Wiimote Straps Recalled

[Hetz]

From the BBC:

Japanese games firm Nintendo is recalling more than three million straps for its new Wii console. The announcement follows scores of complaints about the wrist straps breaking during use.

The strap recall affects all Nintendo Wiis sold worldwide and almost all units currently on shelves in shops. Nintendo has targetted sales of four million Wii consoles by the end of 2006.

http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/strapreplace.jsp

Yeah, I've got to say that the straps they put on there to begin with were pretty flimsy....since they are making quite a large profit on each system sold, they could have at least spent an extra 5 cents to get a halfway decent strap on the thing.

[metallicorphan]

Is there anywhere i can fill out a europe form,i cant find it.........it only gives me the option of America and Canada

[Arkon]

Wait... I thought it was only morons who played way too hard that were having problems.... seems to me a recall would indicate a whole lot more than that.

[Tebunker]

Say what you will, it's better than Microsoft customer service yelling at their customers and refusing to service brand new systems that are less than 30 days old.

[ATB]

Wait... I thought it was only morons who played way too hard that were having problems.... seems to me a recall would indicate a whole lot more than that.

That's what I thought too!


Good thing I'm not an early adopter!

[wonderpug]

Japanese games firm Nintendo is recalling more than three million straps for its new Wii console. The announcement follows scores of complaints about the wrist straps breaking during use.

Terrible reporting by the BBC.  Yes, the recall follows complaints about breaking straps, but it's irresponsible for the reporters to assume that's the cause of the recall.  We're all jumping to conclusions here.

Here's the official release from Nintendo:

Name of Product: Nintendo-branded Wii remote straps

Units: About 3.2 million straps

Strap Distributor: Nintendo Co. Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan

Hazard: These Wii remote straps can overheat and explode, posing a fire hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: Dell has received six reports of Wii straps overheating, one report of Wii strap explosion, resulting in property damage to furniture and personal effects, mild chafing, and decapitation.

Description: The recalled straps were sold with or sold separately to be used with the Nintendo Wii video game console

Remedy: Consumers should stop using these recalled straps immediately and contact Nintendo to receive a replacement strap. Consumers can continue to use the notebook computers safely by turning the system off, calling a bomb squad to untie the strap, and using duct tape or simply not letting go of remote until the replacement strap is received.

[Misguided]

Here's the official release from Nintendo:

Name of Product: Nintendo-branded Wii remote straps

Units: About 3.2 million straps

Strap Distributor: Nintendo Co. Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan

Hazard: These Wii remote straps can overheat and explode, posing a fire hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: Dell has received six reports of Wii straps overheating, one report of Wii strap explosion, resulting in property damage to furniture and personal effects, mild chafing, and decapitation.

Description: The recalled straps were sold with or sold separately to be used with the Nintendo Wii video game console

Remedy: Consumers should stop using these recalled straps immediately and contact Nintendo to receive a replacement strap. Consumers can continue to use the notebook computers safely by turning the system off, calling a bomb squad to untie the strap, and using duct tape or simply not letting go of remote until the replacement strap is received.

I also hear Sony intends to sue, considering they have a patent for "Explosive mechanism contained within benign electronic device"

edit: hah! You missed one

[Hetz]

And here is the class action lawsuit you knew was coming....

http://sanfrancisco.dbusinessnews.com/shownews.php?newsid=100535&type_news=latest

Green Welling LLP, of San Francisco, California along with Siebken & Siegele of Austin, Texas and Short, Cressman & Burgess of Seattle, Washington, filed the nationwide class action lawsuit on behalf of the owners of the Nintendo Wii against Nintendo of America, Inc., in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.

[Misguided]

And here is the class action lawsuit you knew was coming....

http://sanfrancisco.dbusinessnews.com/shownews.php?newsid=100535&type_news=latest

Green Welling LLP, of San Francisco, California along with Siebken & Siegele of Austin, Texas and Short, Cressman & Burgess of Seattle, Washington, filed the nationwide class action lawsuit on behalf of the owners of the Nintendo Wii against Nintendo of America, Inc., in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.

"The Nintendo Wii game console includes a remote and a wrist strap for the remote. Owners of the Nintendo Wii reported that when they used the Nintendo remote and wrist strap, as instructed by the material that accompanied the Wii console, the wrist strap broke and caused the remote to leave the user’s hand. "

Wow...how's that for blatantly false reporting?

