This week Mixmoff and Dr. Scares are joined by Mephianse as Aevan takes the week off. The crew talk about why “gamer” is still a term with negative connotations as well as excitement over Red Dead Redemption, Insomniac working with EA, and the possibility of a Ico/Shadow of the Colossus HD re-release!

Graaaaaggghrgrgaggggaggghggegegrh. Ahem… in this show the crew is joined by Kragg from Evil Avatar’s Shotgun podcast. We talk a little about the forum D&D game, a lot about what differentiates the Sims and Farmville, and much rage is shared over pixel-counters trying to ruin every damn multiplatform game out there. Also we try to take call-ins and it breaks the show about 12 times.

This week Mixmoff, Aevan, and Dr. Scares interview the last man standing in Halo 2: Apache N4Sir. They also talk about where the evolution towards multiplayer gaming has brought the industry, Steam on Mac, a particularly intriguing Sleep is Death experience, and EA’s one time online ticket.

Mac users, your time has come. Steam is out on Mac now, and it offers cross-platform play with the PC community.

As a kickass side note, Portal is free until May 24th. Just for the hell of it. You rock, Valve.

Portal used to cost money. Until May 24th, it’s free. End of story.

Well, technically speaking, there are some strings attached. Fortunately, they’re entirely decorative. We just like the way they look, swaying in the gentle breeze created by a million people simultanously fainting from shock at the news that Portal is free. Now you have no reason not to try Portal.

“I have a reason,” some of you are probably typing into an angry email. “You see, sir, I own a Mac.”

Well guess what: For the first time ever, Portal is also available for the Mac.

“Capitol news! But the excellent puzzle adventure Portal won over 40 Game of the Year awards; Surely it must cost at least five or six hundred dollars.”

You’d think that, especially since it actually won over 70 Game of the Year Awards. But, like we keep saying, Portal is free. Free on the Mac. Free on the PC. But only until May 24th. So you only have a few days to decide if your free copy of Portal is worth the price we’re currently charging – which is you ever-so-slightly moving your index finger just barely enough to click the big red “download” button right there to the left.

It’s time for the team’s monthly live show, where we apparently sacrifice audio quality for interactivity! The crew talks Splinter Cell, Resonance of Fate and Arkham Asylum before giving away a free copy of Sleep Is Death and ending the show with their very first call-in segment.

It’s finally happening.

The word dropped today that Rockstar games would be releasing 3 sets of DLC for its upcoming spurs and spittoons gunfighter Red Dead Redemption. The first of these packs is slated for July, and will be free.

One of three downloadable content packs, the ‘Outlaws To The End’ Co-Op Mission Pack features six all-new multiplayer missions full of outlaws, epic gunfights, and revolution for 2-4 players. The ‘Outlaws to the End’ Co-Op Mission Pack offers additional multiplayer XP rewards and brand new Achievements and Trophies to unlock. These six explosive and epic missions will play out across the game world, including:

“Walton’s Gold”
Walton’s Gang have taken control of a mining camp rich with gold. Fight through the camp and load your mine cart with as much gold as you can carry and get out as fast as you can – Walton’s boys have rigged the place to blow.

“The River”
Ride a raft down river, taking out rebel encampments along the way until you reach the rebel stronghold of Nosalida and a final epic battle for the town’s massive weapons caches. Watch out for Gatling gun-equipped enemy rafts.

“Ammunition”
The Mexican Army has the town of Tesoro Azul under siege. Storm the gates under heavy cannon, Gatling gun and sniper fire to destroy the Mexican artillery placements.

So what’s Rockstar’s real plan here? Do they want to entice you to buy future DLC’s by giving you one taste for free? Or are they simply dangling the carrot of free DLC out there to keep Red Dead from ending up in the used games section of your local retailer?