Is this like, proof enough that this was a valid problem or what? Anyone going to attempt to say the straps weren't an issue?

typical nintendo.

There is no problem, there was never a problem. It was all lies spread by the Sony infidels. The Wii is perfect, we are outside the Sony capital. Sony soliders are falling dead everywhere, they are surrending already.

Praise Mario! Praise Mario!

I'll still say the straps aren't an issue. Why? Because I'm still smart enough not to ever let go of the controller.

While we're at it, can my PS3 get recalled because I expected it to give me head, make my baby dolls cry, and float in the air while creating crows from the eggs in my fridge?

In any case, it's cool to see Nintendo fess up to this. Too bad it was on the scale of 3.2 million *pinky to mouth* controllers. Considering the profit coming off the console alone, Ninty should be able to handle any $3k broken TV suits that come their way. Hell, maybe cowtowing so nicely to the complainers will give them a better rating with the BBB. If the BBB even applies to Japanese companies.

It'll be fun to see what kind of reprocussions this will cause and how it may affect "The Great Console War of 2007!" Considering it's over a tiny piece of string, I'm guessing very little.

Just updated the story. Nintendo has placed a form for getting the replacement strap on their website, along with a silly picture that is, in my opinion, totally useless at helping you determine which strap you have.

The only reason I can find any happiness in this is because Nintendo is issuing a fix for what really should be a non-issue, which makes them look like they REALLY care.

Meanwhile, you know that somewhere in Nintendo HQ, some engineer is shaking his head, saying "What is wrong with these people?"

I wonder whether Nintendo of Australia will do the same thing, or whether they will just pretend that the problem doesn't really exist, like they did with the DS Lite hinge crack issue.

"While we're at it, can my PS3 get recalled because I expected it to give me head, make my baby dolls cry, and float in the air while creating crows from the eggs in my fridge?"

Uhm, I don't think Sony ever implied that the PS3 could do any of these things (unlike Nintendo implying that you could do full-motion sweeps with their controller)...

This isn't the first time Nintendo had to put out fires. Anybody remember the Mario Party gloves they decided to send out in response to people grinding their palms to beat the minigames? In fact, does anybody have a pair of these? I can imagine they'd sell like crazy on eBay...!

@DaveKap:

No, but you might have a case when a PS3 goes Chernobyl on your carpet after overheating from 6 hours of use.

@ anyone who thinks this is stupid:

The only thing stupid here would be not requesting new straps and using older straps with connecting cords that are thinner than the ones on USB jumpdrives.

Yeah what about Australians? I need to get mine replaced too but cant becuase the form only lets you choose canada and usa.

"Yeah what about Australians? I need to get mine replaced too but cant becuase the form only lets you choose canada and usa."

Silly Macsto, Australians don't matter :)

As far as I know nintendo was already giving new straps to any one who called customer service about it. Their asses are already covered by the gazillion safety warnings, they just want to look nice.

Man sony trolls out as usual. This is really a non issue as the only time they have been breaking is when people decide to swing their arms at like 60mph.

we've all seen the videos of people playing when the straps broke and that wasn't from standard normal play that was super excited just ate 5 pounds of sugar energy.

I filled out the form and will get replacement traps just to keep around as I have had no problems like most of the worlds wii owners.

I don't think this is a problem. Yet. In the short term only careless idiots and/or children will be breaking straps. But in the long term there could be widespread breaking. Kudos to Nintendo for taking care of this now. Too bad Microsoft was slow to admit that the 360 had problems.

I'm gonna place the request in anyway, but I'm still amazed by the number of people letting go of this thing. Maybe I'm physically too weak, but I couldn't imagine putting in that much force to let go of the Wiimote and break the strap. What I have noticed in a lot of videos of people playing is that they have the strap on, but it's on very loosely. Maybe that's the issue.

Mines always really tight (without being painful) around my wrist.

Wow, Nintendo is awesome!

