Bouncing Zabaglione Bros.
Legend
BBC and other UK news is reporting that Nintendo is recalling Wii controllers in order to replace the strap with an "enhanced" strap.
Wii Recall in the UK *Updated* Now with a class action lawsuit filed in the US
- Thread starter Bouncing Zabaglione Bros.
- Start date
Rainbow Man
Veteran
Some people seem to lack all inhibition. It's not the strap that is at fault, it's them. If only they'd put a finger on the B-button, then the thing won't go flying.
Peace.
Peace.
Uhm, the strap shouldn't break as easily as it does. B button or not.
What sort of effect, if any, do you think this will have on Nintendo's current good fortune. Will people be put off? Will it only raise awareness, driving up sales? I know some say there's no such thing as bad publicity, and maybe more people do buy something when they hear about it even in a bad way, but this is something that could wreck you TV or hit someone in the face...i wouldn't want to risk it, i'd feel like i'm not being able to use it as i want.
Bouncing Zabaglione Bros.
Legend
It's funny, because I just saw a Nintendo spokesman on "Working Lunch" saying the same thing, and the presenter rightfully poured scorn over it. The Wii is meant to get people jumping up and down, sweaty-handed and excited, and when that happens, the strap can break. It's all very well to say "people shouldn't get excited" but that's exactly what the system was designed to do. Don't forget, the strap is a safety system that is meant to stop the remote flying away for any reason. When those reasons happen and the remote slips, the safety system fails.
It's only been out a few weeks, and there's already people with property damage and physical injury from the strap breaking, so it's obviously not fit for purpose. This is pretty much been proved by the no-questions strap exchange and the fact that newer Wiis will have the replacement, stronger strap.
Last edited by a moderator:
Bouncing Zabaglione Bros.
Legend
It's getting them publicity all over the news channels - it's a pity they can't capitalise on it in the run up to Christmas because they just don't have the stock to sell in stores.
This actually made the BBC national news. They say it's a recall, though Nintendo are actually offering an optional replacement service.
Something that's confusing to me is the number. Apparently they're offering to replace 3.2 million straps. Yet there haven't been 3.2 million consoles sold (or close to, accounting for secondary controllers which seem to be about 50% of console sales), and apparently later consoles have had the thicker strap.
Something that's confusing to me is the number. Apparently they're offering to replace 3.2 million straps. Yet there haven't been 3.2 million consoles sold (or close to, accounting for secondary controllers which seem to be about 50% of console sales), and apparently later consoles have had the thicker strap.
Of course it's not a recall...it's a Wiicall
Maybe there are 3.2 million straps and not that many consoles, don't forget that there may be more than one controller for a console and that there may be several hundred thousand controllers in the channel between factory and store shelf...there may even be some unassembled parts that now need replacing
From the numbers I can find, there's about 1.5 million Wii's out there, and perhaps 50% have second controllers. And supposedly, later Wii's already have the thicker strap. My friend claims his has (UK). 3.2 million doesn't make any sense to me at the moment.
Getting excited and forgetting to actually keep hold of something are two different things though. I really can't imagine how someone can accidentally throw the controller so hard that it breakes even a weak strap and still manages to cause damage (breaking TV's ect). Then again I suppose a good product should be idiot proof, which is pretty much what Nintendo are admitting with this replacement scheme.
Wii has sold about 1.3 Million on launch in each region. But then there's the sales from a further 6 days in Europe, 12 days in Japan and 19 days in US to take into account. There might not have been a new shipment in Europe yet but there will have been at least a few hundred thousand more in the US and maybe a couple hundred thousand more in Japan. So 1.8-2 million isn't totally out of the question at this point. Add the 50% extra controllers and its around about 3 million.
Bouncing Zabaglione Bros.
Legend
Ever seen someone smashing a shot in the tennis game? It's really, really easy to get caught up in the physicality of the game you are playing - which is exactly what Wii was designed for.
People don't mean to let go of the controller, but they do - it's an accident. The strap is supposed to prevent anything serious getting broken or hurt when that accident happens. The problem is as I described above - the safety system (ie the strap) breaks when it actually needs to do it's job.
Last edited by a moderator:
I've sent both badminton rackets and fencing foils flying through the air when I haven't held as tightly as needed...
That coud be about right then. Although not if more recent Wii's already have the upgraded strap. I think that needs confirmation.
Or, in addition to Teasy, with 4M projected in 2006, a huge number of those are already in boxes and/or sold. Include those + second controllers and it seems about right.
