UK Wii Debut
BBC News articles:
Wii's debut for European gamers
Nintendo's Wii console went on sale at midnight on Thursday in Europe, but some gamers are disappointed that pre-orders have not been fulfilled.
Nintendo expects the console to sell out on day one and more than four million Wiis will be shipped globally this year.
The first console in the UK was sold officially to 17-year-old student Marwan Elgamal, from London.
Many gamers have e-mailed the BBC News website complaining of stock shortages.
Mr Elgamal said: "I am a die-hard Nintendo boy.
"This is the first time that you can pick one up, so I just had to be here.
"I have been camping out here, but at the same time some of my friends have been camping out waiting for me to get my hands on it."
One of the unlucky gamers e-mailed BBC News to say he had been disappointed when he went to collect his console.
"I pre-ordered a Wii from Currys," said CJ Anderson from Kent, in the UK.
"But when I went to pick it up, I found the store covered in posters telling me that they (as in all Curry's shops) had received none from Nintendo and that their allocation had been reallocated to another store."
He was offered and accepted a refund.
More than 1,200 Wiis have gone on sale on online auction site eBay in the UK within hours of the launch.
The highest price for a console so far has been £500.
Nintendo is taking a different approach to rivals Sony and Microsoft - focusing on casual games and fun, family titles.
Remote control
The console costs £179 and includes a motion-sensitive controller shaped like a remote control.
The so-called Wiimote can be jabbed, swung, waved and turned to imitate a range of real-life motions that are represented on screen.
Nintendo hopes that simplifying the control system will make games consoles less intimidating to non-gamers and more accessible and immersive for hardened players.
Woolworths gaming boss Gerry Berkley said: "The Nintendo Wii is already a runaway success and we expect tomorrow to be the busiest day of the year for gaming."
Gamers who have not pre-ordered a machine are unlikely to find many on sale in UK shops on Friday morning.
Warning
Jason Legg, head of events at HMV, warned that many games fans who had not pre-ordered their consoles could be disappointed.
"There will be a very, very slim chance of picking one up on Friday morning," he said.
Response to the Nintendo Wii's release has been very positive among consumers and journalists.
Nintendo's different approach to gaming has won over many people and the launch has been generally problem-free - in contrast to Sony's PlayStation 3 launch which was hit by chronic stock shortages and reports of early teething problems.
'Too flimsy'
Many blogs have reported that the Wiimote strap is too flimsy and there are accounts of the remote flying out of hands and crashing into TV screens.
Nintendo has sent an e-mail to customers with further advice on how to use the console's controller after reports of customers accidentally throwing the remote into television screens.
"Hold the remote securely and avoid excessive motion during game play. If your hands become moist, stop and dry your hands," the company recommended.
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said of the problems: "We are investigating."
He added: "Some people are getting a lot more excited than we'd expected.
"We need to better communicate to people how to deal with Wii as a new form of entertainment."
Nintendo also cautioned players to stay at least three feet away from the TV and to make sure people and objects were safely outside their range of motion.
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