"Reports out of the US suggest 360 pre-orders have already drained stocks - before they're even on the shelves

Stocks of Xbox 360 consoles are already critically low because of rampant pre-ordering, according to reports emanating from US retailers.

The reports, which remain speculation at this point, suggest that numerous large US retailers including EB Games and Gamestop have already exhausted their early stock allocations.

It seems that the demand for Microsoft's next-gen machine has been so great that a huge number of customers have pre-ordered their Xbox 360s - possibly resulting in empty store shelves when the console actually launches in November.

The news will cause distress for Microsoft, which was hit by severe Xbox stock shortages in the run-up to last Christmas. Also, potential Xbox 360 shortages could complicate the console's planned worldwide launch - it's expected to release in the US, Europe and Asia within weeks of each other in November.

But the Redmond-based giant seemed unphased by the reports when we contacted it for comment. "Excitement for Xbox 360 is running high," said a spokesperson, "and we're working with our manufacturing partners to ensure we meet worldwide demand for Xbox 360 this Christmas.""