f13.net

3.2M straps for Wii controllers recalled (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061215/ap_on_hi_te/japan_nintendo_recall)

By HANS GREIMEL, Associated Press Writer

TOKYO - Nintendo said Friday it will replace 3.2 million straps for its popular Wii computer game controllers after the Japanese gamemaker received a rash of reports that the device flew out of the hands of enthusiastic players.

The wand-like remote controller is used to mimic the motions of a tennis racket, golf club or sword, depending on the game.

But soon after the Wii went on sale last month, people started reporting cases of the controller's strap breaking as they waved it about vigorously.

Nintendo will offer customers to exchange the old straps, which have a 0.6 millimeter (0.024 inch) diameter, for a beefed up strap that has a diameter of 1 millimeter (0.04 inch), company spokesman Yasuhiro Minagawa said. The worldwide recall is expected to cost the company several million dollars.

"People tended to get a bit excited, especially while playing Wii sports and in some cases the control would come loose from their hands," Minagawa said. "The new strap will be almost twice as thick."

The controls is one of the unique features of the Wii, which Nintendo introduced as its counterchallenge in a fierce three-way battle with Sony Corp (NYSE:SNE - news).'s PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Corp.'s
Xbox 360.

Nintendo is hoping the ease of the controls will draw a new generation of players.

The company also recalled 200,000 AC adapters for its DS and DS Lite consoles in Japan on Friday. Nintendo said the recall would not affect adapters overseas, and officials expected only a small impact on earnings.

That recall will cost Nintendo about $1 million.

I'm glad we didn't get a Wii yet.  I would have been one of these people.  I ALWAYS get carried away.  My arms and hands have a life of their own.  I almost got in serious trouble once for almost breaking some musician's nose when all I was trying to do was tell someone how long the line was outside a movie theatre I had passed.   :oops:  The guy was going to call the cops!  I won't buy one of these until I KNOW I can't injure anyone with it.

Delicious.

What sort of criteria would you be lookng for there?  Being stranded on an island?

An island?  What?  You mean like St. Thomas or Jamaica?  I could sacrifice like that.

Kind of a shame that Nintendo was forced to do this because, apparently, so many people have no self-control.

I know plenty of people with a Wii. None of them have had the strap break. /shrug

Oh sure.  Blame people.

Somebody over at Nintendo HQ is getting 3.2M lashes.

I, for one, welcome our thicker straps.  Now kids can use their controllers as nunchucks!

No, no, those have people that you might murder while playing Wii Sports.

Sheesh.  It would be accidental murder!

WiiSlaughter.

Now instead of ill-wishing someone to die in a power cord fire we can move on and suggest them to die after getting accidentally hit by a flying Wii controller.

I am pretty sure the wrist-strap program isn't actually a recall, but the DS-starts-a-fire one is.

Hey, Signe, do you have a DS?

No.  I'm not good with things that I have to hold and not drop.  (hand held game things, vases, babies)  Righ might have one.  I'm not sure.  He has a PSP.  Maybe.  One of those things.

Good.  The DS Friend Code system is more of a hazard to people's health than faulty power supplies.

(http://www.gucomics.com/comics/gu_20061218.jpg)

Oh wow! I'm.. laughing?