Sony's eagerly awaited PlayStation 2 console has finally gone on sale, but don't expect to be able to buy one anywhere.

An initial UK allocation of 200,000 of the next-generation games machines has been slashed to just 165,000, practically guaranteeing a complete pre-Christmas sell-out, and a lot of very unhappy customers.

Sony introduced a PlayStation 2 pre-order system earlier this year, with units being allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Now, it seems that 35,000 people won't be served at all.

There is a little festive cheer, though. Sony has benevolently decided to throw in a copy of the YA-Basic coding language with European PlayStation 2s, allowing tinkerers to create their own programs and games.

But it's not an entirely altruistic move. Sony hopes that the inclusion of programming tools will convince Customs & Excise that the PlayStation 2 is a computer rather than a video games console, which will enable it to avoid paying two per cent import duty on the devices.