RETAILERS were last night bracing themselves for a buying frenzy as die-hard gamers rushed to get their hands on the new Microsoft Xbox 360 console.

There were reports yesterday lunchtime that in Manchester and Birmingham fans were already queuing outside some stores ahead of the midnight launch.

Many UK retailers have already sold out of pre-ordered stocks, leaving only a small amount left to go on the shelves.

These were expected to be quickly snapped up after the Europe-wide midnight launch.

It is set to be one of the must-have items this Christmas along with rival Sony's PlayStation Portable (PSP).

Video game chain Chips had three of its stores, in Bishop Auckland, Middlesbrough and Stockton, opening their doors at midnight, with several others in the region opening at 7am.

It said it could have sold "many, many hundreds" of consoles more than the allocation it was given.

Debra McCabe, Chips franchise and marketing director, said: "There is no doubt about it, there are going to be a lot of unhappy people out there who are just unable to get their hands on an Xbox 360.

"Everyone who has pre-ordered with us has received an invitation to be there at the opening of our stores and we expect them all to be there.

"We know how excited our customers are about this machine and we want to get it into their hands as quickly as possible."

Gaming fan Neil Harvey, from Ferryhill, County Durham, was one of those planning to pick up his console from Chips' Bishop Auckland store at midnight.

The 36-year-old, a father of three, was the first at the store to put a deposit down for the machine back in July.

He said: "Most of my friends are getting one.

"It looks really amazing, what with the graphics and what it will be capable of."