Nintendo plans to increase Wii production

A Nintendo spokesman has confirmed to industry site Gi.biz that the company plans to increase Wii production as demand for the system continues to outstrip supply.

"For the first three months of this year we have been producing one million hardware units per month. We are increasing the manufacturing capacity and forecast to ship 14 million in this fiscal year to our distributors and retail customers globally," the spokesperson said.

"We have put solid production plans in place to ensure a steady flow of product through 2007. We are constantly replenishing Wii supplies, however with such high demand, stock is still flying off shelves so consumers should continue to be in touch with their local retailers to confirm when new stock is arriving."

The announcement comes after Nintendo revealed that 5.84 million Wii consoles have been sold so far, and many countries - including the UK - have experienced empty shelves.

But when asked when the shortages will end on the high street, the spokesman said, "We are increasing our production capacity of Wii units, but with the unprecedented demand for the console we can’t predict that at this time."