Playstation2, billed as the most powerful computer entertainment system available, made a fleeting visit to Irish shops yesterday.
Certainly this year's most-hyped computer entertainment system, it is also rated as this year's most elusive Christmas gift.
Many of the 8,000 units made available by Sony to the Republic were pre-booked months ago. Priced at £379.99, those that were on offer yesterday were almost all sold out within hours of shops opening.
The marketing manager for Sony Computer Entertainment Ireland Ltd, Ms Alison Duffy, said there was "a 50-50 split between stores who decided to prebook and those who sold on a first-come-first-served basis.
A spokeswoman for the ESB said people were queueing outside shops from Cork to Dublin. The most eager punters began standing in line outside the Coolock and Ballyfermot branches at 6 p.m. on Thursday evening. Stocks were sold out by 9.05 a.m. yesterday, she said.
In Virgin Megastore, Aston Quay, Dublin, the 65 PlayStations were sold out within an hour of the store's opening at 9 a.m. Queueing started at 3 a.m.
Ms Duffy said the level of demand could not have been anticipated. In Japan, it was predicted that four million units would be sold in a year; instead they sold in under six months.
Games will retail at about £50, and there are 30 titles available with a further 63 to hit the shops by the end of March.
There will be additional PlayStation2 units available here before Christmas, according to Ms Duffy, but she could not confirm amounts or dates. Sony is advising people to keep in touch with local stockists.