Retailers who took pre-orders for the $249 portable video game unit sold out their initial shipments as long as a month ago. Even Salt Lake City video game developer Incognito can't get PSPs for its employees - even though the company is owned by Sony and has made a game for the PSP.

And if you are reading this after noon, you might as well forget about trying to pick one up for yourself because it's likely that stores, some of which held midnight PSP parties around the country, will be sold out by now.

Sony's assault on the $1.8 billion portable video game market begins today, with anticipation for its first gaming-on-the-go system expected to pump up a flat video game market.

"The hype for the PSP is pretty amazing," said Electronic Gaming Monthly chief editor Dan Hsu. "It already has a word-of-mouth buzz about it."

At the EB Games store at Salt Lake City's Gateway, all pre-orders are sold out, said manager Michael Miller, who doesn't know when another shipment will come in. The story is the same at other stores that took advance orders.

In Japan, where the PSP was first released on Dec. 12, Sony has sold more than 1.1 million units, nearly a quarter of them in the first day, said Sony spokesman Patrick Seybold.

So what is this electronic plaything that is an object of desire for every video game enthusiast?

The PSP, short for PlayStation Portable, is a sleek gaming unit that is more powerful than the recently released Nintendo DS. Its biggest selling point is a 4.3-inch LCD screen, the largest of any handheld system. Sony, taking a page from the design philosophy at Apple, which makes the iPod, is hoping to seduce people with the PCP's look.

"It's a sexy, beautiful machine," Hsu said. "The minute you set your eyes on it, you're drawn to it."

The handheld system is no slouch under the hood, though. In addition to playing games that look almost as good as those on its big brother, the PlayStation 2, the PSP is capable of playing movies, MP3 music files and displaying digital photos. And its wireless feature allows gamers to play online.

Games are stored on mini CDs called Universal Media Discs, which also can hold entire movies. About a dozen games, from racing titles to puzzle games, will be available today with another dozen or so expected in the next few weeks. So far, more than 100 game developers are designing titles for the system, and three movie studios have agreed to distribute movies on the format.

"It's more than just a gaming platform," Sony's Seybold said. "It's the answer for a comprehensive entertainment device."

While analysts expect Sony to sell the million units it ships within the first week, the bigger question is whether the Japanese electronic giant can take a chunk out of a market dominated by Nintendo for more than 15 years with its Game Boy handheld systems. Some estimate there are more than 100 million Game Boys in homes around the world, accounting for 99 percent of the handheld market. Nintendo has so far stocked retail outlets with 4 million units of the Nintendo DS.

That has Sony executives crossing their fingers. This is the company's first foray into the portable video game market, which has seen contenders like Atari, Sega and SNK crushed under the weight of the big N since the 1980s. Sony is no novice in the video game market, having overtaken Nintendo in the home console sector with the PlayStation and PlayStation 2. Still, the home of Mario Bros. is unfazed.

"We've faced formidable competitors in the past," Nintendo's Beth Llewelyn said shortly after the release of the Nintendo DS last November, "but Nintendo remains strong and we continue to be the leader. Sony certainly has an uphill battle."

Video game fanatic Sean Evans of Sugar House, 23, who ordered his PSP four months ago, hopes Sony can overtake Nintendo in the portable gaming market because "I'm tired of playing on handhelds with a tiny screen and horrible resolution."

"Sony has the power to do it and the ability to steal the handheld market from Nintendo," he said. "It's a battle of technology - who can build the bigger and better toy."

PlayStation Portable (PSP)

* Price: $249. Includes PSP, headphones with remote control, carrying case, 32 MB memory stick, AC adapter, cleaning cloth, sample disc of game and movie videos, disc of "Spider-Man 2."

* Number of games available: Approximately 12 the first day. Another dozen within the next few weeks.

* What's under the hood: The fastest processor ever for any portable gaming unit capable of displaying graphics close to PlayStation 2 quality on a 4.3-inch LCD screen.

* Other features: Plays movies on a small Universal Media Disc as well as MP3 music, digital photos and videos on a memory stick. Also has a wireless connection (Wi-Fi) for multiplayer gaming in the same room and through the Internet.

* Battery life: 3 1/2 to 6 hours, depending on what's playing.