Whilst is widely regarded as the spiritual home of the obscure vending machine (every conceivable item can be purchased from the machines, ranging from whisky to shirts), America today announced some ambitious vending machine plans of their own for North American gamers.

The company plan to sell consoles and games via vending machines strategically placed in locations such as shopping malls and airports. Machines are even as we speak on trial in California, Georgia and Colorado, according to interweb news, and the so-called 'robotic stores' stock all manner of items in addition to PSPs, including CD players, digital cameras, as well as games and DVDs too.

Presumably the security of such automated points must be a little more sophisticated than your typical machine, designed to sell crisps and drinks, what's more, the machines won't take payment in cash. Only credit and debit cards will be accepted.

Nintendo already sell GBA games and accessories via vending machines in the land of the rising sun, and Sony are so confident their trial will succeed that they are plotting a further seven machines across the USA. We'll keep you posted on this.

By Luke Guttridge