We all knew the PlayStation 2 was powerful, but is it really a weapon? Apparently so, because the Japanese Trade Ministry has imposed shipping limits on PlayStation 2 units due to certain components in the system that classify it as a military weapon.

According to Japanese export and trade law, no more than $427 worth of products that could be used for military purposes can be exported out of the country. With the PlayStation 2 retailing for just shy of $400, no more than one unit can be shipped out of the country without a special permit from the Japanese government. Does this mean that Sony Europe, Australia, and America won't be able to ship the system in their respective countries?According a report on The Nihon Keizai Shimbun Tuesday morning edition, SCEI has been authorized to export its PlayStation 2 to most of the world, with a few exceptions. A SCEI spokesperson said that the PS2 "may be exported to any region of the world, except Iran, Iraq, Libya, and North Korea." So, unless you live in those parts of the world, you're in luckThe central problem comes from the PlayStation 2's GPU (PS2's image-processing technology) and its memory cards (encryption technology), used to read data from external memory media, both of which closely resemble the components of a missile guidance system. The resemblance is too close, according to experts."We've said since the launch of the PlayStation 2 that it is an export-controlled product," said Sony Computer Entertainment spokesman Benjamin Guernsey. "Underneath the Japanese export regulations, if you have a CPU (computer processing unit) [with] so much power and memory card technology, and of this standard, you go above set guidelines. It's not necessarily because they fear it would be diverted to military or terrorist use, it's just that the product goes above certain technological standards [that] automatically mean it receives an export control license."This is hardly new news, however. Export laws to areas where technology could be used for weapons purposes have been in effect for years, and in February and March of this year, PlayStation 2's power was tagged as being a likely target."It's not anything that will affect general consumers in the US or Europe as SCEI is in the process of getting licenses to export the PS2 to our subsidiaries," he added. "We don't officially sell the PlayStation in Iran. The distributor who sells it in Iran and the rest of the Gulf is Sony Gulf," Guernsey added. "At this point we can't rule out the possibility that the PS2 will be sold there but it's not an issue at the moment."