Snapping Wii Straps Force Major Recall, but Sales Bustling

ByABC News
December 14, 2006, 5:05 PM

Dec. 15, 2006 — -- In what some might call a testament to the interactive nature of Nintendo's new Wii video game console, the company has announced that it will recall 3.2 million straps found on the system's motion sensitive controllers.

The controllers or "Wiimotes" are high-tech TV, remote control-shaped "wands" that players simply move to interact with games.

Fancy a game of tennis? Swing away and create about 100 different shot variations all based on how you move. Twist your wrist to add spin; gently tap the ball to force your enemy to play at the net; or swing through as hard as you can to rifle the ball past your opponent.

The straps attach the controller to players' wrists to keep the devices from flying across rooms when gamers get a little overzealous about their play. Unfortunately, the straps were made a bit too thin. To see that the results of a snapped strap can be devastating, just search the Internet to find images of smashed windows, destroyed TVs, and even a black eye or two.

"People tended to get a bit excited, especially while playing Wii sports, and in some cases the control would come loose from their hands," company spokesman Yasuhiro Minagawa told The Associated Press. "The new strap will be almost twice as thick."

You can check out some pictures of Wii devastation by clicking here.

Despite a few bumps, bruises and broken TVs, the Wii has been very well received by critics, gamers and even nongamers. Just try to track down a Wii. You can ask around at your local video game or electronics store, but you're likely to get laughed out of the building -- maybe all the way to the parking lot.

Nintendo's risky new system has been selling out almost before it hits store shelves. Some experts have suggested that retailers may even be holding on to units to lure holiday shoppers into their stores with promises of finding the elusive machines on busy weekends.

"We've been seeing this coming for a while now," said Anita Frazier, industry analyst for the NPD Group. "I think this is very typical every time there's a console launch. If they've done a good job of marketing and advertising, there are never enough to meet demand."