Kotaku
Some Japanese publications are reporting that devices that use the Blu-ray disc technology will use a new region encoding system that will put Japan in the same region as North and South America. (Damn it, where's Ashcraft and his Japanese language skills when you need them?) According to an Ars Technica write-up, if the new system is used, it would mean American fans of Japanese games and anime would be able to directly play content from Japan, without waiting for a separate product release or having to buy and import a console from Asia.
The Ars Technica article then goes on to point out the absurdity of region encoding as an attempt to curb that Bin-Ladenesque boogieman called piracy. Worth a read.
