Sure Microsoft has been flooded with a slew of Xbox 360s returned after blinking the dreaded Red Ring of Death, but we hear that not all of them were due to overheating.

When the console seizes up and dies, three of the "circle of light's" quadrants blink red, but when the video cable pops out four of the quadrants blink. Apparently, a large number of consoles returned to Microsoft with the dreaded Red Ring of Death were perfectly fine and just the victim of a bit of red ring hysteria.

There have been so many returns, in fact, that we've been told Microsoft plans on disabling the four ring error code on future builds of the console. No word on whether they will remove the three-ring coding as well.

Looks like Nintendo, while a bit slow to react, is taking the classy way out of their flimsy Wii strap fiasco.

After staying mum on the issue since launch, the publisher finally admitted they had an issue to the Associated Press and then announced that they are replacing Wii straps for those who would like the peace of mind of knowing that when they play Wii Sports they won't be caving in the front of their $3,000 plasma screen.

The AP reports that the company announced today that they are "recalling" 3.2 million straps for the Wii.

According to the Nintendo site, if you have an original version of the strap you need to complete a form. Once the replacement strap has shipped you will receive an email from the company. They say on the site they expect to start shipping the straps by Dec. 21 and it will take five to nine days for delivery.

I'd love to take credit for this, but since the announcement came about an hour after my call for free replacements, I suspect it was already in the works.

Once more major kudos to Nintendo for handling this properly. I think everyone could learn from how they deal with hardware issues. Brian Crecente

Strap Replacement Form

Wii Remote Wrist Strap Replacement Request Form

Nintendo is offering to replace the original version of the wrist straps for the Wii Remote with a newer version. Because Wii consoles shipped starting in early December already utilized the newer version of the strap, you will need to determine which version of the strap you have before ordering a replacement. To view the difference between the original and the new version of the strap, please click here.

If you have an original version of the strap, please complete the form below to get a replacement (also, to ensure you continue to have a fun & safe experience, please read our Safety Information for Playing Wii by clicking here).

Once your replacement wrist strap has shipped, you will receive a confirmation email from Nintendo. We expect to begin shipping replacement straps around December 21st. It will take 5 to 9 days for delivery depending on your location. Please do not contact Nintendo regarding your replacement wrist strap until after that time period has passed.

We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your interest in our products.

Maybe this has been up since launch day, I'm not really sure, but a reader just sent us a link to Nintendo's safety information page for the Wii which prominently discusses the issue of flying Wii Remotes.

I think this is the first Safety Manual for anything that cautions you about having "too much fun."

Hold the Wii Remote firmly and do not let go. Even while wearing the wrist strap, make sure you don't let go of the Wii Remote during game play and do not use excessive motion. For example, in Wii Sports bowling, the proper way to let go of the ball while bowling is to release the "B" button on the Wii Remote—DO NOT LET GO OF THE Wii REMOTE ITSELF. If you are having so much fun that you start perspiring, take a moment to dry your hands. If you use excessive motion and let go of the Wii Remote, the wrist strap may break and you could lose control of the Wii Remote. This could injure people nearby or cause damage to other objects.

Yes, yes it could. I'm still not letting any kids anywhere near my Wii until I fix it up with some zip ties. Brian Crecente

Wii Safety Precautions [Nintendo, thanks Richard]

Our polls are so far from scientific that when they finally conclude I hate to call the numbers they vomit up results. But I suppose that there could be a shred of information found in the faux statistics.

Our latest poll was launched at the request of a Kotaku reader who wanted to know just how many people have their Wii Remotes slip from their hands and how many of those slippages result in broken straps.

To try and pluck some sort of facts from my silly questions, I tallied up the total votes for just the first three questions and used those to get percentages.

As of this morning, about 76 percent of the Wii owners who answered our poll said they have never had their Wii Remote slip from their hand while playing a game. But of the 24 percent who have had their remote slip from their hand, a quarter of them, or 338, had the strap break.

To put it another way, about six percent of the 5,700 or so Wii gamers who answered our poll have had their strap break on them. Personally, I think the fact that the strap is breaking so often, when put to the accidental test, shows that Nintendo needs to redesign the things, that or a third-party should jump on this and come out with a quick, but sturdy fix. Brian Crecente

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I know we've reported about this before, but it doesn't quite hit home until it happens to you.

This morning a gaggle of children had set up residence in my lounge to play some Wii. About ten minutes into Wii Sports play I heard a distressingly loud thump followed by even more frightening silence.

Chugging downstairs I found a circle of children staring at me with wide eyes and open mouths. On the floor lay a Wii remote, on one of the child's wrists a broken Wii strap.

They were, they tell me, playing baseball. Fortunately, the airborne remote slapped into a wall and not my $3,000 plasma screen.

For now, I am no longer letting the kids play Wii. If I have to decide between a happy half-dozen children and a working Plasma the TV wins every time.

Until Nintendo gets around to fixing the exceedingly flimsy piece of string holding the strap to the Wii, I'm not going to be letting anyone play Wii Sports anywhere near my TV.

I'm hoping someone, anyone, steps up and comes out with a much sturdier, perhaps metal, cord for the strap. Brian Crecente