Social gaming platform set for its debut.
Apple announced tonight that it will release the new version of its iOS software, iOS 4.1, to consumers next week.
Besides bug fixes, the new version includes new features like HD video uploads over Wi-Fi, and something called High Dynamic Range photos, to improve iOS users' snaps.
However, the big feature in iOS 4.1 is the debut of Apple's Game Center community, which will provide multiplayer matchups, high-score tables, buddy lists, achievements and other social features for iOS games.
Games like Angry Birds and Real Racing will support Game Center at launch, but Apple expects it to become the default social community for iOS gaming, taking over from platforms like Scoreloop and OpenFeint - although the companies behind them maintain they will survive by building functionality on top of Game Center.
At tonight's launch event in San Francisco, console firm Epic Games took to the stage to show off a new game, codenamed Project Sword, while reiterating its intention to make its Unreal Engine 3 available for other iOS games developers to use.
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Apple also showed off iOS 4.2 at tonight's event, although it won't be available to consumers until November.
It will be the first version of iOS 4 available for iPad, and will also include a new feature called AirPlay, which allows people to stream photos, music and video from their iOS devices to their TV, via Apple's revamped Apple TV set-top box.
For more details on tonight's event, read our liveblog.
