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In the U.S., if you were to buy from an importer, store or online, you’d find that that import games are marked up a bit to cover the store’s cost of importing and handling, althoughsome good deals can be found. Normally, you’re going to pay a bit more for an import than your average domestic title, and regular importers should be used to that by now. In Japan though, sometimes import games suck so much that they won’t sell, and they’ll just have to give them away....

Can’t say I agree with the Rev. Jesse Jackson on a whole lot of things, buthe’s making sensewhen he talks about the media and its apparent influence on crime. While he does not rule out a link (after all, violent peopledolike violent movies and games) he has dismissed the possibility that videogames can be blamed, instead suggesting that economics are what drive violence. Speaking at a conference chaired by game-hater and corrupt, lyingidiotKeith Vaz, Jackson refuted the idea that games are evil....

Avalanche Studios, developer ofJust Cause, is in the process of terminating 77 employees in light of losing two major publishing contracts. Once complete, the team will consist of 83 members, all of which happy they didn’t lose their jobs. Despite the layoffs, Avalanche will continue to work onJust Cause 2and their other announced title,The Hunter. According to Avalanche’s CEO Christofer Sundberg, the studio became “industrialized and impersonal” before the loss of the two publishing contracts....

Here’s an interesting tidbit about the recently releasedLEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Gamethat may or may not make you cry, just a little. Astweeted byDisney Interactive Studios development director John Vignocchi,LEGO Pirates“features 15 tracks from the films, but more interestingly all the music fromArmada of the Damned.” Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned, for those who don’t know, was a great-looking game thatwas sadly canceled. I know at least one of you lamented this fact on our review ofLEGO Pirates; guess you’ll have something to listen for if you pick the game up....

Today,Mash Tacticswill be playingRotastic, a dizzying jewel spree from developer Dancing Dots.Rotasticcomes to PC and PSN next year but is available now on XBLA for a measly 800 MS Points.Mash Tacticshas an even better deal for you: tune in and you could win one of the free codes we’ll be tossing out as we swing to victory inRotastic! Mash Tacticsairs Monday through Friday at 4pm Pacific. WatchJon CarnageandPico Mauselet loose with off-the-wall humor and discuss the issues of the day in the live chat onDestructoid’s Twitch....

I’m obviously a huge sports fan, and accordingly, I enjoy sports sims. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t also love games likeNFL BlitzorNBA Jam, and I’m well aware that many Dtoiders don’t give a damn about a sports game unless it has special powerups and other outrageous, surreal features. If you’re nodding your head as you’re reading this, then EA has got something for you: a new IP calledFaceBreaker....

I really liked the firstUS commercial forMario Galaxy 2, but this one is better. This is how I would want a Mario movie to feel. Like theUS commercial forNew Super Mario Bros Wii, I’d want a new Mario movie to fully embrace the weirdness of the Mario Universe, integrate it into regular life, and show how the people of the world find it all to be totally normal. The Mario gamesarereally weird; more surreal than most videogames, let alone movies or TV shows....

It’s hard to tell if these two idiots are merely doing Borat impressions or really gunning for the authentic voice of Mario and Luigi, either way, it’s kind of funny in a moronic and pathetic way. While the acting and polish may be sorely lacking, the enthusiasm is entertaining. Now, my Dtoid nation, watch as Mario delivers his plunger of death to Luigi’s smug little head.

I spent a sunny Canadian afternoon in Toronto, Ontario checking out Microsoft’s latest and greatest at X’07 hosted by Maro, a gorgeous restaurant & nightclub in Toronto’s studio district. The prerequisite booze which flowed freely thanks to Microsoft was worth the trip alone, but the games, that is why I came. And came I did! Before I get to some of the highlights of the show, it’s worth noting that before I arrived some jackhole smashed his car into a hydro pole on the same block as the show, power went out and a huge-ass generator was trailered to the location to fuel the army of Samsung LCDs and Xbox 360s in attendance, however about a quarter of all kiosks were shut down including Project Gotham Racing 4 and the restaurant’s lights were off (not to mention the sensor-activated bathroom taps)....

The above is a new ‘2D’ trailer (a cartoon, basically) telling the backstory for DICE’s interesting and brightly colored new IP,Mirror’s Edge. The game certainly gets many points for concept, although I can’t wait to see some more in-game action.Still, feast your eyes on the delicious ideas that present themselves, and hope they make for a great game. I know I shall be. The above is a new ‘2D’ trailer (a cartoon, basically) telling the backstory for DICE’s interesting and brightly colored new IP,Mirror’s Edge....

[Warning: Spoilers McSpoilersons] A video ofCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’smission “No Russian”was leaked a few weeks priorto the game’s release. Featuring a civilian massacre in a Moscow airport, it ignited a bit of controversy as we guessed it would. That footage, though, was flawed — it was blurry and it seemed to lack the bookends or story components that gave the vicious level context. Even amongst our staff and community there was an immediate rift in opinionin full support for itandabsolutely against itin principle, which will now will surely be followed by more discussion and debate for years to come, such asone reporterwho was ‘saddened’ by its existence....

You know how it works! With the help of each other, try to figure out all of the disguised game covers. They all share a common theme that, once solved, can help you figure out the harder ones. This week, in honor of Dtoid’s anniversary, I’m giving you guys the theme as my present to you. It’s not just games related to Miami, but instead games with titles that revolve around cities, countries or continents....

Good news, everyone!Monday Night Combatis coming to PC via Steam. It’ll have support for dedicated servers and editing, and the recent downloadable content for Xbox 360 is included. Anyone whoorders nowwill save ten percent and get access to the beta on December 16. The full release isn’t until January 17, so that’s not such a bad idea if you’re eager to play sooner than later. And, if you missed out on the XBLA version, you should be....