What a week!

Madden 08 released only in the last seven days and gamers are still basking in the afterglow, but this week’s events in the gaming world look to be even more notable, raw sales numbers notwithstanding.

• BioShock landed on store shelves today, and based upon the reviews, the eerily artistic morality play/shooter is garnering plaudits like nothing else I remember. What’s even more amazing is that they’re wholly deserved. (NOTE - To the complainers: Yes, I saw this. No, I don’t care.) If you miss this one, you’re missing out on what might be the first truly next-gen game. Pick up a copy and help prove to everyone that not only is gaming an art form - it can be commercially successful as such, too.

• Lord of The Rings Online added another massive chunk of content yesterday: The City of Kings. The spectacular online role-playing epic now has even more adventures to keep you from having to retreat into your actual life, and adds plenty of new in-game systems to keep the title fresh and interesting. The addition also allows gamers to experience the world of Middle-Earth from the perspective of… a chicken. I don’t get it, either - but I appreciate the sense of whimsy, I suppose. In related news, if you’re worried about nerding it up a bit too much by taking your hobbit on a stroll through the game’s lush graphics (pictured below) to Rivendell, don’t be - you’re being more productive than you think. A recent study at Nottingham Trent University notes that “the virtual world that these games offer allow players to express themselves in ways they may not feel comfortable doing in real-life because of their appearance, gender, sexuality, age, or other factors. They also offer a place where teamwork, encouragement and fun can all be experienced.” LFG?

• Of course, if your preferred version of teamwork has to do with online battlefields, Wired Magazine’s got you covered with an enormous Halo 3 primer, and Activision’s Call of Duty 4 - which looks even more impressive than the mighty Halo to this armchair general - is accepting applications for its online multiplayer beta (to be played over Xbox Live) as we speak.

With all this happening, who needs sleep? Well… you do; but if you’re anything like me, I doubt you’ll be getting much anytime soon.