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GameStop Corp., the largest specialty retailer of video games, said its initial allocation of Sony Corp. PlayStation 4 consoles sold out and that 2.3 million customers are waiting for the devices.

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Initial sales of the player exceeded its predecessor, the PlayStation 3, by more than 80% in the first few days, executives of the Grapevine, Texas-based chain said today on a conference call with analysts. They also anticipate a large waiting list for Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox One, suggesting a prolonged industry sales slump is ending.

Sony said on Nov. 17 it sold more than 1 million PlayStation 4 consoles in the U.S. and Canada within 24 hours of the US$399 machine going on sale. The figure included some of the 1 million units Tokyo-based Sony presold on a global basis, said Dan Race, a PlayStation spokesman.

Microsoft’s US$499 Xbox One goes on sale tomorrow in 13 countries and also is expected to be in high demand after a seven-year drought on new home consoles from the two companies. Nintendo Co.’s Wii U is entering its second year of sales.