Smoke em’ if you got em’ (pipe-weed that is) — Turbine and Codemasters Online are celebrating the one year anniversary of Middle-earth’s MMO, The Lord of the Rings Online, by releasing a new free content update.

Available today for North America Subscribers, Book 13: Doom of the Last-king (Last King, Lich King, can’t we all just get along?) is the fifth content update to the title, and it boasts a new realm, the introduction of a new class, and a new hobby system. If you are interested in learning more about this update, check out the official press release below. Read more…

First off, I want to appologize to readers for taking so long to post the winner. Things have been a little crazy lately on multiple levels. So, without further delay, the winner of the first annual Ripten Fantabulous (we won’t call it this again) Forum Giveaway is … the one … the only … Read more…

If you have been waiting to see some new gameplay footage of the upcoming Metal Gear Solid 4 videogame, Kojima has ended that wait, as only he can. The following video is sure to amaze and entertain you. Enjoy. Read more…

Justin Blankenship, a former FTC lawyer, expresses concern regarding the potential EA and Take-Two merger. Specifically, he believes that the merger may violate antitrust laws due to the hold the company would have on the videogame sports sector. Read more…

We just received an email from Activision’s PR department containing 9 new screenshots of their upcoming DLC map pack for the hit game, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, due to hit XBL on April 10th. The four maps included in the pack are Kill Creek, Broadcast, Chinatown, and Killhouse. Read more…

You know, we appreciate our readers sooo much, that we got to thinking recently. What can we give them that would really show them how much we care? The Sun? The stars? How about the Moon? Read more…

EA has announced the University of Arkansas star running back, Darren McFadden, as one of four athletes set to appear on the cover of NCAA Football 09 — EA’s latest edition of videogame collegiate brand football. Read more…

It is not too often that we get to report genuinely uplifting, and all around “happy” news, but we just received an email from the 2K Games community manager, responsible for Bioshock, inquiring about how they may reach the artist behind the amazing Bioshock 2 fan art we shared with you yesterday. Read more…

I would like to thank everyone for entering our Guitar Hero III Air Guitar Contest and announce Dennis as the winner. Dennis will soon be the proud owner of Guitar Hero 3 and the wireless Les Paul guitar for the Xbox 360.

If you didn’t win this contest, keep your head up, because we are giving away free shiznit all the time. In fact, we have another contest right now!

Enter our Fantabulous Forum Giveaway and you may walk away with any three games of your choice. Good luck and congrats to Dennis for being so damn awesome.

Chad-

In the recent EGM, Metal Gear Solid 4 Assistant Producer, Ryan Payton had the following to say about the Sony Playstation 3’s Sixaxis Motion Sensing feature:

“I think the problem with this feature is it was severely overhyped …” He went on to say “It was talked up as Sony’s answer to the Wii Remote. The trick is to use Sixaxis sparingly and have fun with it. I don’t think anybody wants to play a long game while consistently having to tilt the controller around. Rather, it’s fun for the player when they’re given a chance to use it in short bursts– that’s how we’re approaching Sixaxis in MGS4.”

I personally agree with him, however I do believe that as someone who prefers what is now considered by many the “old school” controller approach over the arm-flaring Wiimote, I believe that I may be the minority on this subject. What do you think? Read more…