Nintendo DS Lite cracks on hinge

Damn, it's up to two separate posts now?! Seems to me that someone is trying to be the "frontrunner" in coverage on this issue. Have to be careful with that zeal, it can eat into your credibility (especially if people see this as some kind of "balance" act to appease the 10 remaining Sony fanboys who believe Joystiq is biased simply for reporting the truth about the PS3).

Hate for this to be Joystiq's "PlasticGate"

Cracked on the left because right-handers open the lid with their left thumb?

I notice that's how I open it, and from the bottom left corner. Maybe it puts too much strain on it.

Just to be safe, I'm going to start opening the lid from the middle.

I just checked my DS lite and it is cracked too. Nintendo should eat the cost on fixing the crack.

Mine is cracked as well. I bought it launch day from Nintendo World in NY. I've been playing it TONS with the screen in every position and I've never dropped it. Sounds like a design flaw to me. It is an actual physical crack and it's not along the seam.

If it eventually causes the hinge to fail, I'll be looking to Nintendo to fix the problem for free. Otherwise it's no big deal.

It'll be bad if your wii cracks!

"Mom my wii is cracked!"
Call 9-1-1!!!!!!!!!!

No crack on mine so far, and remember everyone, as it's been said before, that there's a small line across the hinge which is the plastic seam, so don't get it confused with an actual crack.

TUSH #2. Gotta get some popcorn to watch the fight!

Xbox/Sony fanboys attack!!
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LMAO! Just for you, Tush:
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In later news;

Sony finds them in yet another lawsuit after SCE President, Ken Kutaragi, was found on surveillance video in Nintendo's warehouse vandalizing the new sleek DS Lite. Allegedly, Mr. Kutaragi was found unwrapping the new DS Lite packages and deliberately tapping the back of the left hinge with a rubber mallet causing the unit to crack.

Sony is disputing the charge, stating Nintendo did not properly secure their establishment thus making Sony not liable. Also Sony requested the courts to re-evaluate Nintendo's surveillance equipment proving to be inadequate and thus inadmissible in court. Also in counter-suit Sony is suing Nintendo for patent infringements for using the Eye-Toy as their surveillance device without written permission.

In the mean time, Microsoft declined to comment on the matter, they were too busy counting their money and porting old non-licensed 8-bit games into their "Xbox Live Arcade" for their next-gen system.

Arrrgh! After seeing this article, I just checked my DS Lite and it has a crack almost identical to that one. I just don't see how I've done it. I, like most people, treat my DS like royalty. Either it's had a bump I don't remember or it has a design flaw. This article and the comments from everyone else suggests it's a design flaw.

i've have the *dreaded* crack in the exact same place. i dunno about it happening for right handed folk opening it with their thumbs - cos i'm left handed.

Its like a little DS birthmark lol

No crack on mine, but I have a black European one...

HOLY CRAP!

I just checked my DS Lite too, not expecting anything, and there is a hairline crack forming in the same exact spot and the same angle as in the top picture. It doesn't go all the way across or is as wide as in the pic but its starting.

WTF.

http://dslcracked.awardspace.com/

Mine has the defect, my brother's does not. Seems about 50/50 in general.

Um is this really serious as in it can break apart? if not just live with it!

My japanese DSlite, which I've had for a few months now, has no crackage.

is this just a problem with the US ones? Or maybe the white ones? XP

I know this is redundant, but I also have the exact same crack in the picture above.. bummer.

Mine is cracked in the same place. Have no idea since when, as I only looked for it now. Sucks. :p

Mine has the crack but has not gone thru but has started...Been taken very good care of my dsl, must be some flaw.

I notied mine had that small crack a couple of days ago. I played it sometimes on the bus, so I'm assuming the crack came from that because I babied my DS Lite.

My DS Lite would occasionaly (not often, really, like once a week to less) wouldn't read a DS cartridge. If I restarted it it would be fine. It was kind of annoying, but rarely happened, so I wasn't going to exchange it.

When I noticed the crack the other day, I decided to exchange it. I brought it in, and got a new one right away with absolutely no hassle or questioning.

$50 is pretty expensive to fix a tiny crack. But someone posted a picture of his dog chewing his DS Lite and the cost to fix that was $50. I wouldn't mind so much paying $50 for a tiny crack knowing it costs pretty cheap to fix major damage.

Mine's cracked too. I was whining well before i saw the articles on digg start to pop up. My flatmates one isn't cracked though.

You guys should definately start caring about other types of cracks...

We bought both my children DS Lites in June. Both of them have cracks. on of them has cracks on both sides and the one on the right side is getting bigger every day.

Same thing happened to me this weekend. Mine was so bad that super glue didn't work. This break is at the base of the hinge making it difficult to use without causing further damage. I have only had it a month and now ofcourse the $50 charge to repair or replace with a used system.

The crack on my daughters DS Lite now prevents the game to stay open unless it is played flat !! when is Nintendo going to admit that they have a serious problem.

Everyone, I honestly don't know what you are going so crazy on. It's just a crack. It doesn't even effect gameplay. I don't see the point in trying to get it repaired or even super-gluing it. LET ALONE trying to get a NEW one! No point! I can guarantee you that it is just cosmetic damage. I don't have a DS lite, but I have an original DS and it has served me for over one and a half years without a crack. But what it DOES have is a plastic seamline where the plastic has been bonded together. I think people may be mistaking this for a crack, but that is just my opinion.

Oh sorry Andy, I didn't see your post there. Yes, it turns out that this is causing a problem.

Funny, I was told by Nintendo that 'a few' people have complained about this problem. (I purchased mine June 12)I called in 2 weeks ago. Strange just last week, my aunt ended up with the same problem... We both baby ours... Also the on the repair instructions, it states 'For non-warranty repairs, the amount due is shownon the enclosed envelope.' My invoice as well as my aunt's both show a ZERO balance.

Sorry, the 'enclosed invoice'...

My DS lite cracked, and I haven't even had it for more than a couple months. The same thing happened to my original DS, elthough after a little while longer.

I got my DS Lite near release date and I just noticed the crack in the spot where everyone is seeing it. My wife and nieces have used the DS more than me so that might explain why I have it. I think there has been a few times that they may have opened it too far. Well as long as the tope display does not become wobbly or fall off I can live with it. Interestingly enough my GBA's hinges are fine and I have had that much longer.

My DS Lite also has a crack, left part of the hinge... it's only hairline, but a crack nonetheless. It resulted from Nintendo tightening the hinge too much. At first I thought it may have been from elevation change, because I went from Texas to Colorado to Alberta in the span of a week.

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bought my ds lite on late june and by mid august(less than 2 months). the hinge cracked just like the picture shown above. sent it for repair for $ 45.00. not covered under warranty. SUUCCKK!!!. NOT ACCEPTABLE!!!.

Mine has a small crack on the inside part of the hinge, damm i sure wish i got that warentty, hopelly since theres so many complaints microsoft will charge free.

I saw this the other day I and I checked mine, YAY NO CRACK!!!, But then 2 days ago I put the charger cable in, and I notice a small crack that didnt go to both sides. Now today I look at it and it is all the way through and is wide. :<

Nintendo sucks for not fixing them for free. Bastards...