Flying "Wiimotes" get grounded

When reports surfaced that the wrist strap included with the remote control for Nintendo's Wii gaming console had a tendency to snap under the pressures of high-intensity gaming, we were willing to give the manufacturer the benefit of the doubt. Turns out it's a pretty big problem. Citing reports of cords on the strap breaking, Nintendo has announced  a worldwide "replacement program" of 3.2 million Wii wrist straps, of which 2 million are in the U.S. (Nintendo doesn't consider this a recall, since the company isn't requiring consumers to return the old straps.) The replacement program affects all Wii systems sold through December 11th and all separate Wii remotes sold through December 18th. As reported earlier, consumers have reported several instances in which the remote -- which is designed to simulate a range of sporting and other equipment from baseball bats to swords -- has flown out of their hands, damaging TVs and causing at least some minor injuries. Nintendo originally insisted that consumers weren't using the strap properly, and issued safety guidelines for correct strap usage. Our advice: Call Nintendo's hotline at (800) 859-4519 or go to their Web site to request a new strap for free. Nintendo will ship you a version with a 1.0 mm thick connecting cord to replace the original, which had a 0.6 mm version. If you don't want your holiday ruined by broken TVs or bumps and bruises, we recommend putting down the Wii remote until you receive your new strap (unless you can figure out another way of securely keeping the remote attached to your hand -- duct tape, perhaps?). Nintendo expects to begin shipping out replacement straps on December 21st, with deliveries starting 5-9 days later.

Previously: Watch out for flying "Wiimotes"

—Marc Perton