Nintendo finally got back to us about reports of cracked DS Lite hinges. Here's the official statement we were sent:

"In the U.S., the reported number of small cosmetic cracks in the plastic hinge of DS Lite systems represents less than 0.02 percent of the total units sold. This cosmetic issue in no way impacts the gameplay or integrity of the DS Lite. Nintendo stands behind the quality of our products and encourages DS Lite owners to contact our Customer Service Department if they are not happy with the functionality of their systems."

The 0.02% figure is based solely on reported cracked hinges, and as such, does not reflect the actual percentage of defective DS Lites. While merely cosmetic -- know that some reports claim the damage can worsen -- the crack, in our opinion, should be considered under the DS Lite's warranty. But don't go crying to Customer Service just yet ... if the instance is as rare -- and harmless -- as Nintendo claims, these imperfections will no doubt end up as collector's items sold on eBay. Who wants to place the first bid on ours?

MaxConsole has received Nintendo's response, via Cake PR, to reports of the DS Lite's hinge cracking. The official statement is as follows:

"We are not aware of any problems with the hinge of the DS Lite, however if someone experiences a problem with their DS Lite they should contact their local customer services department. The DS Lite carries a one year warranty for manufacturing defects, if the fault is covered under the warranty it will be repaired free of charge if not then customer services will provide a cost for repairing the product.

For warranty repair information, all technical enquires [sic] including servicing products, guarantee information, troubleshooting, part orders and release dates in the UK, please contact our Customer Service department (Monday - Friday 8:30am-7pm)."

In an effort to make Nintendo 'aware,' MaxConsole has compiled an impressive list of DS Lite owner testimonials, scooped from the pages of Arstechnica, Digg, GameSpot, and, yes, even Joystiq, each representing a unit with a near-identical crack, located on the left side of the hinge. While for most, the crack remains merely a cosmetic nuisance, some reports claim that the damage can worsen, resulting in the loss of the hinge's plastic casing, which in turn, affects the stability of the top screen.

Regardless, Nintendo should investigate this matter further, in order to determine if the crack is, as speculated, a design flaw. Currently, customer service representatives are attributing the crack to misuse ("you dropped it"), and repair is being offered for a $50 fee.