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.

Nintendo is admitting that the straps need to be replaced, and some of you lil' Baghdad Bobs STILL insist there is no problem.

Nintendo fans, please report back to base, your programming has gone haywire.

What I find truly frustrating is they haven't bothered to distribute this information to people with my.nintendo.com accounts.

I registered my freaking Wii with Nintendo, they know the serial number (and that my Wii is one of those "affected").

But is there a link on the my.nintendo.com account page? No.

Did they send me an email telling me about it?

No.

Instead, I have to find the form via Kotaku, then wait until I get home to find the serial number so that I can get a free strap.

As previously noted though, the strap won't help me in the slightest. I don't let go of my wiimote. If my hands are sweaty and I fear I will be unable to maintain a grip..I pause the freaking game and wipe my hand/wiimote off.

KaneRobot Yes. Nintendo admitting that the original straps, when flung around by idiot kids at 300MPH and released, may break. That will ALWAYS be a problem. I don't think Nintendo ever has or ever will admit that it is THEIR fault though. The problem is with the Wiidiots who don't read the instruction manual and who don't know that you're not supposed to "let go of" or "throw" a solid piece of plastic at a valuable piece of electronics.

Seriously, if Nintendo ever loses a lawsuit over this, I will be ashamed of our courts of law.

I consider this a good thing. The only issue with the wii is that people accidentily throw the wiimotes, breaking the straps. Which is a total PEBKAC kind of thing, and Nintendo decides to fix the 'problem' just to be nice.

I'm ordering a replacement, not because I think I'll break the strap, but because someone who uses my wii in the future might.

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

On the other hand, in twenty years of service I've never had a Nintendo system of any kind completley die on me. (I know, there have been a few stories of Wii's with issues cropping up but I've not experienced this.) Let's look at the competition Playstation, drive goes out or it overheats. Playstation 2, drive goes out or it overheats. X-Box, drive goes out or it overheats. X-Box 360, the light turns red and the whole thing turns into a hunk of white slag. So far my only worry with the Wii is a wrist strap might break. Good Lord, the sky is falling!

The controller that came with my Wii console has the thick strap (its a uk one by the way)
The one that came with my copy of Wii play has the thin version 1 strap. On that page though it asks you for your console serial number so no replacement straps for us yet.

alliwantforxmasisanewwiistrap

Thanks Nintendo!

Oh yeah, and pretty crappy that it's not tied to my registered console. Pissed me off I had to crawl into my entertainment console, again, to copy down the serial number.

Nintendo should recall the 3.2 million Wiitards swinging the controller around the room like idiots

This is great news! I STILL haven't been able to score one, but I have gotten remotes and whatnot in anticipation.

However, this has been my only fear. I have a 10 year old daughter. I'm sure her and her friends will get excited while playing and that accidents happen. When Nintendo designed this system, obviously they KNEW that letting go on accident can be a problem. THATS WHY THEY ADDED THE STRAP!

Only problem here is that they are admitting there is a problem with the straps. They just opened themselves up to a big pile of lawsuits to replace TVs and whatnot.

Are people getting too excited? Sure. But the nature of the use of the remote, coupled by a defective SAFETY HARNESS (thats EXACTLY what it is) puts more of the responsibility in Nintendo's hands now that there is an admission of faulty hardware.

Flame away.

Y'know, I think I'm keeping my "classic" strap.. I like to think of it as the classier, soon to be rarer version now. *petpets* It's okay baby, daddy'll never give you back.

So let's see, quick, low-hassle replacement of those first defective Wiis, replacement of a strap that people are still divided about being an issue... Two nice big points for Nintendo's hardware management there.

So, when's Sony going to recall the PS3? Not necessarily for any hardware problem, per se (though I don't trust that internal power supply), but mainly for just being a monster that really doesn't offer much more than the 360.

This argument is ridiculous. It's like complaining to car manufacturers because the seat belt didn't hold up after smashing into a brick wall at 120MPH. That's a "safety measure" too, as everyone is so quick to point out about the Wii strap.

When I read the article this morning on a news site, they had an image of someone holding their Wii remote next to their broken LCD TV. The kicker was, they were wearing the wrist strap WRONG. The adjuster was on the back of their wrist with the slack hanging off like a tail, rather than the slack being between the remote and the wrist. No wonder people are breaking shit, they can't follow simple directions.

Maybe I'll throw my remote into my TV, and then complain to my TV manufacturer that its screen wasn't durable enough to handle projectiles smashing into it.

