Wii Strap Replacement

[andrew]

Reported today on the bbc website (in the latest headlines drop down menu in firefox) that nintendo is recalling wiimote straps. It appears hardcore gamers get too excited, loose control of their controller resulting in the strap breaking and wiimote flying into their tv. I find this pathetic that Nintendo will get some bad publicity because these gamers are dopes. Why are these people always loosing control of the wiimote when playing wiisports? Easy does it with the swing motion. When you play real sports like tennis do you loose control of the racket during swings and have your racket go flying? Do you throw the bat when swinging in baseball? I know in real sports very ocasionally you loose control when lunging for something but if someone is lunging or viciously swining in the wiisports game they have serious problems.

[bluemonkey1]

It was hilarious on Channel 4 News this lunchtime.  Going on about all the broken TVs and people who injured others.

[VideoGameCritic]

To be honest, this scares the hell out of me.  I have a 50" plasma, and it is my baby.  Fortunately, there's a lot of room in front of my TV, so I can have people stand back 15' or so.

[JustLikeHeaven1]

[QUOTE=The Video Game Critic]To be honest, this scares the hell out of me.  I have a 50" plasma, and it is my baby.  Fortunately, there's a lot of room in front of my TV, so I can have people stand back 15' or so.
[/QUOTE]

 

I wouldn't be too worried about it. Your typical gamer will not get overzealous and launch the thing into you Plasma.  My dad tried out Wii sports (one of the funniest things I've seen in quite some time) and on one swing he lost the remote, but the tiny little strap did its job and it prevented any damage.  So far I have been very pleased with the Wii.  If the thicker straps are being given away by Nintendo I will get a couple...you can never be too safe.  Though in my experience the regular strap is more than effiecient at doing its job.

 

I get really into my swings in baseball (only because I have played the sport for 15+ years and its the only natural way for me to swing a bat) and I have never once let go of the remote.  Also let me say that it quite satisfying to hit a home run off whoever you are playing against. 

[a1]

[QUOTE=The Video Game Critic]To be honest, this scares the hell out of me.  I have a 50" plasma, and it is my baby.  Fortunately, there's a lot of room in front of my TV, so I can have people stand back 15' or so.
[/QUOTE]

As long as you don't hurl 90 mph fastballs, and let go of the remote when you play Wii Sports baseball, you should be fine. These people are using incredibly exaggerated movements, when a simple swing, or even a flick of the wrist will do. On the plus side of all this, everything I've read about it says the Wii remote survived.

[chrisbid1]

http://www.wiihaveaproblem.com


honestly, some of those broken flat screen tvs are a form of modern art... so long as i dont own them



im glad nintendo is replacing the straps, they really cant cost that much

another interesting point, why are high end televisions constructed to be so delicate? is plexiglass really too heavy or expensive to put in front of a flat screen to protect it?

[math]

[QUOTE=chrisbid]
another interesting point, why are high end televisions constructed to be so delicate? is plexiglass really too heavy or expensive to put in front of a flat screen to protect it?[/QUOTE]

I think acrylic would scratch too easily, a tempered glass would be much better. I have seen some older TVs that used tempered glass as a protective cover. 1/4" thick tempered glass to fit a 50" plasma would only cost $126.11 (retail). But I'm not positive they can apply the not glare finish to a tempered treated glass, but I don't know why not.

 

I think I just had another brilliant idea. If someone was to spend 4k plus on a 50" plasma, they will buy an aftermarket $2-300 protection plate. I need some investors, anyone?

 

Would you spend $2-300 for guaranteed protection of your "baby" VGC?

[snakeboy1]

[QUOTE=a]

[QUOTE=The Video Game Critic]To be honest, this scares the hell out of me.  I have a 50" plasma, and it is my baby.  Fortunately, there's a lot of room in front of my TV, so I can have people stand back 15' or so.
[/QUOTE]

As long as you don't hurl 90 mph fastballs, and let go of the remote when you play Wii Sports baseball, you should be fine. These people are using incredibly exaggerated movements, when a simple swing, or even a flick of the wrist will do. On the plus side of all this, everything I've read about it says the Wii remote survived.

[/QUOTE]

If I'm going to play Wii Sports, I think that I would want to swing and throw as though I were playing real baseball.  It seems to me by using little girly movements, it would take away some of the fun of it.

[Steerforth]

I can see it happening with little kids, and I find it funny that Nintendo obviously went the 10 cent route with their straps. In the end it will be good publicity for them. Its a victory for Nintendo to get mentioned on nationwide T.V. and radio news for a change, as they kind of got buried behind Sony in the prelaunch hype by our intrepid mainstream media.

[Paul Campbell]

I still contest that 90% of the people who have this happen to them are either not wearing the strap at all, or are not TIGHTENING it properly.   I have probably had 40 different people play my Wii since I got it, and at least 3/4 of them would not have even put the stap on if i hadn't reminded them to.  Of course, AFTER an accident happens, they are gonna want to lay all the blame on Nintendo and not themselves.  I cannot see how that strap can break if it is on tight.  There wouldn't be enough force on it if you released it mid-swing to snap a cord like that.  I just don't buy it.  And besides, at this point, I think any publicity is good publicity.