Gaming, as we know it, is rapidly changing. It’s now expanding beyond the consoles. In fact, to be launched today is Signal Studios’ Toy Soldiers, an Xbox Live Arcade game. This game will be connected to the Facebook game Match Defense: Toy Soldiers developed by Microsoft Game Studios.

Although these two games will be linked, they’re played differently. Toy Soldiers is a 3D strategy game that will engage your vintage war toys collection against another player’s (a live player or a computer bot). Match Defense, however, is like Bejeweled with a World War I theme. Whichever game you will play, you have to choose sides (Central or Allied). When you win a battle, you tip the scale of war towards your side’s advantage. Players can then check the war’s status either through the menu option in Toy Soldiers (Xbox version) or on Facebook.

What exactly does this new connection mean? This will allow you to continue playing the Xbox 360 games that you love even when you are away from your consoles. Additionally, through your computers, you can still influence the outcome of the war through Facebook Match Defense. Furthermore, you can play the games with your Facebook friends and brag about your achievements on the social networking site. How cool is that?

So, how do you play Match Defense on Facebook? When you start, you will be able to see a map at the top of the screen where several enemies (toy soldiers, etc.) attempt to reach you. If they breach your defenses and reach the bottom of the map, you lose. To shoot them, you must bring together “bottle caps” of the same kind, like we do in Bejeweled.

This is just the beginning. The Toy Soldiers game will only be the first of many. So stay alert, soldier! (Click HERE to play Match Defense on Facebook.)

Mixed reviews are surfacing in regards to Facebook being accessible through, yet another, electronic device.  The time has arrived folks!  Facebook has now joined forces with Microsoft to invade your Xbox 360.  From what I understand there are pros and cons and it’s more of a personal opinion as to whether you find this a beneficial addition.  Are you really that “status update” obsessed that accessing Facebook through your PC and phone isn’t sufficient enough?  No worries if you are.  You won’t be able to access all the features of Facebook through your 360 but you will most definitely be able to read your friend’s statuses and update your own.

That’s not all; prepare yourself for the most sensible reason to add Facebook to your 360.  The Mac Daddy of all features will enable you to locate Xbox Live players from your friend list.  Xbox has not yet released any information in regards to whether the restriction on the amount of live friends will be increased but for now, that’s a pretty cool way of connecting.  After all, who enjoys playing the computer during our friend’s absence?  More than likely this will become a new feature for Xbox but in due time we will know.  As for now, indulge in more of the Facebook phenomenon.