Xbox to feature no hardware regional lockout

[01.08.01] » No mod chips will be required to play imports on Microsoft's console.

   Microsoft recently revealed that its forthcoming Xbox will feature no regional lockout system. Unlike those for other home console systems, Japanese Xbox games can be played on a North American Xbox (and vice versa) without any extra chip or boot disc.

   However, publishers will still be free to implement their own regional lockouts on a per-game basis. Since game publishers -- not hardware manufacturers -- are usually the biggest supporters of lockouts, expect at least some games to still include such a lockout. Microsoft's first and second-party titles, however, will likely be region-free.

   The Xbox isn't the only gaming system without a regional lockout, as Nintendo's Game Boy is also free of any such restrictions.