Nintendo recalls 3.2 million Wii controller straps

Redmond (WA) - In response to the reports last week that straps on the Wii remote were inadvertendly detaching from the controller, Nintendo today announced a voluntary recall for every Wii remote that has been shipped - more than 3.2 million.

The recall is not necessarily a sign that the straps were defective, but rather that they just were not strong enough to withstand extremely aggressive game play.

"People tended to get a bit excited, especially while playing Wii sports, and in some cases the control would come loose from their hands. The new strap will be almost twice as thick," said a Nintendo spokesperson.

The new straps are reported to have a diameter of 0.04", almost double that of the current controllers, which have a 0.024" diameter. The recall is expected to cost Nintendo millions of dollars, a critical hit as the company begins its battle in the three-way war over Sony and Microsoft.