’ Sean Baptiste explained that patch is being worked on and awaiting its certification process with Sony.

Rock Band 2 Software Update Notes [Rock Band Forums via Joystiq]

The Battlefield Heroes community continues to grow in leaps and bounds, having added an additional one million players since the first million was announced back in June of this year. It turns out gamers love free things. They also love free updates to free things, and that’s what EA is giving them with the “Heroes of the Fall” game update, due out September 30, in celebration of this latest milestone.

The fall update includes changes to the gunner class that our resident BFH enthusiast Luke mentioned previously, a new ranking system, and a new fall-themed map that players can submit names for at the official website.

“Along with this new map, ‘Heroes of the Fall’ includes a slew of changes including upgrades of the Gunner class and improvements to the friends system,” said Ben Cousins, General Manager, Battlefield Heroes team. “We’ve also added a brand new ranking system for the game—players can earn cool new titles for their heroes as they play—showing everyone on the battlefield how dedicated they are.”

Dedication comes quite easily when the price of entry is free. A lesson for all of us!

Major Nelson confirmed the new firmware in a late-night post; also, for any of our friends who were up late and gaming and found the system update spit back a router error when connecting to Xbox Live, that has been totally resolved, tweets the Major.

Xbox 360 System Update Rolling Out [Major Nelson via VG247]