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   Europe was the last of the major territories to receive Nintendo's Wii console today, and in the first 12 hours alone, some 50,000 units were reportedly sold. That's more than one sale every second - much to the satisfaction of Nintendo UK boss David Yarnton, who offered the following post-launch generic statemet:
"We are delighted with the amazing response to Wii and that people of all ages and gaming experience are embracing the way that we are turning the industry on its head. With so many units sold it is great to see that people will be enjoying Wii with their families this Christmas."    The official launch took place at HMV's Oxford Street store in London, and you can check out some photos on CVG, Eurogamer, and again on CVG. It's interesting to note that, yesterday morning, the police decided to disperse the crowd that was waiting in front of the store, for fear of fights possibly breaking in the queue. There were no actual incidents, and the people returned later that evening to claim their Wii at the midnight launch event. They were also greeted by sporting stars Ian Wright, Nell McAndrew, Ricky Hatton and Pat Cash, who went head to head in tennis and boxing matches on Wii Sports. First in line was Marwan Elgamal, 17, who commented:
"I have been looking forward to this day for months! Despite the cold and rain, it was well worth it - not only was I the very first person in the UK to own the Wii, but I also got to thrash Ian Wright in a game of Wii Sports!"    But even though HMV was Nintendo's official partner for the launch, word amongst those queuing was that there were more Wii units in stock at the GAME store down the street, where people were joining the crowd even after midnight. Speaking to GamesIndustry, GAME CEO Lisa Morgan said she thinks "that's the biggest queue I've ever seen for any of the launches I've attended - and I've done every single one. It's fantastic. It's more than we could have expected".

   It's not yet clear how many Wii units were allocated for all of Europe, but regardless, high demand means that shortages are expected throughtout Christmas and until the beginning of 2007. Pretty much like everywhere else in the world, for that matter.