Errant Wiimote claims second TV's life

Wiimotes are becoming finely guided missiles, or so the internets would have us believe. The second set of destroyed TV pics comes direct from Michaela, who tells us that her seven year old girl was also playing Wii Sports bowling when her wrist strap broke as well, sending the controller rocketing toward the TV at a glass-cracking lawsuit-inducing pace. Now, we find the Wii Sports bowling thing to be an interesting coincidence, but it seems a little peculiar that a seven year old could produce enough force rolling that ball to tear her strap apart. We're not saying this is the first in what could be a long line of TV-grubbing copycats, but we think the time is officially upon Nintendo to step in before a few hundred thousand straps recalled turns into a few million -- and countless more televisions get themselves busted up royal.

[Mike @ May 20th 2008 10:15PM]

Another decent option is http://www.tv-armor.com

My kid tossed a toy at my TV the other day. I nearly had a heart attack.
I got one of these protectors a few months ago and it stopped it.

Mike

[xVariable @ Nov 21st 2006 3:48AM]

Oh man... I can't wait for the side-show of Nintendo getting their PANTS sued-off. They could have predicted this would happen, and now they're going to pay for their lack of diligence.

[Joe Smith @ Nov 21st 2006 10:17AM]

You know, they can really fix this problem quite easily. Rather than put on a full scale recall where everyone sends in their controllers to be "fixed", they could just send out newer, hardier wrist straps to the people who want them. As you might know already, the wrist strap is snapped into the Wii. If they just sent out new wrist straps, it would save them a lot of money.

[Pawsie @ Nov 21st 2006 12:47PM]

Eh... I don't think that'll happen. Technically, you're suppose to hold the controller regardless of the cord or not. It's human error, not the product.

[MR @ Nov 21st 2006 3:52AM]

Hmm it's interesting that they all threw the wiimote to the upper left corner of the TV.

[Morder @ Nov 21st 2006 5:29AM]

That's because if you were right-handed (as most of us are) you would tend to throw it at your TV in the upper right since that's where your swing would naturally head.

These people really need to learn to hold the remote.

[Melissa @ Dec 24th 2006 10:35PM]

Don't doubt naysayers it happened to my 65 year old mother. The strap on the Nintendo Wii remote broke, my mother had the Wii remote on her wrist and cinched like instructed & the flimsy remote strap broke and destroied my family's new 37 inch LCD HDTV, we paid $1200 for a early 2006 christmas gift. I am very irate the Wii remotes are defective. My family and I are saddened our 37 inch Lcd HDTV is destroied, how are we going to replace a $1200.00 TV! And yes bozo doubters my mother was holding the Wii remote like instructed by Nintendo Wii.

[systmatik @ Nov 21st 2006 4:08AM]

Wow, This looks nearly identical to the previous one, minus this shows the carpent and a different screen in play. Aside from that, the screen crack is a copy as well..
People trying to milk money for thier own mis judged actions..

IMHO, the cord looks cut, not the way it would look if it were snaped

[Silver R. Wolfe @ Nov 21st 2006 4:10AM]

Or maybe there's just a weak spot in the strap? Similar to how all those DS Lites had a weak spot in the hinge?

[Rizzle @ Nov 21st 2006 3:59AM]

Not saying Nintendo is not to blame, but if you are going to use the Wii and there is the chance you might not hold on to the remote, just spend the extra hundred or so on the screen protector. I have a Mitsubishi with the protector over it and it withstood my 12 year old cousin bashing the remote into it, no scratches whatsoever.

[grod @ Nov 21st 2006 3:59AM]

Just wait until one of them hits "Grandpa" as he walks by and induces a heart attack. Sooner or later someone is actually going to kill a family pet with one of these flying Wiimotes. In a sick and ironic twist it will be during a game of Wii Nintendogs!

[Alanna @ Nov 21st 2006 4:05AM]

Ok, so why don't they just hold onto the remote rather than throwing it? That's what those muscles in your hands are for... holding onto things.

[MR @ Nov 21st 2006 4:11AM]

I think people just get lazy and let go of the wiimote like it's really a bowling ball. That's probably why it happens in bowling only.
But now, imagine them throwing the wiimote like a baseball club. That could actually kill somebody...

[rob @ Nov 21st 2006 2:06PM]

The problem likely stems from the mind thinking "let go of the bowling ball" and then letting go of the interface device. I bet this will never happen in a sword fighting game, where one would aim to hold on to the sword.