Look, everyone should know that this is a complete non-issue. Those things take an immense amount of force to break and you all know it. Even so, it is your own fault for letting go of it. Think about it this way, a frisbee was designed to be thrown, unlike the Wiimote which you are supposed to hold on to, if I throw a frisbee into my friends face is it the frisbee makers fault if he gets hurt? So why is it Nintendo's fault when I let go of something that I am SUPPOSED to hold on to and something goes wrong? Answer: it isn't. However, it is quite nice to see that they are giving out replacements. Not because they are needed, but because it shows how much they care about their customers. Their customers had a problem and they fix it, it doesn't matter if the problem is on the part of the consumer, they just fix it anyway because they care. That is how to run a successful and highly respected company. Sony could leanr a thing or two from them. Microsoft, from what I have heard, has good customer service as well, so no lesson needed there.

The straps weren't an issue. This is a case of further "idiot proofing" the wiimote in case random gamer x decides s/he wants to continue playing at 300MPH.

It was an issue.

Swinging the Wii remote around as though you were Dexter St. Jock whirling his phallus is a natural phenomenon that should've been expected with the Wii. I have no doubt that there have been many times for a great number of gamers when they became involved enough in a session to grasp their traditional controllers in vice-like grips and mash the buttons to the edge of oblivion, teeth grinded, eyes focused.

Why did we think a similar engrossment shouldn't be taking place with the Wii? This was the same raptness except now, with the Wii remote, it translates into motion.

People want to be enthused; they want to flail about like children. Speaking for myself, I don't wish to always keep myself in check when I'm engaged by an experience that elicits tremendous energy from me (not all Wii games will do this). I don't want to be so constantly careful if I'm playing something that really has me hooked. Such mindfulness is only a distraction from my fun when a game is good enough to make me twirl in utter enjoyment. If a person can facilitate the adequate floor space and they're playing a Wii game that creates highly stimulating use of the remote, desire to play uninhibited does not make them an "idiot."

It was an issue.

"The straps weren't an issue. This is a case of further "idiot proofing" the wiimote in case random gamer x decides s/he wants to continue playing at 300MPH."

Sorta like random commenter x deciding he/she wants to continue posting regardless of valid arguments?

@Ivan M

OK, but you are also supposed to throw a football and be "enthused" about that. Would you be mad at the football maker if it smashed a window and expect some type of replacement football that won't smash through windows?

And that is a product that you are supposed to let go of, the wiimote is supposed to stay in your hand the whole time!

Very good!

FYI, some of the newest batch of Wii/Wiimotes already use the reinforced strap, and all europe/australia/japan systems includes the reinforced ones. CMIIW.

Geez people, whats with all the repeat points. My take is more that whether there was a problem or not, Nintendo addressed it. Personally, it did seem odd that a fair amount of people were breaking it, but I think we can all agree that you don't need to wing it that hard. Props to Nintendo taking the honorable way out, instead of looking bad and ignoreing it, even if it really was a non-issue.

Since when was enthusiasm an excuse for stupidity? This is a games console, not a virtual reality experiment where time and space has altered properties, your powers know no boundaries and you have 4 lives to go. This is you, in a room, in front of your tv, holding a device designed to be moved while in your hand.

I've played tennis, badminton, baseball and golf in real life; not once have i *thrown the club/raquet/raccoon*, and i've been hitting things rather hard. No safety strap on the basball bat last time i checked.

If we're going to be irresponsible baby-men about something that is at least 98% our own god damn fault, perhaps we should stick with the 360 or PS3, no? Nobody with an alright head on their neck sends their kid to football practise and expects him to undergo a gentle foot massage followed by aroma therapy.

If you throw the thing, you fucked up. Nobody told you to throw it, the games yell at you about safety measures every four minutes.

Take responsability for your own god damn actions already.

