"Wii Have A Problem," an accident archive
by James Ransom-Wiley 
{ Nov 29th 2006 at 2:15PM }
A group of self-proclaimed fanboys have begun cataloging cases of Wii mishaps, casualties, and injuries. No loss of life yet reported, but as these incidents continue to pile up, lawsuits are sure to be filed.True, Nintendo has done well to provide appropriate warnings, but that won't stop disgruntled gamers or those who might take advantage of their unfortunate circumstances. Who will rise to Nintendo's defense? Speak.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Turtle D @ Nov 29th 2006 2:52PM
I have a 5 year old and seeing that he is extremely animated when playing Wii Sports and Zelda, let alone Rayman, he has never dropped the controller, flung it, or anything of the sort. I call BS on the ones who are trying to get a free ride out of Nintendo. Even my son follows instructions on how to securely fasten the strap and not let go of the controller when bowling. I am personally getting sick of these reports of stupid users.
Mike W @ Nov 29th 2006 2:23PM
It's not Nintendo's fault that people can't grip onto a controller. Granted, these people may have a case due to the obviously non-durable wrist straps, but its hard to go after a company for even that. People just should be more careful. (Now I wait for one to fly into my 50"er)
Max @ Nov 29th 2006 2:25PM
theres like 1000 warnings that pop up when you use your wii, nintendo has covered there ass good
Shadow @ Nov 29th 2006 2:26PM
If I go golfing and my club flys out of my hands and smashes something its my fault not the maker of the club. so why do people think that breaking their tv's because they cant keep it in their sweety hands on the wii mote is the fault of nintendo
silkylove @ Nov 29th 2006 2:56PM
The only injury I've suffered is mild soreness and a slight case of "Wii elbow".
Iscariote @ Nov 29th 2006 3:10PM
I'll stand up for Nintendo:
Stop throwing your controllers into your TVs, clods.
aero @ Nov 29th 2006 2:28PM
I've thought of it this way: if you're playing REAL tennis or bowling, and you have sweaty hands, you better be careful and hold on! If you're sweaty and you let go of that racket of the bowling ball, the results will be even MORE destructive than letting go of a Wii remote. Also, it is not uncommon for people to do this (accidentally throw their racket/ baseball bat/ bowling ball). If that accident does occur, it's not the fault of those who make the thing is it? Of course not!
So a flying Wii remote is in no way Nintendo's fault. Also, people who play the Wii have a CHOICE on whether to swing their arms a lot or just safely flick the wrist. Nintendo does not force people to swing the remote. Plus that have that disclaimer in Wii sports that tells you to play in a open area where you will not hit any PEOPLE or OBJECTS.
I don't see how Nintendo can be responsible.
JodyAnthony @ Nov 29th 2006 2:28PM
its exactly why there are so many warnings when you start up a game on Wii, just like how McDonalds has to put "Caution: Hot" on their coffee. cover their asses.
sambo @ Nov 29th 2006 3:29PM
buy some f'n duct tape if it's that much of a problem.
jcraig1701 @ Dec 1st 2006 7:22PM
A tennis racket has grip tape, bowling balls have holes, boxing gloves have laces, golf clubs have all sorts of grip material and available gloves, and baseball players use gloves for grip. The Wii-mote has none of these things, why do people treat them like they do? Nintendo has covered their respective butts through and through with the mandatory warnings, disclaimers, and the game even reminds you the importance of taking breaks between rounds. Any lawsuit filed against Nintendo for damaged property stands no chance of winning anything.
mindg4m3 @ Nov 29th 2006 2:34PM
Seriously... you are not actually playing tennis and the wiimote is not an 8 pound bowling ball. There are all these videos of people just going insane with the wiimote when it is not even near necessary. If you are losing control of your wiimote perhaps you need to reconsider how your movements actually effect your performance, or maybe reconsider your own commonsense.
Relax, like the million wii popup windows tell you to do.
C-Dub @ Nov 29th 2006 2:36PM
Nintendo has their legal arses covered. With all of the warnings plus the manual stating to not let go of the remote or there is a possibility of the strap breaking. There are warnings - it's not Nintendo's fault people are klutzes.
Biggie @ Nov 29th 2006 5:12PM
Nintendo is not responsible for peoples stupidity.
Paco From Del Taco @ Nov 29th 2006 3:31PM
I hope nintendo gets sued for all they are worth and becomes a third party developer.
MMurdock @ Nov 29th 2006 4:11PM
All of the videos/pictures I've seen for damage to anything are the result of people being stupid. So you want to play tennis in your living room, you want to get up and have a good time. That’s great. But you don't have to whip that controller at mach 9 to get any kind of result. You can simulate the game with decently paced motions without going all out and still have a good time.
