Midnight queue for Wii launch

Eager games fans queued from midnight at a Shropshire store to get their hands on the latest Nintendo console in time for Christmas.

The electronics giant expects the Wii to be the UK's biggest ever console launch.

Gamestation, in Shrewsbury's Pride Hill, was packed out with about 200 customers last night as it opened for the consoles to go on sale at midnight. A huge counter marked down the minutes.

The when the clock struck 12 shoppers were at last able to get their hands on the consoles.

Store manager Mark Touron said they had been flying off the shelves.

"At half past one it was absolutely heaving still, it has been the maddest day we've ever had here.

"With all the families there were about 200 people in the shop, we had sweets and cans of coke for everybody and they have all gone.

"It is still heaving this morning and we opened at half past eight," he added.

"We have sold most of our first allocation and they have all sold out on order. I could sell literally a thousand of them if I could get a thousand."

The new console is intended to appeal to more women, families and a broader customer age range than the traditional video games market. It has a wireless wand-like remote that interacts with the game.

And Mr Touron said it gets the thumbs up from everyone at his store.

"We were playing on it all last night. It is a great machine. It is probably the biggest launch we have ever had here."

Nintendo has about four million Wii units worldwide.

By Alys Cummings