If you have children (or you're a big kid yourself) chances are good that you've been hearing a lot about Tekken Tag Tournament, SSX, and Madden NFL 2001 lately. What do these all have in common? They're game titles for the hottest thing going this holiday season! The Sony PlayStation 2.

What makes the PS2 such a sought-after commodity? "The graphics are great!" says Joe Fielder, Site Director for GameSpot.com. "There's also DVD functionality, which makes this more like a true home entertainment system. And there's backward compatibility, which means that you can play the older PlayStation games on it."

The frenzy around this holiday's hot item centers around the fact that Sony sent 500,000 units to the Unites States, half the promised units, and most were sold hours after the October 26th U.S. launch. The unprecedented demand and limited supply for the PS2 has people sleeping on the street in front of retail stores to get a system.

Other shoppers are turning to alternative venues, and that means online auction sites are humming with PS2 auctions. Do a search on eBay and you're likely to find nearly 3,000 listings with the words "Sony PlayStation 2" in the title. And most of the auctions are doing quite nicely, thank you. In fact, it's common to see Playstation 2 auctions on eBay ending at two to three times the $299 retail price.

So, if you're looking to have a PS2 in time for Christmas, be prepared to pay a premium, either in dollars or in time spent waiting in line. If you do decide to purchase yours via online auction, make sure you check the seller's feedback.

If you're outbid on a PS2 system online, don't fret. Sony will be shipping 100,000 units per week to the U.S. through the end of this year, and it's projected that by March 2001, there will be over 3 million units in this country. Until then, where are the best places to find your PlayStation 2?

"Check the overlooked retailers," advises Joe Fielder. "People are lining up at Electronic Boutiques and Toys 'R Us. Go to Wal-Mart, Target and Sears, they're getting units in on a regular basis. Find out what day they get shipments in and get there early!"

And if that doesn't work?

Back to eBay!