So by now chances are you've read my earlier story, which reports on Microsoft's decision to region-encode the Xbox after-all. I'm terribly disappointed by this...I don't doubt for a second that people will find a way around it, but I hate mod chips. Unfortunately, for every person who wants to chip their system to play legitimately purchased games from other regions, there are two or three who want to use it to play "backups" or pirated games. I don't like supporting these companies, which is why I usually wait a long time in the hopes that a simple system becomes available that doesn't cater to that market, such as the Dreamcast boot-CD or the ST-Key for Saturn. So despite what we had originally hoped, the most region-friendly company out there right now is Nintendo, whose Game Boy systems have never had region-encoding, and whose GameCube has the most half-assed region lockout ever created (it's literally a single circuit - on or off for each region).

• Of course, all this griping might be for no reason...Microsoft sold less than half of their initial Japanese Xbox shipment. To be fair, this isn't the holiday season...the real test will come later this year.
• Speaking of which, PS2.IGN has quotes from Sony president Ken Kutaragi on Microsoft's Japanese launch, who says that he welcomes the competition.
• So how is the GameCube doing amidst all of this talk? Apparently just fine, thanks for asking.
• GameSpot has posted text and video reviews of Jet Set Radio Future, as well as a Q&A with two people from Smilebit, the game's developer.
• Also at GameSpot is their Xbox 2002 preview, looking at all the big name games for the system this year. Grand Theft Auto III is on that list, but don't take that as a confirmation ...they're just guessing, like they are when they say that Project Ego will be out this year (yeah, right).
• PS2.IGN has a new preview of Superman: Shadow of Apokolips online, looking at this upcoming game based on the animated series.
• After 52 years in office, Hiroshi Yamauchi, the president of Nintendo (the Mean Old Man) may finally be stepping down (no, really this time!).
• The Microprocessor Report has given NVIDIA an award for their work on the Xbox.

Console Game of the Evening: After Burner for the Sega Master System. Right after I mentioned this game last week, I stumbled across it in Shenmue II. Like Space Harrier in the first game, it's an arcade-perfect emulation.