[via Go Nintendo]

Durango has been a phenomenal place to shoot. We had many sets and the truth never felt paparazzi or harassment of the press and elsewhere and in other productions. It is a very quiet place, we were treated very well.

[Infotaku has asked us to remove the link to his site because the traffic is crashing his servers and has caused his account to be suspended, sorry Josep]

Mexican Law Enforcement Raids Pirate Game Facilities in Mexico City ESA Applauds Protecting Legitimate Computer and Video Games Washington, DC - March 17, 2008 - The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) commended the Procuraduría General de la República (PGR) and the Agencia Federal de Investigacion (AFI) for their recent raids of four facilities involved in burning pirate copies of video games in the notorious Tepito area in Mexico City. Working with local representatives of the ESA, over 500 law enforcement officers raided the four pirate game duplication facilities and three other storage locations, seizing roughly 290 DVD/CD burners, 28,800 illegal copies of video games and more than 900,000 video game cover inserts. "Mexico is an important market for ESA members due to the enormous popularity of entertainment software," said Ric Hirsch, senior vice president for Intellectual Property Enforcement at the ESA, the trade association representing U.S. computer and video game publishers. "Unfortunately, Mexico also has an alarmingly high rate of game software piracy that by our estimates reaches 88%. We are very grateful for the efforts of PGR, its Specialized Unit on Investigation of Crimes Committed against Industrial Property and Copyrights (UEIDDAPI), the prosecutors that were assigned to this case, and AFI in attacking the sources of pirate video games circulating in Mexico City markets, as such enforcement actions are the best way to reduce high levels of game piracy." The Tepito market is one of the most popular shopping areas in Mexico City and is a local center of black market activity, including the manufacture and sale of pirated computer and video games. ESA and its local counsel have been investigating pirate game traffickers in Tepito for several months. The raids and seizures highlight the ready availability of pirated entertainment software product, making it extremely difficult for legitimate game retailers to earn a profit. The ESA is the U.S. association dedicated to serving the business and public affairs needs of the companies publishing interactive games for video game consoles, handheld devices, personal computers, and the Internet. ESA members collectively account for more than 90 percent of the $9.5 billion in entertainment software sales in the U.S. in 2007, and billions more in export sales of entertainment software. For more information about the ESA, please visit www.theESA.com.

We suppose that this sort of diversion of funds makes more sense than others. I just hope they don't limit the use of PSPs for these poor kids brought to tears by the prospect of experiencing "nature." And, please New Mexico, make sure these kids are well stocked on Happy Meals.

A Tax to Remember [The Huffington Post via GamePolitics]

Um, the character of Goku, an important character to play, uh, been around on kid's cartoons for a while, uh, so I hope I do a good job.

The company made headlines recently for its recent civil suit win against a Uruguayan counterfeiter and for its support of the U.S. government's stance on Chinese piracy.

We have absolutely no confirmation that the video game pirates looked anything like the Mexican bandits from The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, but it's the most insensitive image we could generate on short notice. Full PR after the jump.

Mexican Raids Net 15,000 Counterfeit Nintendo Products

Mexican authorities conducted raids today against 12 alleged distributors of counterfeit Nintendo® products in a major "fayuca" (contraband) market in Guadalajara. Authorities seized 15,000 counterfeit Nintendo products, including 4,500 counterfeit Wii™ game discs.

The Guadalajara raids follow other Nintendo actions in Mexico during the past few months. Last month, Nintendo worked with customs agents to stop a shipment of more than 5,500 counterfeit Nintendo products entering Manzanillo, exported from China. Prior to that, Nintendo assisted local authorities in a raid of the San Juan de Dios market in Guadalajara, where 23 stores were shut down and more than 56,000 counterfeit Nintendo products were confiscated, including 11,000 counterfeit Wii discs.

"Mexico is Nintendo's largest market in Latin America, where the problem of video game piracy is widespread," said Jodi Daugherty, Nintendo of America's senior director of anti-piracy. "Since January, Nintendo has worked with law enforcement agencies worldwide to seize 100,000 counterfeit Wii games."

