The BBC is running in article which claims they have discovered something big - Wii shortages are expected this Christmas. Retailers, gaming fans and Nintendo themselves are quoted at various times indicating that the Wii will be hard to come by. A Spokeswoman commented that global demand has been higher than they could've anticipated and seasonality demand trends are being broken as the Wii is in high demand all-year round.

From the high street, the message is very similar.

"Although we're receiving regular deliveries from Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft and getting the products onto the shelves as fast as we can - it's possible that demand will outstrip supplies on some products, for example the Nintendo Wii, which has been hugely popular all through the year," read a statement from high street gaming specialist Game.

"We're posting daily updates on our website at www.game.co.uk/stock to give customers the latest news on availability, and will continue to do everything possible to help our customers find the consoles they want."

Woolworths said that it was receiving a "slow trickle of stock every week" and also advised customers to keep an eye on their website.

"The Nintendo Wii consoles have proved extremely popular with our customers and have been flying off the shelves whenever we get new stock in," said a spokeswoman.