Record breaking. Those are really the only two words to describe Australia’s sales of preorders for the red hot Nintendo Wii right now. While the PS3’s preorder lists were about average for a new console launch, the Wii has accumulated over 30,000 preorders. News.com reports that since the preorders have been available, people all around the country have gobbled them all up.

When a console launches, there’s usually the hardcore gamers that eat up the first and second and even perhaps the fifth and sixth shipments out, but in Australia this is not the case by far. Women and the older population in large numbers have been preordering the Wii, and those members of the community aren’t doing it just for kids anymore as gifts, they’re doing it because they want to play with the innovative control. They see how easy it is, and that they don’t need to memorize buttons like you need to do on those other pesky systems. “RB what? LS what? R2? Huh?” is what you hear coming from an older parent or someone who isn’t familiar with controllers from consoles. Now though; they just do what feels right, and that is what’s hooking people from all demographics around. The people of Australia know something good when they see it, and they all want to be apart of the Wii.

This was part of the article:

“Wii gets gamers off the couch,” Nintendo Australia spokesman Vispi Bhopti says. “Gaming is no longer about just sitting and watching. Expect to work up a sweat.”

The experience has proved to be so immersive that Nintendo was last week forced to issue a safety warning after reports of gamers damaging television screens, walls and furniture after becoming overly enthusiastic.

Nintendo expects “thousands” of people to queue for the $400 machines at midnight Wednesday openings nationwide.

“We expect demand will outweigh supply and that there will be a few more ’sickies’ than usual on Thursday,” Mr Bhopti said.

Microsoft was first to market in November 2005 with its next-generation console, the Xbox 360. Six million 360s have been sold globally.

Xbox 360 was Australia’s fastest selling console, with about 30,000 bought by gamers in the first four days.

With the Nintendo Wii having 30,000 preorders before the general public even gets to touch them, you can pretty much assume this will be one record breaking season for Nintendo this Christmas. DS lite sales have skyrocketed this past year all around the world, and with the Wii’s similar design with innovative control over power things are only looking postive for Nintendo.