Earlier this month, U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents executed 32 federal search warrants in 16 states as part of an investigation into the alleged sale and distribution of illegal Wii modification chips designed to circumvent the security embedded in the hardware and allow users to play counterfeit Wii software.

Nintendo and its developers and publishers lost an estimated $762 million in sales in 2006 due to piracy of its products.

I was walking around a well known mexican mall (wich makes sense since im mexican), when i saw, in a "serious" store, this pieces of... well, the pic says it all. Its a Xbox-like 8BITS videogame system. Yup, 8 bits, wich means NES quality games, in a shiny white box. Makes me kind of sad, many kids are gonna get this because their tech impaired parents wont be able to see the differences. In case you ask, the price is around US$28.

In Mexico, nothing says politics more than video games. Former Mexican president Vicente Fox once invited some orphans over to "play Nintendo," and current prez Felipe Calderon is a big time game nerd who even admits publicly he games. During his president campaign, Calderon doted his campaign site with flash games, which unfortunately are now gone. Still! He is one of us. His favorite title? Age of Empires. Not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing, though... Brian Ashcraft

Mexican President Likes Games [Insert Credit]

If successful, the anonymous trade-in program will be expanded beyond the allocated 100 consoles and the targeted inner city area.

Not mentioned in the Reuters article is the trade-in bonus of one year of Xbox Live for inner city youth who trade in automatic rifles disguised as guitar cases, but we're pretty sure this is true. Michael McWhertor

Xbox for your gun? Mexico tries swaps in drug fight [Reuters]

On Thursday, the Mayor of the Mexican state of Chihuahua, Jose Reyes Baeza Terrazas, ordered his government to seize and confiscate every copy of the game Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2, stating that the game was 'unnecessarily rude' against the city and the people of Cd. Ju rez, Chihuahua. The Mexican Government has yet to make an official statement. Explains reader Jose:

Now, when the sequel came out last month, the government of Chihuahua and the mayor of Cd. Ju rez, where the game takes place, were deeply offended after finding out that the game placed American soldiers shooting Mexican rebels in their territory, making an incredible media show that was showed on TV and some local newspapers. Although the main attention of this movement was to force the Mexican government to issue a diplomatic query with the American government about it... The local gamer community was actually excited to have their city featured on a video game...

Voice of reason: GRAW is published by Ubisoft, a Canadian company. So Mexican politician man, don't blame America, blame Canada! Somebody please tell them, because there's still time!! Brian Ashcraft

Eds Note: Apologies. Ubisoft is a French company, and GRAW2 was made in Montpellier in France. So please Mexican politician dude, please, blame the French and leave North America the frick alone.

GRAW 2 Pisses Off People In Mexico [Dario]

Microsoft's Bill Gates duked it out in Mexico with Barcelona defender Rafael Marquez on the Xbox 360. The exec was visiting the country to mark Microsoft's 20th anniversary there. The competition was displayed on three large screens above a stage where the two battled with Marquez beating Gates 2-1. Before the match, the soccer pro asked Gates if he was ready. The chairman replied:

I wouldn't bet all of my money on it.

Half of it would've been fine. A tenth even. Brian Ashcraft

Gates Loses [Yahoo via Joystiq]

Not one to be outdone by Microsoft (and really, who is?), the Mexican government has swiped the world's biggest effing piñata record held by the Viva Piñata piñata and done one better. Created to celebrate 2007, the new champ was built in Mexico City and is 30 meters in diameter and 27 meters tall, dwarfing Microsoft's 14.6 meter tall effort. Speculation maybe, but I *heart* the idea of Mexican officials plotting to one-up Microsoft's effort. Brian Ashcraft

New Title Holder [Ultimavida, Thanks Grow!]

Word is that Viva Piñata is pretty darn great. So great that it deserves the world's biggest paper mache animal. Over at the Six Flags in Mexico, they did just that and created a 14.6 meter piñata that just screams smash me por favor. Brian Ashcraft

Biggest Pinata [Ulitmate Vida, Thanks Grow!]

