Nintendo Wii: the world's greatest console?

If the Nintendo Wii continues selling at its current lightning rate, it could achieve the exclusive title of the most successful games console ever, according to an industry forecaster.

Games analyst Andrew Milgate, from market watcher GfK, made the claim to an Aussie publication following news that 200,000 units of the console have already been sold Down Under in the past 50 weeks. By comparison, both the Nintendo DS and Sony's PS2 took 55 weeks to achieve identical sales figures.

The Wii’s currently undergoing a supply crisis in the UK, as gamers fight to get their hands on one in time for Christmas. HMV’s head of games at its Oxford Street, London branch recently alleged that a delivery of the consoles sold out in a little over 30 minutes – although he didn’t say how many were delivered.

Nintendo’s already managed to double its profits during the six months to the end of September, much of which was attributed to the Wii’s global sales success.

The company claims it produces 1.8m Wiis each month. It now aims to have shipped 17.5m globally between April this year and March 2008, marking an increase of 3.5m consoles from its earlier forecast in April.