Emergency deliveries of PlayStation 2 game consoles are being shipped into Ireland and the UK over the next few days as existing stocks have run out, leaving many parents facing an awkward Christmas.
Russian Antonov An-124 freight jets have been chartered to bring the deliveries to Europe from China following a shipping problem in the Middle East.
However, video game fans hoping to buy a console this Christmas are being warned to expect disappointment as it has sold out in Ireland for the present.
Sony has chartered the aircraft to transport the consoles from China after a shipment destined for Europe became stuck in the Suez Canal when an oil tanker ran aground last month halting canal traffic.
Major gaming retail outlets yesterday said they were completely sold out of the consoles, with a number of them saying they were not expecting to have any in stock before Christmas Day.
The shortage has been a major embarrassment for Sony internationally. In the UK it has led to sales dropping from 70,000 a week to around 6,000.
According to a HMV spokesman, with the PlayStation consoles out of stock, consumers have turned to rival consoles such as Nintendo's X-Box and the Gamecube.
Mr Genaro Castaldo, a HMV spokesman, yesterday told The Irish Times: "Quite a considerable number of our outlets in Ireland and the UK are currently out of stock, and we anticipate it being an ongoing issue up until the end of the Christmas period. While we are expecting a shipment in the coming days, it is highly likely that it won't be enough to meet the demand."
A spokesman for Sony said: "Our delay overall was about two weeks. We're air-freighting as much as we can get in from China." Sony Ireland said a number of consoles were due in stores later in the week, but "supply may not reach demand".
Consumers are being warned to prepare for disappointment. A spokesman for the company said consumers hoping to get their hands on a PlayStation 2 for Christmas morning were urged to "maintain regular contact with their local retailer".