I hate to break it to any flag bearers here (sup Crecente), but there is no resistance force here, just a bunch of people crying for mama because they dropped their ice cream. My guess is 1/8th of Wii players even remotely understand your Nintendo Made Me Do It stance, leaving us with 7/8ths thinking remote-tossers are nothing but a bunch of fun-spoiling whiners.

Oh, oh, oh. I'm sorry. I need to make and edit to my last post. "Commenters," with and 's.' Yep, plural, definitely plural.

Seriously guys, can't you take a hint? Well let's find out.

Think of the children!

That's a good start.

Konman72:

The football is a poor analogy.

When you throw a football, it is up to you to assume complete responsibility for the speed, distance, and trajectory of that object. This responsibility is built on the reality that you have no means to retract the football if things go awry.

The Wii remote's strap, on the other hand, is meant to serve as a bail-out if you unconsciously release the controller. That's the whole point of the strap even being there.

Users aren't letting go of the remotes in deliberate exhibitions of stupidity, it just happens. It is an impulsive reaction. When you're in the heat of a tight game, those neuromuscular responses can be difficult to control.

On a side note, a football is supposed to be thrown, yes. However, it is not uncommon to let the ball slip backwards out of one's hand or not relinquish it at all during the throw due to great excitement. These are reflexive behaviors, not in the province of the intellectual brain. We can sit around and use our logical minds to comment about how people "should just control themselves", but actually exercising that control when you're in the middle of gameplay is another matter.

I put forward to you that all the issues about the strap breaking are coming from Americans and the 30 sec YoutTube of fame video freaks, take from that what you will.

Sits back and awaits the flaming.

@ Ivan M

Yes, you take responsibility for the trajectory of the ball just as you take responsibility to hold on to the remote. If you accidentally, in your excitement, aim the ball at a window or let go during the back swing then it is your fault just as much as it is when you let go of the remote.

You actually make a good point in that the strap is meant as a fail-safe. In the event that YOU screw up and let go it is there to help prevent any negative consequences. If you look at any other product this is already going above and beyond the call of duty. Do footballs contain some device that helps it not go in the wrong direction? Do Xbox 360 controllers have rubbery sides in case you get so immersed in a game that you throw it at a wall?

The answer is of course, no. These things are not required of these products because we, as consumers, take responsibility to not throw footballs at wondows and not throw our controllers at the wall. So the very fact that there is a strap is cause for praise and its failure is not the fault of Nintendo, but the fault of the user since it was their responsibility to ensure that it was never even needed in the first place.

And people wonder why I'm a Nintendo Loyalist?

The form took me all of 3 minutes to complete. I mean, WOW! It took me over 3 months and a Better Business Bureau case to find out that Microsoft still wasn't going to fix my 360.

It took MS how many months to acknowledge their problem with 360s, and yet it takes Nintendo only a month and hell they even sent me this little announcement via email since I was already registered.

Way to take the high road!

How can you fault Nintendo for fixing a problem within ONE month of saids problems arrival?

I mean it wasn't as if day one they were all "Hey Bob you were right dude. I'm sorry. We should have made the straps larger. Well I'll just pull one million straps out of my ass and telepathically beam them to every owner in the world."

The issue is owner side, and it is due to carelessness. People get excited, I understand I've almost let my wii-mote fly a couple of times, but I mean... jeez... I would think that a free-ass recall should shut the naysayers up, don't you? I gaurantee if this was one of the other two we'd be hearing some ridiculousness out of Hiraz and Peter Moore... god, I don't even want to think about it.

I mean maybe Microsoft would fix announce they were fixing the issue with a patch in the next spring firmware update or something.

"It's cool guys. We'll just patch it!"

Ugh, so for the naysayers... grow up the issue is being resolved.

Applaud one company for actually having customer service.

Is there a form for people that do not live in the USA or Canada?

If anything the recall and sending out new straps is going to be a challenge to break the new one to some people. And to others it is validation that they can let go of their controller when they swing hard.

The recall is a good move and quite possibly a bad move too.

