Wii have a problem with "Wiimote"

A signature remote for Nintendo’s new and revolutionary Wii gaming console that people hold to mimic the physical actions in games, held responsible for injuring users as well as causing damage to household items.

The hand-held motion-sensitive controller, called the Wii Remote or further abbreviated as Wiimote, has become the subject of severe criticism as it can fly out of user's hand because of a defective wrist strap.

The wrist strap that is attached to the wireless controller is worn by the users in their wrist while playing the game. But, a number of Wii owners reported problem with the thin wrist strap. For instance, a report says the strap is prone to tearing without notice which can cause the controller to fly out of the user's hand.

There are several videos, uploaded by gamers on some Websites, which depict people losing their Wiimote while playing, due to the apparently weak grip of device’s wrist strap. The websites have also collected the photos that purportedly show damage, such as broken glass, smashed TVs and even broken Wiimote, due to the strap that comes out from the users’ hands as they swung around the controller, causing the remote to fly out of their hands. In some cases, injuries can be seen.

Nintendo President Satoru Iwata on Thursday acknowledged the sudden problem with the Wii video-game machine. In a statement yesterday, Iwata said, “We are investigating. Some people are getting a lot more excited than we’d expected. We need to better communicate to people how to deal with Wii as a new form of entertainment.”

Damage caused by flying controllers is likely being due to overuse of the straps, he said.

The company has no plans yet to change the strap, Nintendo spokesman Yasuhiro Minagawa said.

However, the company has highlighted some safety information for playing Wii on its Website. In an email sent to Wii customers and posted on various Web sites on Wednesday, Nintendo recommended, "Hold the remote securely and avoid excessive motion during game play. If your hands become moist, stop and dry your hands.”

The manufacturer also recommended gamers to stay at least 1m away from the TV while playing the game, and to make sure people and objects were safely outside their range of physical actions.

Nintendo’s gaming console was only released Thursday in Australia, December 2 in Japan and last month on 19 in the US. The company is in a three-way battle with Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360.

Iwata, who wants to see how Wii sells in the critical Christmas shopping season before making any official comment on the matter, only said, "I'm not ruling that out entirely, but it's premature to say it now."