Wii class action claim: controller keeps flying out of our hands

“Nintendo’s Wii game remote controller has a defective wrist strap that lets the thing fly out of the users’ hands while they simulate tennis, nunchucks or similar actions, and then it crashes into TVs, walls and children,” according to an intended class action filed by attorney Robert Kleinman of Austin, Texas on behalf of a Colorado woman. (Courthouse News, Dec. 4 via Above the Law).

7 Comments

  • This has to be a story from the Onion, right?

  • Actually, this was done in a TV commercial.

  • I thought they already offered a wrist strap replacement to head off this very thing.

  • Mine doesn’t.

    In fact, considering how the wiimote is constructed, I am forced to conclude that complainant is an incredible klutz, and I have no idea how they manage to dress themselves without accidentally cutting off their arms.

  • Are they suing over they original strap or the new one? The original one was pretty bad, which is why they recalled it (not sure if it was an official recall). The new one wouldn’t snap unless you abused it pretty thoroughly.

  • My neice managed to send a Wii remote flying and put a crack in my TV. She was trying to really get some zip on the ball doing some bowling and the remote flew out of her hands, bounced off the front of the TV and hit the ceiling. I know the strap was on tight, because it was still on her wrist with the broken ends dangling down. Not only did it crack the TV, but it put a small dent in the ceiling. So, yeah, she was really swinging hard.

    Of course, these were the original defective straps. I had dutifully ordered the replacements, but they hadn’t come a few weeks later when my neice did the damage. When I e-mailed to complain about not receiving the straps yet, I mentioned the damage to the TV in hopes that it would expedite my order. Not only did I get the straps fast, but Nintendo actually paid for my TV to get fixed. I wasn’t planning to sue; I figured it was just one of those things that happens, but I was happy to get the damage payed for.

    I’m sure in those docs I signed for Nintendo it said I wouldn’t sue them over this. That means I’m ineligible for the class right? That would be nice so I don’t have to opt-out. I’m guessing there are a lot of people like me who have quietly settled with Nintendo and thus shouldn’t be part of the class, right?

  • Nintendo already handled this issue…it sounds like someone bought a price-inflated “new in unopened box” ebay/craigslist/newspaper/fleamarket special.

    Since the Wiis have not been selling this holiday season (the local Target has 60 of them in stock, comfirmed by my roomate who works there…they only get 5 per week), prices for them on the secondary market have crashed….so it’s very likely that someone bought one of those to save fifty bucks and ended up getting a pre-recall wrist strap.

    That’s their fault…this information has been online for a significant period of time now.