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Wiimote launches through window, insurance coverage questionable
While we initially felt Wal-Mart was being a bit old fashioned by not allowing Wii demo kiosks to be setup in stores due to "safety concerns," Walton and friends apparently had a good bit of foresight that we weren't aware of. After numerous reports of television sets getting the axe, and an innocently bystanding HP iPAQ getting all cracked up, we're wondering if folks aren't just staging their own Wiincidents at this point. Apparently warning everyone of how jeopardous these free-flying Wiimotes can be wasn't really taken to heart, as now a butterfingered gamer has quite an interesting tale to tell to the presumably skeptical insurance adjuster. While busting a few moves in Wii Sports, the nonsensical user let the controller fly, but instead of landing softly (and harmlessly) on the couch, it rocketed straight through his window, leaving a fairly dangerous scene as proof of gaming negligence. C'mon folks, we've warned you all enough by now, either strap on that thoughtfully included wrist strap, grab some sticky gloves, or tape up the windows -- your property, your call.[Thanks, Sean]
More Wiimote-related damage, just in time for the holidays
We've already spotted a couple of TVs get taken down by flying Wiimotes due to either overzealous gameplay or a pretty weak-sauce wrist strap, although we're leaning toward the latter. Over the last few days we've seen household collateral damage due to the strap either breaking entirely or slipping off those wearers who haven't opted for some special gloves. Our latest updates include two busted straps, one of which took out reader Rafael M.'s iPAQ hx4700 (pictured) that had sat docked adjacent to the TV, but is now obviously not more. The second strap, captured on video by residents of Cambrian House in Calgary (and now immortalized on YouTube, check it out on the next page), shows that beyond the woven exterior appears to be an easily-broken, tiny cable (similar to a fishing line) that connects to the Wiimote itself. Further, a third gamer, Elliot G., told us that his Wiimote came tearing off of his wrist while playing and took out a nearby beer glass (fortunately the can of Boddingtons appears to have been spared, as shown after the jump). So guys: until Nintendo gets this problem fixed, or you come up with a way to reinforce that strap, please make sure your gameplay area is clear of anything valuable and breakable, such as your television.Read - Rafael Montano
It's all fun and games ....
While incautious use of the Wiimote will (probably) not result in death, there are apparently some risks involved with the components of your new console. Nintendo's manuals are chock full of warnings, and in fact, a screen reminding players to be sure and employ the wrist strap pops up with annoying frequency. But what about those situations that aren't covered in the manual? You may not shoot your eye out playing Red Steel, but we keep waiting for the first stories of flying Wiimotes clocking people in the head. Worried about all the possible heinous outcomes? 1UP prepared a handy visual guide to possible "Wiinjuries" both physical and psychological. Who knew that Wii caused cancer? According to the above photo, it just might ....Check after the jump for more personal story.
Nintendo: attack for massive damage!
While Joystiq might not be prepared to let go of the whole "attack the crab for massive damage" thing, we're a little more mature. We'd never stoop so low as to kick Sony while they're down, or their fans for that matter. We're mature, thoughtful individuals who treasure our relationship with competing companies. As such, we can't really speak for Nintendo, who took a chance to make fun of Sony through their Touch Generations site for 42 All-Time Classics, or Clubhouse Games. In the chat section, a small thumbnail shows that one must "shake the soda for massive damage!" [Thanks Dennis!]
Nintendo: no love for Phat crack
Reader Kirk Winters has a problem. His DS Phat has succumbed to crack. As we previously reported, those of us who were still clinging to our Phats lost the high ground when they began to suffer the slings and arrows of cracked hinges, but we never thought it would come to this. Nintendo, it seems, is not repairing the Phats for free, as they are with the DS Lite.Ninty, where's the love? We thought we had something special. Kirk was heartbroken when his DS developed the same crack that raised such a stink with the Lites, but when he called Nintendo, he expected to get the same deal. No dice -- they'll haggle, but it's still not going to be a free ride if you end up in the same boat. But there's a light at the end of the tunnel. At first, Nintendo planned to charge for Lite repair, so maybe if we raise enough stink, we'll get the same treatment for the Phat. [Thanks for tipping us off, Kirk!]
Another tough-as-nails Mac
Last week, Scott wrote about a poor Powerbook that had been badly damaged, but continued to work. Oddly enough, I found the iMac pictured at right on my workbench this morning when I arrived at my day job. It seems that a student abruptly introduced it to the floor, badly cracking the case around the display. The good news: it still works. You've got to love these tough-as-nails Macs.
The trouble with epics?
I must say, in all my forum travels, this is one of the more educated posts I have read in a long time. It is a well thought out piece of writing that goes over epics and their high damage output.The post goes in to detail as to why tier-2 epics are overpowered from a damage output perspective and not enough damage absorption. The crazy part is when he compares a blue equipped mage versus a blue equipped hunter, or the same pair wearing MC epics - the mage can crit for 38% and 42% of the hunter's life, respectively. A BWL equipped mage can score a 71% crit on the hunter's hp. That is insane!The poster also goes on to mention various ideas to bring things back into balance, which I applaud him for! Nothing will get a problem solved faster than having a solution attached to the complaint. While I think this isn't something we will see fixed quickly, hopefully Blizzard will take notice before they release the expansion (one of the solutions).I also liked the idea of changing spell resistance to be more of a partial blockage of the damage (similar to AC and melee damage) rather than an all or nothing deal.Kudos to Arash for such a fine post.
