The weak U.S. dollar means that a trip across the Pond might just cost you a whole lot more than you're used to. If you do make it to Europe in the near future, you could probably pick up a Wii--but, of course, that will cost you more too. The Dallas Morning News had an interesting story on how, because of the strong Euro (relative to the dollar, anyway) Nintendo has been shipping more Wii consoles to Europe than to North America.

The good news is that demand is softening in Europe. So rather than let units languish on the shelves while waiting for rich American tourists to pick them up, Nintendo will likely start to increase the supply to North America. One thing the article doesn't explain, and something I've never been able to get clear on, is why has there been a shortage for a system that has been out for nearly a year and a half. No doubt Nintendo likes the hype, but in my opinion, the company missed a golden opportunity to take a tremendous lead over the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Demand is a great thing, but in the console wars, getting that lead early never hurts--especially when you have a system that many consider to have novelty appeal more than anything else.

Post by Peter Suciu