DOCUMENT: Crime

Nintendo's Wii Problem

Lawsuit: Flimsy wrist bands turn game controller into projectile

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Nintendo's Wii Problem

DECEMBER 15--Nintendo, which yesterday announced it would voluntarily exchange the straps on 3.2 million controllers for its new Wii video console, is facing a federal lawsuit brought by a Texas man who claims his $250 game was rendered useless after a flimsy wrist strap on the controller broke and sent the gizmo flying. In his U.S. District Court lawsuit, TJ Diaz seeks to have his complaint certified as a class action since prospective additional plaintiffs could consist of 'hundreds of thousands of members.' Diaz's lawsuit, filed last week in Seattle, notes that the precise number and identity of future class members can be ascertained from Nintendo's business records. Diaz, according to his lawyer, is a computer programmer in his late twenties who broke his Wii while playing a tennis game. The controller flew from Diaz's hand and struck his TV as the gamer tried to execute a Pete Sampras-style overhead smash, said attorney David Breskin. As documented on wiihaveaproblem.com, the controller's thin wrist strap has snapped while being used by many gamers, resulting in broken windows and TVs, among other items. In offering to replace the Wii's wrist straps, Nintendo acknowledged receiving reports that, under vigorous use, the 'cord connecting the controller to the wrist strap can break, potentially causing the Wii Remote to strike bystanders or objects.' (9 pages)