Zombie attacks and marathon Scrabulous games could soon have a new interactive component as Facebook readies its highly anticipated chat function.

Facebook announced the news this week on its blog, saying that it would roll out the application slowly. But to give its chat that Facebook twist, the social network also plans to incorporate other features like notifications and a friends Mini-Feed into the chat bar.

"Chat is by no means a new concept, as instant messaging systems have been around for over a decade," a Facebook spokesman said. "But just as other features on Facebook have allowed friends to communicate more efficiently than before, we hope Facebook Chat will make it easier to connect instantly."

Facebook, which has been locked in a fierce struggle with MySpace for the social networking lead, announced the news a week after its rival made headlines with its music store.