RSSNintendo to Recall 3.2M Wiimote Straps
By Ed Oswald | Published December 15, 2006, 12:21 PM
Half-heartedly acknowledging that there may be some type of issue with the straps that hold the controller to gamers hands, Nintendo will voluntarily recall 3.2 million of them to be replaced with stronger versions. In addition, an AC adapter for its DS handheld system has been recalled as well.
Costs for the strap replacement would run in the hundreds of millions of yen, while the adapter recall, affecting 200,000 units in Japan, would cost between 100-200 million yen ($848,000 -$1.7 milion USD). The cost would be divided between Nintendo and its supplier, Nagano Japan.
Neither recall in expected to have a substantial affect on earnings, the company says. Those who have recently purchased a console may already have the new strap, as the company began shipping consoles with the reinforced version starting in early December.
While there have been publicly reported cases of injuries and property damage as a result of broken straps, no injury reports have been received as a result of the AC adapter issue. Nintendo said in rare cases, the unit may overheat and could pose a burn risk.
However, the company does not see the callback of the straps as a true recall. "There is no problem with the wrist strap as long as the Wii Remote is used sensibly and properly in accordance with the guidelines provided by Nintendo. However, we will be providing replacement wrist straps free of charge to consumers who request them," it said in a statement.
The company is locked in a fierce battle with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360 in the race for next-generation console superiority. It currently holds the second place spot ahead of the PlayStation 3, although trails the 360 by several million consoles.
The Wii was released in November, around the same time as the PS3, however, the Xbox 360 has been out since November 2005.
I'm surprised we haven't seen cases with small animals or kids with a Wii remote stuck into their heads. This is pretty silly. I suspect many were trying to win a damage claim from Nintendo. Notice how there doesn't seem to be many human injuries reported? Mostly property damage. Hmmm...
On a related note, I think there could be a niche market in selling plexiglass/lexan panels to cover TV screens and marketed as "Wii Protectors" or something. I smell revenue. :)
Score: 0
This is just silly. I have a Nintendo Wii; I love it, and the strap is fine (unless you're a candidate for the Darwin awards).
This is up there in being about as rediculous as the company currently suing Nintendo over patent infringement with their trigger mechanism.
Score: 0
http://www.nintendojo.co...iew_item.php?1166055790
just curious...
how hard DID they swing.. when they broke their straps...
Score: 0
Something scares me about people who break their straps. I'd be terrified to play real golf or baseball with them. I'd have to come wearing armor because of flying clubs and bats...
Score: 0
I think I have to agree. You want only armour or an entire force field generator?
Score: 0
Yeah but if I don't let go of it won't the grenade blow my hand off?
Honestly, how can anyone be stupid enough to hurl the remote at their television with so much force the strap breaks and it actually damages the TV?
Score: 0
Quite easily. ~50% of the voting population in the U.S. voted for Bush, so this doesn't seem all that far off.
Score: 0
And the other 50% didn't, so there's your stupidity there
Score: 0
From what I understand... you hold down the b button, swing the remote, release the BUTTON... not the remote.
Score: 0
Wow, I thought all the bushbots had jumped ship by now but there's actually one left.
Score: 0
A free strap to anyone that orders it online is a good move. I gotta say, Nintendo sure runs one tight ship - their business practices are top notch.
Score: 0
yup, got 2 new ones coming myself.
(just in case)
;-)
Score: 0
My Wii strap broke and the remote went right through my PS3, which had just caught fire right before that.
Luckily my 360 w/HD-DVD doesn't have these problems
Score: 0
lol
nice one.
Score: 0
this only affect those extremist. you don't need too much motion to play the wii.
Score: 0
They're not recalling any straps. Misleading title.
They are sending new, thicker straps if you request them. That's it.
Also note that there have been tests, and the amount of force to snap one of these is ridiculous. The idiots who have broken them had to have been using the Wiimote in a ludicrously exaggerated way in order to snap these things. Retards.
Score: 0
Reported cases of injuries. Wow, this is more serious than I thought.
Score: 0
It's not that serious. Just another story blown out of proportion due to some idiots acting like.. well, idiots. I'm sure if I swing the Wiimote around by its strap hard enough, I can make it break and fly off, hitting either me in the face or something in my room. Then we can blow the story up and say the Wiimote is dangerous!!
Score: 0
First rule of testing:
Test if it's idiot-proof.
That's why it's a big story; idiots make the most noise.
Score: 0
If I throw my laptop at my TV, will the LT or the TV break? ;)
Score: 0
Here is the link to request your replacement wrist strap.
http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/strapreplace.jsp
Don't need to mess with sending the old one back, either. Good.
Score: 0
Yay, now instead of poking fun about Sony exploding batteries and catching fire Xbox mains leads, we can poke fun about breaking wii straps...
Score: 0
The day straps cause fires I will scold nintendo.
Score: 0
Not beyond the realms of imposibility, given the number of broken TV's by broken straps.
http://www.wiidamage.com/
Score: 0
Well if people would use some common sense to "hold the remote firmly in your hand" and not handle it like you're about to throw a baseball, these things probably wouldn't happen.
Score: 0
Fires?
Score: 0
Don't forget the catchily named:
http://wiihaveaproblem.com/
Score: 0
My DS adapter is fine... I wonder if it means the first generation ones like I have or if this is something newer... cause mine never gets even warm.
I bought a Wiimote a couple days ago (I don't even have a console yet, lol, still looking for one) and the strap seemed to be the same as the first gen one my cousins have. Considering most of the damage appears to have been caused by improper usage (I mean, the strap will clearly break if you fling around the Wiimote violently... just hold on to it!) I'll keep my Wiimote as-is... although I will take advantage of this recall SHOULD something happen. Anyways when I get a console I should be able to see what the new straps look like, which might change my mind. Probably not.
Score: 0
The DS power adapter recall only affects 200,000 units in JAPAN. So...unless you're in Japan you shouldn't have anything to worry about with your power adapter.
Score: 0
so its not a recall, its just if you want the newer straps then you have the option to return the old ones....thats pretty sweet
Score: 0
the title of this article is misleading. Nintendo is NOT recalling the straps - they are sending you stronger REPLACEMENT straps if you request them.
For them to ask that you return your old straps, would mean that you might play your Wii without any strap at all, while waiting for your replacements to arrive.
Again, they are NOT recalling anything - they are offering to send you their new-stronger straps to use instead of the previously packaged straps.
Score: 0
where do i go to get the new wrist strap?
Score: 0