Nintendo’s Wii Fit game is selling out so quickly that retailers fear they won’t have any left for Christmas.
Wii Fit is a keep-fit game that includes an unusual accessory, the ‘balance board’. Resembling a set of bathroom scales, the balance board can detect your weight and balance and interpret the movements on-screen.
It allows players to take part in 40 activities such as yoga and skiing, and is designed to encourage exercise, strengthen your body and improve posture. The game can calculate your body mass index and tell you your Wii Fit age, which gradually improves as you do more exercise.
Wii Fit launched in April and has proven a world-wide phenomenon, selling out in Japan and the United States as quickly as retailers can get them in stock.
In the UK it sold 338,000 units in the first two weeks, making it the eighth best game launch in history. Like the Wii console itself Wii Fit has a wider appeal than most games, with particular interest among women.
But while this is good news for Nintendo, retailers in the UK fear that they won’t be able to keep up with demand. Wii Fit already sells out as soon as it comes in, and with prices on Ebay rising well above the £70 RRP it may be difficult to find one at Christmas unless you start shopping early.