Must be a great interface if people are so immersed that they are throwing the controller across the room with enough force to break a television screen.

[Silent @ Nov 23rd 2006 1:05AM]

"That's what those muscles in your hands are for"

you don't have muscles in your hand :P they are all in your wrists.

On topic:
I think this is quite funny however it basically sucks for the people having their television sets broken... I remember seeing rubber grips for the wiimote, they could be a nice accessory :)

[tyler @ Nov 21st 2006 4:10AM]

they have a christmas tree up already next to their tv (second picture)
they clearly don't know what they're doing

user error.

[mattzor @ Nov 21st 2006 4:28PM]

Not all DS lites have weak points in their hinges. .02% did.

[Matthew Rasmussen @ Nov 21st 2006 4:11AM]

I've been playing my Wii all day. Now I'm a gamer, so maybe my muscles are abnormally weak, but seriously, I don't see how someone could send their Wiimote flying like this. Maybe if they were swinging is by the strap, but not in normal use. "Non-violent" use in bowling... I could see the right motion going on, but (at least how I play) my Wiimote wouldn't go three feet. The system doesn't need nearly that amount of force. I just don't get how people do this stuff. But maybe it's just me, who knows.

[TH @ Nov 21st 2006 5:22AM]

My guess (and this is totally a guess, as I haven't wii'd myself) is that they were holding the remote from the strap and been spinning it around to get maximum speed in this or some of the other games. as the strap is a safety feature only and not meant for holding the remote, not to mention spinning it around by it, it's possible that it gives in.

Of course just smashing your wiimote to bits by flinging it to the wall while abusing the strap is not interesting as is totally your fault. But if you then crack the tv-screen and say wii done it, there might be a chance for some dollars, as Nintendo likes to keep customers happy, with so much competition from other console makers and all that. And all those old tv sets need changing to nice, flat, digital ones anyway.

[Ihar `Philips` Filipau @ Nov 21st 2006 8:11AM]

Recall your own actions while gaming.

In Doom/Quake, soft pressing 'W' means proceed forward with caution, while hitting 'W' very hard means "run my ass off!!!" ;-)

[xVariable @ Nov 21st 2006 4:12AM]

I was planning on getting a Wii with the new shipment this week, but I'm having second thoughts now. I mean, this is shaping-up to be a fairly common occurrence, so the question is exactly how do you have to use the friggin' wiimote so that you don't end-up smashing your display.

Furthermore, assuming I can use it without incident, how can I be sure my fiancee won't smash my very expensive plasma, or even friends I have over to play for that matter. What the hell's the point of buying a Wii if I can't have friends over to enjoy it with me?

[zeebleoop @ Nov 21st 2006 9:34AM]

@xVariable
You use it like any other TV-based remote - hold it in your hand. This isn't rocket science.

What I want to know, since I wasn't able to get a Wii on launch date, is how heavy is the Wiimote anyways? Is this thing like 5 pounds? I was under the impression it was only a couple of ounces. How can something with so little mass, even with a human's full force (child or adult), crack a quarter inch thick TV screen?

I call B.S.

[Stefan @ Nov 21st 2006 1:23PM]

"Fairly common" ... 2 people? And possibly due to miss use..Don't buy one so someone else who isn't dumb can buy one to enjoy properly

[PreGHz @ Nov 21st 2006 3:33PM]

xVariable:

Because you hear of two people breaking their toys, you're scared to buy it? I'm sure you huddled in your basement for three weeks after 9/11 because you were afraid that they were going to put a plane through your local gas station.

Be sensible, and nothing will happen to you. All this needless worry is going to cause needless pandemonium.

[peshue @ Nov 21st 2006 4:12AM]

Just becuase it's like bowling doesn't mean you need to let go of the controller...
Maybe they should put bungee straps on these things so that if some doof tries to send his flying across the room it will come back and smack him.

[Chris @ Nov 21st 2006 4:20AM]

You know, I used to work at a packing company, and once UPS dropped a 32" CRT tv out of the back of their truck. Pretty much everything broke but the tube, so we (being young, male, and probably not thinking) decided to see what would break the screen. I hit it with a hammer. Nothing. I then backed up, and threw the hammer at the screen. The hammer bounced off and flew across the room.

So, I guess the lesson here is: Flat screen TV's are less structurally sound than CRT's?

Sure...that sounds about right. Oh, and hold on to your controller. Um...duh.