You still think it's the straps fault? Idiots. You are repeatedly placing un-needed stress on the same area of the strap each and every time you tard-out and let go of the remote.
Oh. You think the remote is too slick and all the sweat from your hands making it hard to hang on to? Buy the covers or wipe your hands. Open hand, wipe each side on dry cloth.
I understand getting carried away, and that accidents happen. However you are the force behind your flying remote. If you were honestly throwing it hard enough to break glass, TV, and so on it is your fault. Sufficient warnings both in hard copy and on the screen releases any and all liability for your ignorant actions.
I know it is a lot easy to blame a major corporation for your intellectual short-comings, however it is high time you take responsibility for breaking your own stuff.
LostToys @ Nov 29th 2006 2:41PM
The problem is the safety measure which was designed into the controller is not working as it should. The strap is there as an extra precautions just in case. It is not there for abuse. However, what some people have mentioned, is that the strap is failing its primary purpose.
To me it is like an airbag. I am not going to go get myself in an accident so I can use it. It is there just in case I accidentally do. If the airbags fail on me in this instance, then they have failed their whole reason for being there.
Skwurl @ Nov 29th 2006 3:40PM
"Who will rise to Nintendo's defense? Speak."
I'll bite.
How about not letting go of the effing remote?
kodec @ Nov 29th 2006 4:20PM
LAWSUITS LAWSUITS LAWSUITS LAWSUITS!!!!!1
Anyone who files a lawsuit because they, themselves, caused some damage by throwing, under their own power, a Wii remote, is a complete and utter moron.
Likewise, bloggers who talk about such incidents and declare, without doubt, the *inevitability* of such lawsuits being filed, in a manner that suggests they are almost begging people to do so, are complete douches.
azesino @ Nov 29th 2006 2:53PM
their legal asses covered hahaahah now thats funny, no body in here knows jack about laws, at least in the United Stated of America there is no way to cover your ass when it comes to lawsuits, ask anybody that has the minimun knowledge of Laws and they will laugh at you with a comment like that.
Have you ever herd of the word "Class Action Lawsuit", this is where all this reported incidents are going, and when you have at least One thousand people litigating against you, the only thing left is to settle, nintendo will not procede to deffend them self on a class action lawsuit because doing so it would be damaging its immage and brand , so they better pray that those wrist straps dont keep on braking or they are going to be on a serious problem.
Tynissan @ Nov 29th 2006 2:55PM
The purpose of the strap isn't to withhold a 90mph pitch from some tool who thinks that he's supposed to let go of the wiimote like a baseball!
AdamW @ Nov 29th 2006 3:50PM
Third-party manufacturers should capitalize on this by introducing uber-grip Wiimotes, with the sides and bottoms outfitted with golf-club-like grips. Not to mention tougher wrist-straps.
CFlip2X @ Nov 29th 2006 2:56PM
Solution = Don't swing so hard
Judd @ Nov 29th 2006 2:59PM
I don't think that Nintendo is going to lose any of these lawsuits. As has been mentioned, they put many warnings on the screen before you play a game.
That still does not mean that it's not a concern. It's easy for everyone to criticize those who have had problems, but how do you know what the situation is? Many people did not lose control of the wiimote, but their wrists straps just broke.
Most games can be played just sitting down, but in many games it is very hard to. Wii Sports Bowling is hard to play sitting down, because you need to pull your arm backwards. Certain mini-games in Rayman require you to wave the wiimote, like cow tossing. These both happen to be some of my most favorite Wii games, but I could easily see how accidents can happen.
Everyone who said before the Wii launched that knocking into things won't be a problem because you could use small motions, are the same people who are blaming those who have injuries from the system. Blind fanboys. Don't get me wrong, I love my Wii. But I'm not willing to dismiss its problems by blaming those whose situations I have no idea about.
The worst thing about it is there isn't much Nintendo can do. Judging by Nintendo's commercials and strategy, the system was designed to be played with many people standing around waving their arms.
However, there are three changes I can think of to help this situation:
1. New Wrist Strap- Obvious, but maybe they can design it so that when you pull up the strap, there is a way to lock it in. For instance, by putting a pin through a hole in the strap(Like a belt or a watch.)
2. Bigger Wiimote- After, the popularity of the DS Lite, Nintendo must've been thinking, "the smaller the better." The problem is the average American hand is probably bigger than the Japanese. It can be hard to grip it if it's so small.
