Nintendo announces Wii "rain check" program

In a conference call, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime announced a new program addressing the shortage of its Wii console.

Under terms of the program, consumers who purchase a Wii console through GameStop in December will be guaranteed delivery of the system by the end of January.

A year after its launch, the console remains in short supply.

Jim Silver, editor in chief of Toy Wishes magazine and an industry analyst, said it was unusual for an in-demand product to remain so hard to find for so long.

"It's pretty amazing," Silver told The New York Times. "By a year later with hot items, inventory usually catches up."

James Lin, a senior analyst at the MDB Capital Group in Santa Monica, California, estimates that Nintendo is leaving USD 1.3 billion on the table by not having enough supply to meet the demand.

"They could easily sell double what they're selling," he said.