[Nogami @ Nov 21st 2006 4:58AM]

The thickest part of a CRT is on the front, for a large TV, you might be looking at an inch or more of solid thick glass (hence the weight). People have even had .22 bullets bounce off the front of a TV/monitor tube. The back is relatively fragile however - a light tap on the back of the tube will cause it to implode.

Projection TVs (such as those broken here) are particularly fragile as there's just a thin plastic/glass diffuser for the light to hit. I wouldn't want to throw my remote at a plasma/LCD, as I doubt they'd fare much better.

The strap does look pretty weak though, would probably be better to find something a bit stronger to use instead (or make it elastic like a bungee cord so if it's accidentally "chucked", there's not a sudden "snap" of tension that causes it to break away, just a elastic restraint that pulls it back).

[Spencer @ Nov 21st 2006 8:52AM]

also, CRTs are curved, somewhat like a dome, giving it the ability to distribute force extremely efficiently. That's why domes are used in construction; you can test it out with an egg - hold an egg in your hands, with the ends in your palms, and try and crush it. You won't be able to.
Alternately, go to a department store, to the fine china section, and ask one of the service people to demonstrate standing on an upturned teacup. Despite being extremely thin, it will handle all their weight (though I'm not suggesting you start standing on your teacups at home, and take no responsibility, &c.)

So that's it for domes!

Now you know!

[Earl @ Nov 21st 2006 9:57AM]

The CRT has to be thick in the front, and I believe with iron. It's called shielding. CRT TVs spew out xrays from the electrons smashing into the front of the TV. Don't want TVs killing us, so they shield the TV.

Google "breaking radiation" or "bramstralling radiation" if you are interested in more info. (not sure how to spell the German word for breaking)

[SwiftBlue @ Nov 24th 2006 6:47PM]

CRTs are built well. I've taken a shovel, hammer, sledge hammer, and chisel to one without the glass ever cracking at all. Seriously. Go to the dump and try it. Breaking a CRT is hella hard work...

[S.A. @ Nov 21st 2006 4:21AM]

I dont get how it breaks like that. Both incidents look like the wrist straps were merely cut using scissors. I imagine that if it broke the strap would disconnect from the controller or something like that. It would not break as seen in the two incidents.

[andrew @ Nov 21st 2006 1:49PM]

GameStop is replacing controllers purchased in their stores that break like this. My roommate broke his during Baseball but the controller didnt hit the TV. He is getting just the wii remote replaced for free... when he can find a GameStop with one in stock.

[Rhino @ Nov 21st 2006 4:28AM]

I think this calls for a test of some sort, don't you Engadget? I mean I think you guys should sacrifice one of your Wiimote straps to find out just what it takes to break it.

That said, it seems possible that Nintendo might have overlooked the tiny little cord that broke, but that doesn't mean that people shouldn't be a little bit careful not to hurl their controllers through the tv, however fun it would be to watch.

[Rhino @ Nov 21st 2006 4:30AM]

Once I threw a controller through the tv screen. It was no accident.

jkjk

[m?n @ Nov 21st 2006 4:37AM]

Well, I can't attest to this 100% for the Wiimote, as I don't have one yet, but most straps like this are one continuous piece of string that is cut to length and then glued together. What it looks like is happening is the force of the users throwing the Wiimote (I'm not saying they are intentionally throwing it, but it is a throwing action) is enough to simply break the glue, therefore sending the Wiimote flying.

Now, as for the TV sets. The front glass (more often plastic) on a rear projection TV isn't all that expensive to obtain, the most of the cost would come from labor.

@Chris:

Tubes are made to be very structurally sound. But these aren't flat screens in the sense of LCD or plasma, these both have been rear-projection, which have a very thin plastic or glass screen to display the projection from the rear. That thin plastic screen is rather fragile. I'd venture to guess that a plasma or LCD would be a little bit more resilient, but if they do break, a boatload more expensive to repair (um, new display please!). These both shouldn't be more than $200-300 to get a new front glass.

When I do get a Wii (which will be after I get a new rear projection TV) I'll both have the screen protector for my TV *and* all Wiistraps will be better secured (I'm thinking a dab of hot glue on both sides where the strap goes into the plastic of the remote).

[Armaina @ Nov 21st 2006 2:15PM]

It's glued yes, but certainly not in the center. It is connected at the BASE of the strap, so a break like that is HARDLY the fault of the glue becoming undone.
But my goodness, I have a CD player with a strap on it, AND my DS, and I've dropped it, swung it, and had other various instances where I thought that the strap would have snapped, and it didn't. You shouldn't have to swing the WiiMote THAT hard.