3. Air Vents- If they could put in a microphone, why can't they put in a cooler? My normal gaming controllers get sweaty very quickly, and I'm not throwing it around my body. This is an idea that's been used on third party controllers, but I'm suprised that no first party company has implemented it yet.
ddoggiee sstylee @ Nov 30th 2006 7:46AM
seriously, who gives a f#ck? if you're a total douche who exterted so much force that (A) the controller slipped out of your hands, and (B) then broke the nylon strap, you got what you deserved. i'm guessing 50% of the mishaps are staged for 15 milliseconds of intenet fame (and you're still a douche).
pho3 @ Nov 29th 2006 4:33PM
your airbag is not built for a 400mph crash, just as the wiimote strap is not built for a 9g stress.
as for the legality of everything, if you're going to come in and start talking crap about our intelligence towards our own laws, at least spell the country right.
For example, if a large number of consumers are injured as a result of an allegedly defective product, the principal issue will be whether the product caused the injury.
Sizer @ Nov 29th 2006 3:51PM
Penny Arcade will rise to Nintendo's defense: http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2006/11/29
Panadero @ Nov 29th 2006 3:02PM
LostToys: The wrist strap's primary purpose is to prevent accidents under normal use as recommended by Nintendo. As Nintendo is not telling people to throw their controllers around at the speed of light like some people seem to be doing, it is not their fault. Yes, the wrist straps can and should be made of better material. But using the controller in a reasonable fashion will not cause them to fail.
blank @ Nov 29th 2006 3:08PM
Great, now Nintendo will have yet another disclaimer to add to the already ridiculous splash screen. One that no one else has.
How 'bout we start throwing "sixAxis" controllers into stuff, then blame sony for being innovative (sony and innovative, that'll be the day), we all know they are no strangers to the court, what's another lawsuit?
I mean, nintendo even tells you to take a break during gaming. Do they need to elaborate on that? I'm not certain it would fit with bubbly wii font, but how about:
"why don't you take a break and grab a towel to dry off? Oh, and while your at it, CALM THE F*** DOWN, ITS A VIDEO GAME!!!"
Most of the motion based stuff you down really need to even move. It provides for a more "realistic" experience and a great show for onlookers, but you can pitch a 94mph strike consistently with a simple flick of the controller. So the fact that people are THAT ludicrous to get so motivated as to throw the controller through something make it that much more inane.
You aren't Nolan Ryan or Andre Agassi, and Nintendo doesn't expect you to perform as such.
Mark @ Nov 29th 2006 3:11PM
Nintendo is seriously covered. In order for the strap to break, you need to be pulling on it excessively for no reason at all or be swinging and flinging the controller all around using the Wrist band. Indeed the strap is there as an extra precaution, if you let go of the remote, it's then your fualt for failing to listen to Nintendo. Class action lawsuit or not, all Nintendo has to do is show the precautions the system states on both power up and starting games, the manual, and it's case dismissed.
In complete honesty my friends and I play Wii Sports and the bowling is a favorite. Having only 1 Wiimote to use, it changes hands after every frame. None of us bother to put the strap on, but we know it's our fualt for not doing so, but guess what. No one has ever dropped the Wiimote because we keep our grip. There is no excuse for whipping the controller like an idiot to play bowling.
The only games I can see where yu would need to swing the controller a lot are Tennis, LoZ: Twilight Princess, and other games requiring a slashing motion, but again, in a normal sword fight, would you really want to let go fo your weapon? Probably not, so why let go of the controller?
mykie @ Nov 29th 2006 3:15PM
One bit of "safety" Nintendo has decided to include on the Classic and Nunchuck attachments is an obnoxious clear plastic hook that barely has enough room to floss the thin part of wrist strap through.
And Nintendo wants you to do this every time you attach something to the Wii Remote, and thus have to UNDO this troublesome step if you want to remove the peripheral.
With any kind of continued use, this could easily fray and destroy that thin strap used to secure the wrist strap.
My solution is to disobey Nintendo and forgo using that blasted clear plastic hook.
bgfolio @ Nov 29th 2006 4:03PM
Graft the Wiimote to your arm. Problem solved.
Franz @ Nov 29th 2006 8:49PM
If you play right you shouldn't have a problems with the System -or the straps... The purpose of the strap is to hang from you hand not to cause problems.
"Nintendo has done well to provide appropriate warnings" So Game Players should be careful when playing the Wii. thats all. in order for some thing to last long you have to care for it at all times. that means don't play hardball with it.
hegemonyhog @ Nov 29th 2006 3:26PM
To me it is like an airbag. I am not going to go get myself in an accident so I can use it. It is there just in case I accidentally do. If the airbags fail on me in this instance, then they have failed their whole reason for being there.
