Nintendo Addresses Wii-mote Strap Debacle

As the number of Nintendo Wii's being sold continually rise by the day, so too are the number of complaints associated with gamers angry over the thin string connecting the Wii-mote's strap to the wrist. Sweaty palms and forceful throws of the Wii-mote have snapped several straps, sending the peripheral flying across rooms. Although some have luckily managed to collect their flung Wii-motes unscathed, a good number have not.

One story in particular that has been circulating the net showed the aftermath from a man playing bowling in Wii Sports who saw his Wii-mote fly straight into his projection screen tv, implanting a noticeably large crack dead center in the screen.

Nintendo's president, Satoru Iwata, has promised to look in to the growing number of complaints from cross gamers. Though not admitting any problem with the design of the controller, Mr. Iwata said that he had not anticipated the excitement of gamers who tend to put an incredibly amount of force toward actions on screen.

Shigeru Miyamoto and Nintendo of America's president Stephen Totilo conveyed similar sentiments and suggested that if gamers perhaps took the numerous warnings to use the Wii-mote seriously there might not be so many complaints. Both cited instances of people improperly using the remote by not connecting the strap to the wrist, while a buildup of sweat in the palms have led to many Wii-motes slipping out of the hand during game play.

Though I can certainly imagine many people ignoring the warnings Nintendo displays for proper Wii-mote usage, it's also hard to deny the thin strap as a rather flimsy string. With any luck, however, the new year should bring third party developers to introduce new peripheral brands that address this very problem (hopefully for a lower price as well).