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This week’s podcast features a Gaming Flashback of Halo: Combat Evolved, one of the longest such game segments in the podcast’s history, encompassing a third of the podcast.

This week’s news items includes:

• Blizzard decides against rolling back Diablo III servers following gold exploit
• Defiance to get 5 major DLC packs in the next year
• Report: Next-gen Xbox console called “Xbox Infinity”
• Obsidian expresses desire to develop Star Wars RPG
• EA to stop licensing with weapons manufacturers, will keep using branded guns

There’s only one reader response, but there is a Question of the Week: “What videogame genre are you completely burned out on?”

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[This episode is unedited, so be prepared for some naughty language.]

This week has some stunning news items, causing an overstuffed, long episode, so big even Jordan’s wife chimes in, and Jonah and Paul argue hotly over the last item. The Gaming Flashback for this episode is Super Star Wars.

This week’s huge news:

• EA gets exclusive license to publish Star Wars games, powered by Frostbite 3 engine
• Uplay causing problems with Steam version of Heroes VI expansion Shades of Darkness
• The Sims 4 officially announced by Electronic Arts
• Michael Biehn hints at Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon sequel
• Doritos Crash Course 2 coming May 9, still free
• Spiritual successor to Eternal Darkness hitting crowdfunding on May 6
• Gearbox dismisses Aliens: Colonial Marines lawsuit as “beyond meritless”

Also some listener feedback, plus this week’s Question: “What was your Golden Era of videogaming?”

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The regular podcast is back, after the Dr. Who outtakes podcast last week. The show runs a little long but it’s full of insight and wonderfulness. Mostly. This week’s Gaming Flashback is the classic arcade motorcycle racer Hang-On.

The podcast also has two week’s worth of news items, including:

• Next-gen Xbox formally being unveiled on 21st May in Redmond, WA
• Rumor: Next-gen Microsoft console will have DVR feature
• Leisure Suit Larry Reloaded out in June, “re-made, expanded and enhanced”
• BioShock Infinite, Xbox 360 lead March 2013 US sales according to NPD
• Nintendo bowing out of E3 Keynote
• Microsoft turned profit in fiscal 3rd quarter
• Batman: Arkham Origins inspired by Legends of the Dark Knight

Plenty of Listener Feedback, but no Question of the Week – just ask us anything.

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Thanks to a screwup with recording, Episode 307 will have to be redone next week. However, this doesn’t mean there won’t be any show.

Instead, the second Dr. Who Special Episode is in its place, with outtakes taken after the show with Jordan, Jennifer and Paul discussing Dr. Who in the past four weeks. In short, they feel the quality is starting to slip.

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The crew bemoans the decline of handheld gaming as it gets dominated by mobile platforms like Apple iOS, while they rejoice at Justice League being available on Netflix Streaming. There’s no Gaming Flashback or Gaming History, but there is some Reader Feedback.

This week’s news items include:

• Batman: Arkham Origins confirmed for PC, consoles
• Domains for Mad Max videogames registered by Warner Bros.
• Report: Xbox 720 not always online, doesn’t block used games, supports backwards compat
• Jade Empire as an Xbox 360 launch title “would have been massive“
• Zeschuk: Old-school gaming in “sick market” right now, digital ‘not filling gaps’

Gamers can read Jordan’s “Death of Handheld Gaming” article here.

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Paul and Jordan realize the brilliance of duct taping a flashlight to a gun barrel, while more Doctor Who fodder was recorded for a future outtakes episode. Jonah and Paul also express amazement there’s no Sugar Race racing based on the arcade title found in Wreck-It Ralph. Finally, the podcast eulogizes Roger Ebert.

The news for the week includes:

• Disney shuts down LucasArts, cancels Star Wars 1313, Star Wars: First Assault
• Thief to feature “classic mode”, removing all assists
• Microsoft has a clear path to developing Killer Instinct after an agreement with Fox
• The Witcher 3 confirmed to be DRM-free
• Bethesda confirms “new version of Doom 4” being worked on, Rage 2 cancelled

There’s also Listener Feedback, and the Starcraft II: Heart of the Swarm contest is still open – a winner will be announced next week.

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Despite being recorded on April Fool’s Day, the podcast has no pranks, just a long political discussion and has Paul demanding no one say anything about BioShock Infinite. Speaking of that game, the crew announces the winner of the BioShock Infinite contest. This week has a Gaming History about the development of XCOM: UFO Defense.

This week’s news includes:

• Cruel April Fool’s Joke posts fake Half-Life 2: Episode Three Steam page (see image below)
• Path of Exile to feature yearly major expansions
• Gamers want Assassin’s Creed every year, states UbiSoft Montreal
• Former Diablo III director states the auction houses were a mistake
• EA prez Gibeau: “DRM is a failed dead-end strategy”

There is a ton of feedback, plus a new contest to win a copy of Starcraft II: Heart of the Swarm. The rule is the same as BioShock Infinite: listen to the podcast and comment on what is discussed.

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This week we’re giving away a free copy of BioShock Infinite for the Xbox 360! How do you win? Well, simply post a good comment! The contest winner will be announced two weeks from now.

In the meantime, the Gaming Flashback this time is the PlayStation One classic Chrono Cross, while Paul tries desperately to avoid listening to BioShock Infinite spoilers.

This week’s news includes:

• THQ’s UDraw failure “invalidated” Saints Row: The Third‘s success
• Levine: BioShock Infinite cost $100M to develop, and $100M to market
• American McGee doesn’t “see anything meaningful” in the PS4, SimCity players “need to relax”
• Schafer’s Double Fine Adventure project from Kickstarter is now Broken Age
• Capcom announces DuckTales Remastered, developed by WayForward

All this and some Reader Feedback.

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This week Jonah and Jordan go it alone without Paul, which is unfortunately since the Gaming Flashback is the classic Nintendo 64 title Paper Mario. It might be just as well as the events of the last week made the crew ramble on about the industry at length, making the post much longer than usual.

This week’s impressive news items:

• John Riccitiello steps down as CEO of Electronic Arts
• Firaxis announces Brave New World expansion for Civilization V
• Will fans back an Alice 3 Kickstarter, asks American McGee
• Lord British explains Shroud of the Avatar‘s offline gameplay and DRM
• Facebook of Italian automobile company mentions “Gran Turismo PS4″
• Team Meat sitting out on developing for next-gen consoles

Lots of Reader Feedback, but no Question of the Week this week – just too much show.

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You’ve been waiting for it – the special Dr. Who outtakes discussion that Paul, Dan and Jordan’s wife Jennifer had about the sci-fi series.

It’s 30 minutes of BBC goodness. Check it out – a proper episode will be run next week.