It's been quite a while since Nintendo's latest brainchild, the Nintendo Wii, has been unleashed onto the world. And like all the neat electronic devices that carry with them the legendary Nintendo logo, there's been quite the demand for the motion-sensing consoles - enough that newly-arrived stocks where sold out mere hours after they were received by stores.

Certainly, Nintendo's stepped up production to keep in pace with the Wii's popularity - after all, it's just going to be bad form if they keep a lot of their eager fans Wii-deficient.

So, has supply caught up with demand yet?

The answer is a resounding no, and it comes from the frustrated groans and moans of Nintendo fans of all ages - especially those who take time off work or sit in line early before the stores themselves open. There's simply not enough Wiis to go around, with stores selling out all over the place.

What about purchasing them online, then? While hassle-free and convenient, ordering a Wii online can have one paying more than twice the amount of a store-bought Wii, and that's not including the shipping/handling fees. Not to mention that you risk purchasing a maltreated, malfunctioning console that won't even turn on. Fun will not be had by all.

For Nintendo's part, they admit that the demand for the Wii has absolutely exceeded their expectations, and that they're "trying to move them as fast as we can." Well, step it up a notch, Nintendo - there are more Wii-deprived people out there that will not stand for this shortage (including yours truly). With the current craze, though, it doesn't look like the demand's going to wane soon - and analysts are predicting that while it's inevitable that supply will catch up with demand, it won't be until next year.

Oh, well. All we can do is hope that the next store we drive up on has that one Wii left in storage - that, or wait till Nintendo adds another production line. Updates as we get them.