You know, we've watched this clip at least fifty-two times. It was taken at the Electronic Game Show in Mexico and is beyond fascinating. Not because of the Xbox girls, but because people blinding stick out their bare arms. That, and there's no talking—they're like dead quiet. What's the Spanish word for "creepy"? Brian Ashcraft

Thanks Emmanuel

This butternut dumpling is straight from the wilds of make-believe Mexighettos, and full of pep. Eidos is releasing this one on a so-far-undisclosed date, but has preemptively won the "best name for a video game of all time" contest, which I was going to hold at the end of the world but shit..."Chili Con Carnage" was all you needed to say.

Maybe Destructoid got hold of a press release that we didn't, because here's what they have to say about the game:

Out to avenge the assassination of his father, Chili Con Carnage hurls Ramiro Cruz deep into the seedy underworld of Los Toros, Mexico, where he must single handedly create maximum carnage throughout the inner circles of local kingpin, Cesar Morales drug cartel. ... Chili Con Carnage is a burning hot Mexican shooter with the biggest explosion frequency and the highest takedown rate you will ever experience on the PSP ... Featuring non-stop, over-the-top action, Ramiro comes equipped with a vast arsenal of weaponry along with signature super-spicy, gravity-defying special moves. Engage in gun frenzies against comical fiends such as mustached mercenaries, mutated super-Mamas and even killer exploding chickens. The action frenzy remains intense across seven unique 3D exotic locations from the trenches of a drug city to the heart of a dense jungle in an extensive varied landscape for a portable title.

Whether or not this is a straight port of Eidos' previous Mexican romp, the much less entertainingly-named Total Overdose, is a currently unanswered question, but since I never played the original, I don't care. Fresh, hot butternut dumplings for meeeee! Eliza Gauger

Chili Con Carnage: Best PSP game name eva!?!? [Destructoid]

Still bitching about the Wii's pricing? Knock. It. Off. While Nintendo's new console will launch mid-November in America for US $250, the same machine will launch in boarding Mexico for $4,490 pesos. That's approximately US $450! And when does it launch? By the end of November. Maybe. A quick look at the Nintendo of Mexico website shows the travesty that gamers there must deal with: As of posting, the site still mentions an upcoming console dubbed the Revolution. Nintendo's world map, like competing console makers' as well, seems to include only Japan, Canada/US and Europe. Everyone else, tough titty. Brian Ashcraft

More Here [Ociotakus]

Don't live in America or Japan? Want a PLAYSTATION 3? This post is for you. Gadget exporter Audio Cubes has opened the flood gates on pre-order for the 20GB Sony PS3. The unit will set customers back a cool US $699, which is at a $70 premium when compared to the European pricing for the same model. The site does not yet have pricing on the bells and whistles 60GB console. Expect it to be somewhere between expensive and expensive. (But probably better than anything on eBay.) Brian Ashcraft

More Here [I4U]

Tipster David "El Guapo" Silva let us know that the Mexican Xbox 360 site updated with details on the bundle this week.

The cost is $5499 Mexican Pesos, or around $505 USD. Add to that the hefty 10% sales tax and it rounds out to around $555 USD. The page doesn't say if it includes the three months of gold live or the points, though. It probably doesn't, we always get shafted.

You're getting shafted? What about us? Such is the plight of the American consumer. Gracias, David! Michael McWhertor

Bundle PGR3 Est s Preparado?

Yeah, el presidente likes to play a little Nintendo every now and then. Kotaku reader Rokero "El Guapo" Vakero tipped us off this morning that the prez, after visiting some parentless ninos, invited them over for a little "football" and some video games. Translation courtesy of Rokero:

Thanks again, God bless you all and don't stop inviting, I will be your neighbor in Rancho San Cristobal (his house) So I can come over and play some soccer, come over to play Nintendo, and whatever you guys want, you have a friend in me.

So cool! And I hear they have these really neat donkey shows down there, but I'm not clear on what really goes on there. Michael McWhertor

Vicente's Full Speech En Espanol

While in Mexico, the boys from game site ScrewAttack knew they had to get one thing. That was a velvet, green luchador mask. ScrewAttack was not able to find this, so settled on a glass-blown Mario figurine. Working from a photo, the artisan took one hour to complete the work. For those with attention spans like gnats, ScrewAttack sped it up to 60 seconds. Brian Ashcraft

More Here [Aeropause]