Just saw this at MSNBC, where it was the top story 20 minutes ago (now Rumsy is). http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16222369/ They note that this bad press hasn't detoured interest. The original strap does look quite thin.
This was one of the dangers of the Wii--it is open to litigation. Maybe that is why Nintendo is overcharging by $100
Rainbow Man
Veteran
People need to understand they themselves are responsible for their own actions.
If you do full-force tennis smashes and don't hold on to the wiimote because you're easily excited, it's your fault if the thing goes flying, not Nintendo's.
They could design any kind of 'safety system', it still wouldn't be foolproof - especially as many of these people with flying wiimotes are bound to not have used the strap at all. It's a wrist strap, not a seatbelt/airbag combo, come on..
You're meant to use the thing safely and properly. Don't go blame third parties if you break stuff. That is just the same kind of nonsense that forced chainsaw manufacturers to state stuff like, 'do not attempt to stop chain with your hand' etc in the manual..
Maybe that hotel clerk who was the unfortunate victim of Russel Crowe's famous telephone attack should have sued the telephone manufacturer.. Obviously they must be at fault, seeing how the thing could fly through the airand strike an innocent man smack in the face.
Oeace.
Bouncing Zabaglione Bros.
Legend
Then why bother having a strap at all? It's there because Nintendo understand it's needed, just they didn't make it strong enough.
If you want to compare the Wii strap to a seatbelt, then you're saying to people "Well, if you drive too fast and get into an accident, then of course the setbelt strap will break. You shouldn't have got into an accident."
Except an accident is not always the "users" fault. With the case of the Wii though it is indeed the users fault if they're getting so excited that they let go of it and its hurled fast enough to break the strap and then bust a TV.
Its nice to see the thicker straps though, and I no longer fear the "slower" parts of my family getting upset because they busted their TV with a Wii.
Bouncing Zabaglione Bros.
Legend
Nintendo knows that's what happens when people play with Wii. That's why they gave it a strap in the first place - because they know that in normal use, people get over-enthusiastic and the controller can slip. So they gave the controller a strap to deal with the situation of an accident happening, instead of just assuming the alternative that "accidents will never happen". Just in the first iteration, the strap wasn't strong enough for normal, real-world use.
Cord and fibre can wear very fast, especially the smaller it is. A safe working load on a rope is 20 percent of it's breaking strain, and that goes down even more if you have knots, loops or compression points (as the Wii strap does). If you take snap loads into account, you can put terrific strain on a little strap like the Wii's.
If people were breaking straps in the first few weeks, you can guarantee that a lot more would be going with a few months of wear and tear on that little piece of cord. The strap just wasn't up to the job of acting as a safety line in the event of a controller slipping out of the hands of a player, which is the whole reason for the strap in the first place.
Rainbow Man
Veteran
I suspect nintendo put the strap there to stop the wiimote from falling to the floor if people didn't hold on to it well enough.
That people would act foolishly and wave their arms around like helicopter blades and not hold on to their motes, thus sending them flying like torpedoes might not actually have entered into their realm of thought.
The strap is perfectly dimensioned to catch the mote should it fall. is even the thicker srap really thick enough to stop the thing from flying if you play slingshot with it? I somehoe doubt it.
Bouncing, what will you say when a thick strap breaks. will you THEN agree that yes, users are indeed at fault if they act like idiots, or will it still be nintendo's fault for not making the strap strong enough?
If you buy a Ferrari sports car and push the gas pedal too much and crash it the same day, is it your fault for being a crappy driver, or the car manufacturers, for making the engin etoo large? Same thing really.
If people would only put a finger on tge B-button.. That will stop it from going woosh like superman.
Peace.
That people would act foolishly and wave their arms around like helicopter blades and not hold on to their motes, thus sending them flying like torpedoes might not actually have entered into their realm of thought.
The strap is perfectly dimensioned to catch the mote should it fall. is even the thicker srap really thick enough to stop the thing from flying if you play slingshot with it? I somehoe doubt it.
Bouncing, what will you say when a thick strap breaks. will you THEN agree that yes, users are indeed at fault if they act like idiots, or will it still be nintendo's fault for not making the strap strong enough?
If you buy a Ferrari sports car and push the gas pedal too much and crash it the same day, is it your fault for being a crappy driver, or the car manufacturers, for making the engin etoo large? Same thing really.
If people would only put a finger on tge B-button.. That will stop it from going woosh like superman.
Peace.
