At Apple's autumn Event, Steve Jobs announced that the company's integrated social gaming and multiplayer technology Game Center would be included in the iOS 4.1 updates due next week.

A free update for iPhone and iPod touch - iPad support will come with 4.2 in November - it will enable features such as achievements, high scores and leaderboards.

In addition, games that support its peer-to-peer multiplayer options - which will also be retrospectively fixed to titles such as Angry Birds and Fieldrunners - will enable push notifications so you can play head-to-head with your friends.

You can also set up games using Game Center's automatic matchmaking system with similar skilled players who aren't friends.