I'm willing to bet this won't prevent a damn thing even if the strap never breaks. It was always a copout for user error. Soon we'll be seeing official nerf wiimotes.

Hanzo, while it isn't a personalized link for registered users, the replacement info is right on the front page of Nintendo.com. There's a graphic that says "Important Safety Information for Playing Wii. + Wii Remote Wrist Strap Replacement Details." When you go to the page, there's another link for the replacement form.

How much do you want to bet that a few weeks after people get new straps, there will be more broken TVs and Windows?

Any takers?

Oh, Nintendojo had a pretty funny test of the Strap....subjecting it to 20-50 pounds of wieght lol
http://www.nintendojo.com/fullfocus/view_item.php?11660557...

Nintendo's the greatest. Even if the idiots who throw they're controllers continue to throw the ones with a new strap, they'll still find a way to break the string.

You want stupid analogies about why footballs and Frisbees are different to wiimote straps breaking?
Is Nintendo replacing the plasma tv's that were broken by people throwing the controllers into their screens?
Same with footballs in windows and Frisbees in faces.

wow its like there actually listening to us. WOW a huge corporation not wanting to get sued.

It kind of pisses me off that Nintendo "caved" to deal with this, as its not their fault that some people are idiots.

On the other hand, it does show they care (as someone mentioned earlier), so I can't fault them too much for taking a proactive approach for their customers.

This recall is just for a few IDIOTS and fortune seekers out there. I have been playing on this system since its release on Nov. 19th and I admit that my hand does get sweaty from game play, but I have NEVER had the Wiimote slip out of my hand during play.

It is a shame that a few people can't use a little common sense during their game play.

"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."

Wow, so you're that submissive to video games, huh? DDR must be a blast for you.

dude, if you can't maintain the reality separation of you playing video games, then you've got bigger problems to worry about.

Seizures and subliminal advertising await you, my young padewan.

I've had this thing for nearly a month, no broken straps, no sweaty palms, no incidents of smacking people in the face, no broken TV's, nothing. I think Nintendo's taking a proactive stance on the strap because they KNOW America is full of potential lawsuit-happy idiots waiting for their nomination for the Darwin Awards.

It's been established that the thin wrist strap was not strong enough, and thus, an issue. It may not be as much of a problem to people who are careful enough, play little enough, and do not exert that much physical force, but it needs to be there as a safety net beyond normal caution. That's what it's there for, that's why safety features exist, not because they're absolutely necessary. This article is not about that though, it's about the recall, and it's their decision to recall that should be the focus of insults. I'm sure there's plenty of fault to come up with there.

Darn it, I ordered 2 straps to replace my current ones. I hope they'll give me a $2.00 refund.

All you Nintendo fanboys really need to get a reality check. Nintendo may not have complete liability on this subject but they should have known better. I am betting 100% of the fanboys have not worked in a QA lab before. The job of QA is supposed to make the best thing they can affordably that will not break, even under extreme conditions. In the car manufacturing biz, imagine having a 10 cent piece of plastic that has to not break, fold, bend, crack under 40 degrees celcius or PCB electronics that have to survive in working condition after being soaked in salt water for a few days. Some of the Wii strap videos that have been circulating around have been redicoulous (the guy swinging the wiimote in tennis was IMO trying really hard to break it) but the fact that little kids can break it by accident just shows that it just wasn't strong enough.

If a kid can break the strap accidentally, an adult, especially those new to gaming should be able to do so as well.

Remeber? Nintendo IS trying to capture a whole new audience.

@ Gravelwrench. I sure hope a seatbelt DOES hold up to at least a 200 MPH crash with a 300 pound guy behind the wheel, if it does not, it would fail in the Q&A; lab at any ISO 9000 standards facility. If your not up to ISO standards, none of the big car makers would use you as a supplier and you'd be out of business very fast.

I wonder how many problems there have been in Japan compared to Canada/United States. My guess is that fatties from North America got their palms too sweaty from 10 minutes of Wii tennis and the controller was flying all over the place.

There would be no problem if Nintendo had just never included a strap at all. People don't accidentally let go of real golf clubs or tennis rackets. People would be holding on to the wiimotes, but they expect the strap to save them.

Anyway, Nintendo is NOT admitting that there's a problem with the straps. They're responding to a PERCIEVED problem, which is the only kind that matters. They're not telling the complainers that they're right, but merely responding to the fact that they exist -- to shut them up.

Call me crazy, but I don't even use those straps as they don't look cool! I have never had a problem with me or any of my friends letting go of the remote.

I was surprised when they were included with the system. I didn't even think this would be a problem!