Seriously, when I get my own, I'm going to test it, and start swinging it around vigorously by the strap to see what it can take (in a safe enough area) I'll record it too, to prove it.

[Josh @ Nov 21st 2006 2:21PM]

Actually it is one continuous strand of string looped through a hole on the bottom of the wiimote, not glued. It would be difficult, or next to impossible, to cause that kind of damage to the string during normal use. It would take many, many times of losing grip of the wiimote in order to wear the string down over time.

[boss sauce @ Nov 21st 2006 11:14AM]

This does not deserve to be posted as a "front page" article-- there are a lot of Wiis out there, so you should expect all kinds of highly unlikely things to happen and for people to make noise about it on those internets, given how excited people are about finally having their sweaty (slippery?) hands on them. To post an article like this without any evidence or even suggestion that this is widespread is irresponsible of Engadget's part-- it is rumor-spreading and scoop-prospecting, not journalism. Mod poster down, tag post "duh", "murphy's law", "fud".

[Gav @ Nov 21st 2006 4:44AM]

Maybe people with week wrists should invest in a Dynaflex Powerball.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDqN5zqoJcI

[unknwn @ Nov 21st 2006 5:03AM]

I think what Is going on here is that people are in fact getting too much into the bowling game, and actually throwing the wiimote. I just find it hard to believe that something as small as a wiimote can break the glass on these tv screens. My DLP HDTV weighs 130LBs and has been dropped from a 4 foot tv stand all the way to the floor with the screen facing down, and it is still fine, a bit scratched but fine. Also my Xbox360 locked up on Full auto and I chucked the controller at my tv, and the glass on it is still perfect. Most TVs have about 1-2CM thick of glass, which makes it seem unlikely that something that weighs only ounces can break that.

[- @ Nov 21st 2006 4:57AM]

Shouldn't the public have already been warned since the controller is called a nunchaku?

[DM @ Nov 21st 2006 4:58AM]

This is nintendo's fault for not including a T.V. screen protector along the box. I suggest wii users to use those old black and white T.V.'s as opposed to those plasma's and LCD's so that in case this incident would happen to you, it wouldnt hurt that much, after all , gameplay is more important than graphics right. Xbox and playstation is really laughing at this wii innovation right now.

[Nick Torres @ Nov 21st 2006 5:48AM]

Clearly you hate Nintendo and all of its innovative ideas. I guess they never should have brought forward rumble or analog controll either. Nintendo has always been an inovater in the game arena and been appreciated for it. You my friend are missing out on new experiences. It's people like you who would keep a country stuck in the 50's whilst everyone else progresses. You are the loser.

[JS @ Nov 21st 2006 5:00AM]

If you're too stupid to have the common sense to hold on to your controller while you're using it, you deserve a TV repair bill.

[alex @ Nov 21st 2006 8:03AM]

I haven't played the Wii yet, but it occurs to me it might be difficult to let go of the button (if that's what you do) and still hold on to the remote. Still, you shouldn't be throwing it that hard!

[Michael Wilson @ Nov 21st 2006 5:01AM]

I seriously do not understand how this could happen. I mean, that strap (to my eyes) looks like it's been frayed hard, and even if you are making a quick motion while bowling, you have to be an extra special kind of stupid to do whatever is happening here. I guess if your hand is sweaty then I could see this happening, but why would you ignore that? You know you're swinging a little plastic thing fairly fast toward a TV, go dry your hands.

[DM @ Nov 21st 2006 5:04AM]

This wii controller thing is really not user-friendly or T.V. friendly.

[Danny @ Nov 21st 2006 5:33AM]

It doesnt have to be a high force to break it, ever thought maybe the moving motion just wore away the strap thus weakening it?

[Matthew Cutler @ Nov 21st 2006 5:16AM]

Umm, anyone who waited in line to buy this junk is a retard. And throwing it at your tv just proves the point.

Stop blaming Nintendo you idiots. Can't you see you need a life?

[Joseph Le Brech @ Nov 21st 2006 5:28AM]

The aim of the strap is so that you can let go of it whilst NOT swinging, its not a tow rope. You can hold the controller by the strap, just like a ds or a psp. I've never heard of anyone trying to swing a ds or a psp around by the strap.