The Wii U is all set to blow the sales of its predecessor out of the water. The console will sell 3.5 million units before the end of this December according to the IHS Screen Digest and reported by Forbes.

The original Wii, by comparison, moved 3.1 million copies during the same period in 2006. That marks a 12% increase in sales, which IHS predicts will lead to stock shortages in the future. That'll make the console very difficult to find over the next few months, and all the more expensive on eBay and other auction sites.

On the other hand, the IHS predicts that the console will not outsell its predecessor in the long term. The Wii sold 75.9 million copies through October, while the Wii U is predicted to only sell 53.2 million copies over its lifetime.

"This time around, Wii U's pure innovation, coupled with a limited volume of high-quality Nintendo software, will not be enough to drive the ongoing sales momentum we witnessed with the Wii console, especially at a higher price point," IHS senior principal analyst Piers Harding-Rolls said.

The Wii is the highest-selling console of this console generation, so it's no surprise that the Wii U won't quite meet those high standards. We'll just have to see how the thing performs for ourselves when it releases on November 18th in the US. Be sure to stop by for unboxing videos of the console, as well as reviews of its launch titles.