Swinging faster and stronger makes no difference! Plus warnings are included throughout the game.

I can't tell if the people saying it is/isn't a problem are just trolling/superfans or if they are being serious. I have a Wii but I also wn a 360, PS2, PSX, Dreamcast, etc. I don't think this was ever an issue. Nintendo is just releasing the replacement straps as a KYA type of thing from the idiots that can't hold onto things or play without acting like a retard.

Take golf for example. Regular golf, mini-golf, it doesn't really matter. Now think about how many people have let go of a club while trying to play. Does that mean the grip on the club is faulty and they should make a replacement grip? Is the club faulty? They put grip on the club to help prevent it from slipping in your hand but they can't be responsible for you swinging the club like a jackass and then letting go of it and hurting someone.

What really bugs me is that you have to look up the serial number on the Wii again even if you already have it registered under your name. I want to fill out the form and be done with it while I am thinking about it...not later.

About these analagies including RL equipment. Remember everything u use in RL has a safety feature. No, not all tennis rachets have wrist straps (some do), but they do have leather or foam handles that are made to not slip. Baseball bats have the nub at the bottem making is very hard to slip out of your hand (also metal bats have leather of foam), golf clubs have the same thing. The only sport I can think of that doesnt have something like that to prevent slipping is bowling. Because even footballs (made of leather) are textured to not slip (easily), and even darts that are meant to be thrown have texture to make it hard to slip when holding them

No, this wasnt a problem. But it was something Nintendo could fix, and make their customers happier by giving them some more piece of mind.

"So the very fact that there is a strap is cause for praise and its failure is not the fault of Nintendo"

Hilarious. Almost as much as the people pretending that this isn't an admission by Nintendo that they fucked up with the original strap.

It's funny to see the fanboys deny it's a problem even if Ninty admitted as much. J B Cougar, keep those blinders on.

It isn't the end of the world.

Reading the other media coverage...everyone is saying that this is a recall but it isn't a recall in the sense of say the other guy's batteries. It is a voluntary recall. Meaning, if you have had the problem or perceive in having the problem, you are free to get replacement straps if you so choose. Kudos to Nintendo.

It kind of pisses me off that Nintendo "caved" to deal with this, as its not their fault that some people are idiots.

I don't really see this as Nintendo caving in or admitting fault, because I don't think there is really a problem. I think this is just a move to make everyone happy and off their asses.

I have never lost my grip, but I still ordered the replacement straps because other people might. I just wish that it would have been able to get here before the relatives come in for the holidays.

As for Nintendo products being well made, I am sure that they are to an extent, but they are pretty much the only game systems I have that have failed. Here are systems in order of purchase, not including any computers even though my Vic 20 and Amiga were primarily gaming computers:

Atari 2600: Stopped working after 15 years
NES: Reset button never worked, so several of my RPG saves got erased (including a Final Fantasy save that I had worked a year on), system stopped working after about 15 years.
Game Boy: Developed dead lines of pixels within a few months, sent to Nintendo for repairs, and a month later developed worse dead pixel problems. Still works, but left-most centimeter is dead.
Super NES: Still works, but it has turned a nasty dingy color, which I heard was a problem with the plastic used in USA launch models.
Virtual Boy: Died after 3 years after intermitent errors for a year and a half.
PS2: Still works, but does have very occasional disk read errors.
GBA (Platinum): Still works perfectly.
GBA (Pink): Still works perfectly.
GameCube: Still works perfectly.
Virtual Boy (Replacement): Still works perfectly.
GBA SP: Still works perfectly.
XBox: Still works, but frequent disk read errors and games gets choppy sometimes.
DS: Still works perfectly.
Yobo (NES clone): Still works perfectly.
PSP: Still works perfectly.
Wii: Still works perfectly.

So, Nintendo was responsible for almost every system that had major problems or complete failures, and 4 of the major problems were in the first year and a half of ownership.

It's a string. Not a bricked console.

For all UK Wii owners!

I was finally able to order my Wii today on amazon, but cant seem to get extra Nunchucks anywhere. So looking around I came across GAME's website and found this posted today.
http://www.game.co.uk/lowdown.aspx?lid=6838
A lovely little note from the people at GAME stating that "Nintendo is not recalling any of the Wii wrist straps for its motion sensitive Wii Remote"!

Anyone else got any more details on if there's going to be a UK recall or not? I don't even know what kind of strap is going to be boxed with mine, but I'm quite curious.

"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?"

