Four Million Wiis by Year's End

Nintendo said it plans to make at least four million Wii consoles available between its launch November 19 and the end of the year. While most of those consoles will be shipped to the Americas, the company still expects demand to be outpaced by supply.

A rapid replenishment system has been designed by Nintendo that is intended to keep Wii shipments flowing to store shelves on a consistent basis, it said.

"Because of demand, we're urging shoppers not to get complacent. The level of demand we're seeing goes beyond the ordinary," Nintendo America president Reggie Fils-Aime. "Retailers are telling us a significant fraction of customers pre-ordering Wii are nontraditional gamers -- people looking for a better way to play."

The Nintendo Wii will go on sale in the US on November 19 at a price of $249.99 USD. Within five weeks of launch, 62 games are expected to be available for the console, both new and classic games. Nintendo will launch the Wii in Japan on December 2, followed by a European launch December 8.