[warning]

In some ways it would have been better to have no wrist strap.  That way there's nothing to snap or break and if there's any damage it comes solely from someone releasing the Wiimote.

If they're going to have a wrist strap then it needs to almost be made of chain link and bolted to the user's arm otherwise it just opens up options for litigation.

[Destructor]

In some ways it would have been better to have no wrist strap.  That way there's nothing to snap or break and if there's any damage it comes solely from someone releasing the Wiimote.

You know, that might've been a good idea in the end. Of course, it would be a problem because people would then say there was no protection in the first place.

[Destructor]

And actually, the Wiimote straps are VERY strong apparently:

A guy put 25 pounds of books, a 100 fl. oz. case of laundry detergent, and a 2.5 gallon water jug on a sling suspended only by a Wii strap and it held just fine. After he added the jug, the contraption flipped and smacked him in the face. Wii strap still intact.

What finally did the strap in was him holding the Wiimote in one hand and the strap in the other, pulling and heaving so hard that he started to shake. This process finally made the strap break off.

Conclusion: regular usage shouldn't break the strap. Advice: don't swing the Wiimote around like goddamn David of Goliath fame.

Wowzers. Impressive, no?

[Hetz]

And actually, the Wiimote straps are VERY strong apparently:

A guy put 25 pounds of books, a 100 fl. oz. case of laundry detergent, and a 2.5 gallon water jug on a sling suspended only by a Wii strap and it held just fine. After he added the jug, the contraption flipped and smacked him in the face. Wii strap still intact.

What finally did the strap in was him holding the Wiimote in one hand and the strap in the other, pulling and heaving so hard that he started to shake. This process finally made the strap break off.

Conclusion: regular usage shouldn't break the strap. Advice: don't swing the Wiimote around like goddamn David of Goliath fame.

Wowzers. Impressive, no?

 :icon_eek:

Wow, that is impressive. 

[Space Herpes]

And actually, the Wiimote straps are VERY strong apparently:

Wowzers. Impressive, no?

Seems suspicious, doesn't it?  I wonder how many straps are actually being broken during game play.  Remindes me of the needle in the Pepsi can incident.  For those that don't remember, about 12 years ago, someone went after Pepsi when they found a needle in their can.  The incident was very public, but the investigation was quiet.  They found the needle was from the guys diabetic mother (or wife?) who put the needle in the can because she thought it was garbage.  However, a bunch of people started coming forth claiming they found needles in their Pepsi.  Pepsi collected all the claims then pressed charges (fraud) on the supposed claims.

[warning]

And actually, the Wiimote straps are VERY strong apparently:

A guy put 25 pounds of books, a 100 fl. oz. case of laundry detergent, and a 2.5 gallon water jug on a sling suspended only by a Wii strap and it held just fine. After he added the jug, the contraption flipped and smacked him in the face. Wii strap still intact.

What finally did the strap in was him holding the Wiimote in one hand and the strap in the other, pulling and heaving so hard that he started to shake. This process finally made the strap break off.

Conclusion: regular usage shouldn't break the strap. Advice: don't swing the Wiimote around like goddamn David of Goliath fame.

Wowzers. Impressive, no?

This sounds like a job for...

[Tebunker]

And actually, the Wiimote straps are VERY strong apparently:

Wowzers. Impressive, no?

Seems suspicious, doesn't it?  I wonder how many straps are actually being broken during game play.  Remindes me of the needle in the Pepsi can incident.  For those that don't remember, about 12 years ago, someone went after Pepsi when they found a needle in their can.  The incident was very public, but the investigation was quiet.  They found the needle was from the guys diabetic mother (or wife?) who put the needle in the can because she thought it was garbage.  However, a bunch of people started coming forth claiming they found needles in their Pepsi.  Pepsi collected all the claims then pressed charges (fraud) on the supposed claims.

Flat out Gizmondo is wrong, the straps are breaking because of the friction. Not because of the weight or force of a throw. The force compounds the failing that the friction causes. Look at how the strap is attached to the Remote. It constantly rubs against itself. Even after just casual playing it would eventually fail. Then the poor usage, playing with sweaty hands, and then the over exaggerated playing only compounds the physics of this straps rubbing against itself all the time.