They wouldn't be if some sugar-high morons wouldn't flail their controlller around. Honestly, some people are completely stupid. I have played WiiSports constantly and not once has the wii remote come out of my hand or the strap broken. Get some hand-eye coordination you couch-ridden potatoes.

"Nintendo knew that dropping the remote was very probable so they included a strap."

Dropping? Yes. Dropping wouldn't break the strap.
Flying white remotes decapitating young children and TV sets at 500mph? No.

Obviously, you can't blame Nintendo for thinking society has sense. But nowadays, it's just confirmed more and more that you can't idiot-proof everything.

"Its everyone's fault but mine" idiots? +1

Baby jesus? Crying in the corner

This is an admission by Nintendo that their straps are too weak for the mentally retarded.

Arghh! People still don't get it! This has nothing to do with being an idiot!

I've said it before and I'll say it again until you guys listen to me!

Nintendo knows that a large proportion of their consumer base consists of children. Whether there are stupid adults out there or not just doesn't matter. Kids play wildly. It's not stupidity. It's natural. It's part of growing up.

Nintendo makes the straps to stop kids from having this problem. If it's too thin, then it's Nintendo's responsibility to get it fixed. No different at all from child safe bottle tops, or child safe car doors. They're designed and implemented to stop kids doing bad things and if they're not effective then it's the companies' problem. No safety means no credibility. Nintendo fixed the problem and fixed it fast.

Meh. I still think retardation is a better explanation. But just like you say, if your market has a significant retardation ratio, gotta take it into consideration. And Nintendo has. Good for them. ^_^

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

Wasn't it the day after launch that Nintendo was offering to replace Wii that were recieving error codes from the WiiConnect24 update? Before a non-hardware fix was available of course. They certainly didn't screw around for three months.

I think people are misunderstanding the purpose of the strap, it's not to prevent the Wii Remote from flying towards your television, it's to stop it from hitting the floor if you drop it... downwards. And for that purpose it works beautifully. This whole 300MPH thing that people have going on? It's never the way that Nintendo intended the use of the Wii. Therefore it is improper useage. Period. Therefore not Nintendo's problem. Period. However, Nintendo, I've noticed, seems to care, and thus they offer replacements.

Replacing these "strings" IE the entire F-ing strap will cost a decent chunk of change.

My point is that Sony or MS wouldn't fix something so small if they were in the position of Nintendo.

If Nintendo is willing to do right by customers in the small things then they will be willing to do right if something larger arose.

@k1dsmoke

They'd replace them if they saw the potential threat of a class action law suit from injury or damages. Simple legal math. Cost of lawsuit > cost of fixing problem = fix the problem. Basically, they admitted to the problem early enough to prevent a major one a few months down the line (though the fanboys here and across the Interweb don't want to admit there ever was a problem).

@ half of the people here

Personal responsibility does play a part in everything, but you can't really argue that when the strap is failing to do what it is there for. If Ford put out 2 million cars with faulty seat belts, is the solution "take personal responsibility and don't get in an accident?" Hell no.

For UK gamers Nintendo have a press release out saying that they are NOT "recalling" the strap - but then go on to provide details on how to replace your strap anyhow. I wouldn't really call that admitting to a problem.

"It is impossible to make anything fool-proof, because fools are so ingenious." - Anonymous

Because I'm not stupid or strong enough to wield a Wiimote at 300MPH (maybe 80~90MPH according to baseball), I've just earned 4 cell phone straps.

I love you Nintendo.

Oh and people who are angry at Nintendo for "caving" into idiots are idiots themselves. These idiots have created an opportunity for free straps. Who doesn't love free stuff even if they might never be used?!

Okay i pre-ordered/paid in full for Wii Play. I know Wii Play comes with a Wiimote, can anyone tell me if it is said or whatever that the wiimote that comes with Wii Play has the new straps?

Does this mean that my original strap is now a collector's item, soon to exorbitantly charged for on ebay?

I'm sure it's barely a dent in costs for Nintendo. They sell these new straps at $1 a piece, so they likely cost half of that to make. And there'll be nowhere near 3.2 million straps replaced since it's all based on consumers hunting down the info rather than straps automatically showing up on their doorsteps. And seeing as they're making nearly $40 profit on each of the consoles sold...

If Australians already have the thicker straps.. then dammit, the THIN straps must be about an thick as a human hair.

I have two straps, one from the system, and one from Wii-play, and they are both as THIN as all buggery.

So, NO, Australians don't have the thicker straps, so a Aussie recall is in order.

Not that i count on NEEDING a thicker strap, but preventure is always better than a cure.