Uh...what?
The airbag is a safety precaution...but it's not a guarantee of your safety. You run into a wall at 90 miles per hour, an airbag is keeping your brains off the steering wheel. Just like a safety belt and any other precautions, those safety measures are there to reduce injury, but they aren't an ironclad guarantee against it.
umrain @ Nov 29th 2006 3:31PM
I'll say it again: YOU ARE NOT AN ACTUAL WOLF; CALM DOWN.
eno2090 @ Nov 29th 2006 3:32PM
I am getting sick of all these wii-tards that somehow manage to injure themselves on this system. It's not that hard to maintain control when you're playing. Its amazing these people havent killed themselves way before the launch of the system. Im beggin all you wii-tards out there to please stop injuring yourselves or just stop playing games in general before you ruin them for the rest of us.
Brian (the REAL Brian) @ Nov 29th 2006 3:42PM
@ 22
LAWL, good point!
BoBoTheChimp @ Nov 29th 2006 4:27PM
It's sad that people are even having to mention a lawsuit here. This is why this country is going to Hell in a handbasket, nobody takes responsibilty for their own freakin actions. If you are gonna flail your arms around more than you are supposed to like a retard, that is on you. I still can't wrap my mind around a small piece of rectangular plastic breaking a tv, or window, or anything aside from a house of cards for that matter. Maybe Nintendo should look into strengthening the connection between the strap and the Wiimote, but I by no stretch of the imagination think they should be held liable for any damages. And you wonder why lawyers make so much friggin money.
jear-ed @ Nov 29th 2006 3:53PM
how bout i sue nike for getting hurt while using their sporting equipment?
Mr. Khan @ Nov 29th 2006 4:52PM
I've said it before and i'll say it again
YOU CANNOT IDIOT-PROOF THE WORLD
Nintendo would almost have had to understand this when they developed the whole concept of motion sensing technology as a primary control scheme for their console
But DDR does the same thing with the warnings, and i don't think they have been sued yet
The only problem with Nintendo getting a fair trial is that with the stigma Video Games get these days, i'd be amazed if they won ANY trial in the US, unless it was in an urban area (with its more tech-friendly policies), Now, if the Wii continues with this preliminary public success, then that stigma will change, and Nintendo WOULD be able to get a fair trial
& Paco from Del Taco; Consider this; If Nintendo goes down, then ALL the next-next gen consoles will be priced from $500 and up, and then Video Games WILL actually become a niche market (no danger of that yet, but if the Sony/MS trend continues, who knows what will happen?)
Jose @ Nov 29th 2006 5:04PM
I've played the Wii and it's very difficult to let it just slide through your hand. The shape of the controller in and of itself is a good grip. People have to take responsibility in the way they use products and stop with these stupid lawsuits.
Field Anony-mouse @ Nov 29th 2006 4:59PM
"To me it is like an airbag. I am not going to go get myself in an accident so I can use it. It is there just in case I accidentally do. If the airbags fail on me in this instance, then they have failed their whole reason for being there."
Air-bags can be rendered useless with enough impact. Same with crumple zones. And seatbelts. And body armor. And safty pads for skating. And the pads on ski lift poles. And well to make a long list short, EVERY SAFETY MEASURE ON THE PLANET. Sure, replace the wrist strap with tempered steel cable. People will still complain that it's Nintendo's fault they're smashing their hands into things if not throwing the remotes. The wrist strap is a reasonable measure against dropping the remote, NOT against "accidentially" throwing it at 90 mph into the wall.
Turken @ Nov 29th 2006 5:06PM
A couple other things to consider:
1) I reply to the "airbag" argument... Airbags, bike helmets, and other safety restraints are typically designed to protect from ONE incident, at which point they are replaced. I would wager that most people who are having their straps break have accidentally let go of the controller several times before the strap finally gave way. NO restraint product will hold up perfectly under repeated use.
2) For all the 'tards out there demanding a bigger cord since the included one is so thin... Bigger isn't necessarily better. The remote strap uses a particular weave ofter referred to as "shock cord." Although the cord connecting the strap is thin, it is exceptionally strong and engineered to be sufficient for holding onto delicate items which may be dropped. Take a look at the straps used on pretty much any handheld electronic device (DS, cameras, camcorders, etc.) and you'll see that they are all made out of the same material and weave pattern. From all the pictures that I have seen online so far, either the cord has obviously been cut, or the point of failure was at the plastic connection holding onto the cord.