There is no problem, there was never a problem. It was all lies spread by the Sony infidels. The Wii is perfect, we are outside the Sony capital. Sony soliders are falling dead everywhere, they are surrending already.

uh huh. and how many PS3 problems have been fixed so far? they've had 2 extra days... all shored up i suppose by now.

the Wii has been out less than a month. there was a problem that was basically user error due to complete jackassery. and Nintendo replaced ALL "defective" parts. i can't think of many consumer electronics devices that get a reaction that fast. "a bit slow to react" ... er. okay.

"And people wonder why I'm a Nintendo Loyalist?

The form took me all of 3 minutes to complete. I mean, WOW! It took me over 3 months and a Better Business Bureau case to find out that Microsoft still wasn't going to fix my 360. "

Because of course, replacing a strap and replacing a system is basically the same thing

I'm not surprised. Quality has always been part of Nintendo's philosophy. If I recall, when the NES was first launched in Japan, there was a bug found with the console. ALL units were then recalled and fixed in a very short time. I believe I read that from 'Game Over: Press Start to Continue.'

Those saying 'I want a new strap in Australia' etc:

All Australian Wii Remotes have the fatter strap already.

And then, Wiitards all around the world rejoice. and shout: "I wasn't our fault, we waved the control like retards but truth is that it is the strap's fault!! Nintendo just confirmed it changing the straps!!" :P

Power to the Wiitard, i say! LOL! XD

I'm getting a bit tired of seeing a lot of people saying this is a non-issue, and that only idiot would swing the wiimote hard enough to break the strap. To a point I agree, I don't think the strap was designed to handle the pull from letting the wiimote go flying top speed.

But accidents DOES happen! And, since they seem to happen more than they should, I think it's a good move by Nintendo to hand out stronger straps to those with the weak straps and to better the straps on further realeses. It's not a fault in their product, but they play it right and get good-will from consumers.

Uk Pal models dont have the thick strap.
wii play does.

no form up yet for us

God dammit, I leave for Japan before the new straps will get to my house. Guess my parents will have to ship them to me...

And yeah, kudos to Nintendo, despite the fact that the many people who disregarded the safety instructions deserved the smashed TVs.

I second what Davekap and others say.

Yes, accidents do happen. But that's life. That's why the Wii doesn't come with an energy field that protects it form being dropped on the floor, and why we don't go out wearing helmets when, in fairness, we COULD be hit by a tiny falling asteroid.

BUT HEY ASTEROIDS DO HAPPEN?

Thing is people are rarely willing to admit to being wrong or stupid, and as such will always blame somebody else. It's not Nintendo's fault that some people are violent bastards with no self-control.

I love how CNN took credit for this this morning. Got I hate the American newsmedia.

good lord, why are people still insisting that the straps were not faulty!?

Nintendo knew that dropping the remote was very probable so they included a strap. That means they were fully aware of the dangers during testing.

However, the wires they used were not strong enough and that mistake slipped through testing.

I am sure they got a lot more complaints than the general public is aware of and decided to offer replacements. They could be sued if they didn't do anything and it would just be bad business.

Keep in mind that if *you* didn't break your strap yet, it dosen't give you carte blanche to call everyone who has an idiot - those idiots might be your friends and family!

I've sent an e-mail to UK Nintendo Consumer Services, awaiting a response as to what UK customers can expect...

Dropping the remote != releasing the remote at the apex of a vicious arcing forward motion.

Idiot isn't the word. Just unlucky and excitable, which isn't negative at all. But i still insist the fault in the end is in in the hands of the end user, no pun intended. And beyond that we can just agree to disagree :) Nintendo's dealt with it after all, regardless.

Anyone want to test the integrity of the new straps by swinging it around really fast? C'mon, it would make for a half-way amusing Youtube video!

I wonder what 3rd party wii accessory distributors are going to do? I use a "wii glove" licensed by Nintendo and it has the thin strap on it. I'm not bothering with a thicker strap, but I'm curious about the people that actually are.