Europe gears up for Wii launch

Doing its best to build anticipation for the launch of the Wii in Europe on December 8th, Nintendo is urging would be consumers to place pre-orders to secure a console on day one.

âWe're launching a great product and we knew that demand would be high,â said Laurent Fischer, marketing director at Nintendo Europe.

âNintendo's expansion of the gaming market is paying dividends and Wii really is the must have item for Christmas.â

âObviously, we're doing everything we can to make sure that everyone who wants one, gets one,â he added.

Nintendo is also planning launch events, with retail partner HMV inviting the public to mingle with celebrities at its flagship store on Oxford Street, offering limited edition products to those arriving early enough.