HMV will open a devoted gaming zone in its Edinburgh store this Friday.

Gamers will be able to make use of 27 linked up Xbox 360s for 16 player network games or access to Xbox Live.

Once signed up to a membership scheme, HMV will charge customers £5 for three hours play.

A number of in-store competitions are in the pipeline, on titles such as Guitar Hero III, Project Gotham Racing 4 and Halo 3, reported Games Industry.    

The retailer claims the new move is indicative of its growing commitment to games, and if successful it will extend the service to other stores.

"Games are now an integral part of the HMV offer, and whether we're selling them or, as in this case, also making them available on a pay-per-play basis, it's about getting our customers closer to the things they love, and giving them access to content however they wish to consume it," said Tim Ellis, head of games at HMV. "This is a really exciting project, which I feel will generate a great deal of interest. If the HMV gaming zone proves a hit, then we'll consider if there are opportunities to roll out the concept to other stores in the chain."