Midnight events for US Wii launch

As Nintendo gears up for the November 19 launch of the Wii, hype is building for the machine.

Yesterday Nintendo released a statement promising that 4 million consoles would be available worldwide in the run-up to Christmas, though it advised consumers "not to get complacent" and preorder a console to avoid disappointment.

Retail giant Wal-Mart briefly offered preorders of the Nintendo Wii Customer's Choice Bundle for $533.56 to early birds yesterday, although by early afternoon, the bundles had already sold out.

Today Nintendo announced that the Toys "R" Us store in Times Square, New York, and the GameStop store at Universal CityWalk, Los Angeles, will be hosting official midnight launch events. Other retailers across the country are also expected to open at midnight, and Nintendo advises checking with local stores for details.

The event at the Times Square Toys "R" Us will be the first place in the world a Wii will be sold, and the first next-gen Nintendo console may be handed out by none other than Reggie Fils-Aime, president of Nintendo of America. In September, Fils-Aime told ABC News that he would be on location at a New York store for the console's launch, but did not specify what outlet.