There’s still plenty of time to Christmas, but in the event a West Coast shipping port lockout continues, inventory levels for many products—including videogame hardware and software—may start to dwindle.

Beginning Friday, The Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) locked out over 10,000 workers from the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), effectively closing 29 West Coast ports of entry. The dispute centers mainly on the PMA’s wish to integrate tracking and processing technology. The ILWU wants any new positions created to make use of technology, such as those who operate scanners, to be union jobs. The ILWU’s contract expired on September 1.

Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. announced earlier this week that, sensing a coming strike, it had boosted inventory levels in its California warehouse, adding that it would be able to address retailer’s “near-term” demand.

One company that may have a leg up on the pending shortages could be Microsoft Corp., whose Xbox console is manufactured in both Mexico and China. A Microsoft spokesman told a Washington paper that it was “comfortable with their current situation,” and was receiving shipments from its Mexican factory.

Nintendo and Sony, who rely solely on Asian manufacturers, could feel the pinch much sooner than Microsoft, in the event of a prolonged lockout.

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