Nintendo confirms 4 million Wiis for 2006

Nintendo has announced that approximately 4 million Wii consoles will be available worldwide in 2006.

Nintendo has confirmed that around four million Wii consoles will be made available for the launch, referring to the period beginning on November 19 and the six weeks that follow. The largest share of consoles will be allocated to the Americas, but Nintendo still expects demand to outpace supply.

Nintendo also says that it is "maximizing all its resources for a rapid replenishment program designed to consistently pump Wii consoles into the supply pipeline and keep retailers' shelves as filled as possible." Nintendo will be employing fleets of planes, cargo ships, trains and ground vehicles in each market to ensure the best possible supply.

"Wii is for both experienced and uninitiated gamers, and it will be available for the masses," says Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. "Because of demand, we're urging shoppers not to get complacent. The level of demand we're seeing goes beyond the ordinary. Retailers are telling us a significant fraction of customers pre-ordering Wii are nontraditional gamers - people looking for a better way to play. And that's exactly what Wii is designed to provide."

The Wii goes on sale first in the Americas on November 19, then in Japan on December 2, and in Europe on December 8.