Sunday, November 4, 2007

Wii to dress up with free 'jacket'




The Nintendo Wii Remote will be donning some fancy new duds this Fall, in attempt to cushion the device from the rigors of overly-excited gamers.

The Wii's manufacturer Nintendo has released a rubbery silicon jacket to prevent the device from flying out of gamers' hands.


There have been numerous reports of Wii-related injuries, broken household items, and smashed TV sets caused by slippery Wiimotes.

"We're always looking for ways to improve our products and make sure everyone has a safe and fun experience," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior VP of marketing. "Many electronics manufacturers provide similar protective covers for products like cell phones, PDAs and MP3 players."

Nintendo recalled the first generation of the Wii wrist-strap in December after many gamers complained that the straps were breaking. The company released a beefier version of the strap, and since then, talk of Wiimote-releated damage has subsided.

Nintendo insists that the jacket is not meant to replace the wrist-strap and says that the current Wiimote is a safe product when used properly.

The jackets will be available on every Wii remote shipped after Oct. 15, and will be included along with the standard Wii console bundle. Gamers who purchased Wiimotes prior to Oct. 15 can order jackets for free from Nintendo's website or by phoning their toll-free number at 1-866-431-8367.


Posted by wii-play at 9:47 AM
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