The Wii sales in the UK for the past few data weeks have been:

7th October: 21,619

14th October: 38,130

21st October: 53,170

28th October: 59,648

Before this, sales of the Wii had been slowly declining.

This represents a spectacular rebound (go and look at the "compare consoles" chart and look at the gradient!) with a 176% increase in sales for no apparent reason: no hit games, no price cut, no new model or anything similar.

It's not a global effect: America and Japan seem unaffected.

It's not the season, because Xbox 360 and PS3 have declined if anything, and avalibility was OK in most stores (at least in my town) and internet retailers. 

Why, then, has this happened?

some news confirmed that it was, so that's why there was this big correction all around

 Does that account for all of it? Why have there been three weeks of increasing sales then?

Maybe people after hearing how hard it has been to get a Wii throughout the year, have started buying their Christmas presents early?

Anticipitation for Mario Galaxy?

Heavy advertising paying off?

Metriod Prime 3?

A combination of the above?

 don't see it as an increase in sales, it is just a correction of the weeks before it, those were apperently undertracked. Or atleast, this is what i'm assuming, if it really is an increase, i have no idea idd :P

Maybe people after hearing how hard it has been to get a Wii throughout the year, have started buying their Christmas presents early?

I'd expect at least some increase for Xbox 360 and PS3 if that was the case, but maybe.

Anticipitation for Mario Galaxy?

Possibly?

Heavy advertising paying off?

Advertsing has been pretty constant all year.

Metriod Prime 3?

Even the Nintendo fanboys at my school have never played Metroid.

A combination of the above?

...?

I haven't heard any reports about PS3 and 360 shortages throughout the year, but many for the Wii.

I would think that anticipation for Galaxy would count towards a slight increase, maybe not a huge increase, but a factor towards it.

People start paying more attention to advertising this time of year. People are discussing presents for Christmas, and advertising would play a big role in this.

Metroid Prime 3 was just an idea.

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You also have to remember that the declines for the PS3 and 360 were expected. At the prices they are, they can't expect to maintain Wii-threatening levels of sales. The Halo effect is wearing off, as with the PS3 price cut. I believe that the H3 sales, and the PS3 cut sales were higher than what the Christmas sales are going to be, so a decrease would be expected.

Talking about growth/decline in wii sales is pretty difficult while it's still so consistently sold out.

It shows variation in the ammount of hardware shipped more than anything else imo.

Do not worry when the realplay games are released Wii fad is over.

there is something such as "wii fad" ?