As if the empty shelves and hour long lines didn't speak for themselves, Nintendo of America has announced that over 600,000 Wii consoles have been sold in just the first eight days of purchase, "instantly" becoming a $190 million dollar business in the Americas alone.

"Even with sales already in excess of 600,000 units, demand continues to exceed supply, as it's clear this is one of the ‘gotta-have' products for the holiday season," said NOA President Reggie Fils-Aime. "We've shipped retailers several times the amount of hardware the other company [Sony] was able to deliver for its launch around the same time - and we still sold out. Given the inclusive nature of Wii game play, we're seeing this new form of video gaming is already a huge hit with gamers and newcomers alike. It continues to be a phenomenal launch."

As interesting as it was expected, Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess also saw its fair share of sales, with a reported 454,000 units sold since its Nov.19 launch, accounting for roughly 75% of all hardware purchases. For more information on Nintendo's announcement, check out the full press release on page two of this story.


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Related: Twilight Princess Gallery | Wii Hardware Gallery | Sonic SR Preview | Elebits Preview