In any case, The wrist straps for the wiimotes have been designed to withstand normal to agressive use. It is only in the cases where people have been repeatedly using excessive force that they have failed, but ANY restraint will eventually fail under those circumstances.
matt @ Nov 29th 2006 4:16PM
user error is not the fault of the item's producer.
classic example of course:
if you fall asleep driving your ford, is it ford's fault? no. be responsible for your own faults. warnings are there for a reason, just like you get ticketed for driving drunk, or pulled over if your driving is in question. maybe nintendo should just implement a way to shut down the controllers of people who aren't responsible. you can't play if behave stupidly, that way. will that satisfy people?
Silver @ Nov 29th 2006 5:33PM
"You still think it's the straps fault? Idiots."
The strap is crap. Period. I witnessed a flying remote. The player wasn't being too wild or violent. He was playing just like you see in the Wii commercials. Spirited, but not overly aggressive. He didn't let go of the remote intentionally. It was an ACCIDENT. You know, the very reason the strap is there in the first place? It slipped out of his hand. The ridiculously-weak string that tethers the Wiimote to the strap snapped and the controller hit the wall. Hard. Had it hit the TV, I'm sure we'd be dealing with a cracked screen.
I'm not saying people aren't responsible for their own actions, but this is clearly an inadequate design. If you're going to include a strap in case of accidental loss of grip, shouldn't the strap actually be able to stay intact??? Good grief, Nintendo, whose idea was it to tether that nice strong strap to the Wiimote with a piece of dental floss??? A restraint is only as strong as its weakest link, and that tether string is pitifully weak.
First reaction in cases like this is to blame the user, and typically deservedly so. But there is such a thing as faulty design, and this strap fits that description. If football players' helmets were shattering on the first hit, would that be the player's fault for getting hit in the first place? The idea would be ludicrous. Yet wrist straps aren't doing the job they're supposed to do and somehow it's the users' fault? If Nintendo had attached the strap directly to the Wiimote instead of using that cheesy string in between, we wouldn't be having this discussion.
You people who gleefully blame the users will be singing a different tune when this eventually happens to you or someone you are playing with. After seeing it happen once, I'm completely paranoid now when I have friends or family over to play. I have zero faith in those straps.
If there is a deluge of flying Wiimote stories after Christmas, Nintendo will have a serious PR problem on its hands, not to mention potential legal problems. Telling people to hold on to the Wiimote won't protect them from the liability of poorly-designed strap restraints. A plaintiff's attorney will just have to give the thing a quick tug to snap the wimpy strap tether and it will be all over.
Nintendo: fix these crappy straps and we can end this debate!
Mephistopheles @ Nov 29th 2006 4:38PM
All these incidents are merely carelessness on the part of the user. All of these people could have merely opted to flick their wrists instead of flailing their arms around.
ohnoes @ Nov 29th 2006 4:38PM
how freakin hard are these tools swing the controller?
Eric @ Nov 29th 2006 10:49PM
The other fact is that the Nunchuk (sp?) cable is supposed to be attached to the weakest part of the wrist strap thus taking it on and off for Zelda and Bowling then Boxing then Tennis causes a lot a wear on the strap weakening it to the point it can break easier than most people think. I'm not saying that I think it's Nintendo's fault but I think they should change the strap so that when all these people sue they don't bankrupt nintendo before metroid comes out!
Dejon @ Nov 29th 2006 4:41PM
A few things from my perspective as a budding law student.
A) It's definitely going to be class action.
B) The warning label while it provides some protection, does not provide adequate protection if (as in the air bag analogy) the Wii strap is designed to function as a safety strap and despite that breaks under normal use.
If a customer is made to believe or have expectations that the safety strap is to serve a certain function it should serve that function. If a carmaker were to make an airbag that did not deploy when the car hit a tree, they'd lose the lawsuit in a second.
Ultimately I do anticipate a class action lawsuit, but I do not imagine it will hurt Nintendo much at all. I think the damages will be trivial, and what Nintendo will probably do is replace their safety strap with a more durable one that functions as people expect it to and do a recall. That's my two cents.
JodyAnthony @ Nov 29th 2006 4:50PM
i dont see any way this can possibly develop into a class action lawsuit. thats just my opinion.
really, I find the odds of any sort of class action lawsuit against nintendo and their wrist straps is about as likely as a class action lawsuit against pepsi for making peoples throats burn slightly when people chug their soda.
Josh @ Nov 29th 2006 7:10PM
"Who will rise to Nintendo's defense?"
Joystiq, you disappoint me. I was sure you, of all the Interweb, would know the answer to this. In fact, I'm not even going to say it because I am JUST. THAT. ASHAMED.
(but it sounds like "Venix White")