Nintendo Offers To Replace Wii Remote Wrist Strap

Nintendo is offering to replace the wrist strap on the Wii game console controller, following reports of minor injuries from flying Wiimotes.

The Japanese company said Friday it would voluntarily recall 3.2 million straps, offering to replace them with a stronger version, the Reuters news agency reported. The motion-sensitive controller can be wielded like a sword or racket when playing games. In some instances, the controller reportedly flew from gamers' hands, damaging TVs and causing minor injuries.

Nintendo, which is known for the popular Donkey Kong and Super Mario Brothers games, has posted a replacement request form on its Web site, which also includes safety tips. The new straps are scheduled to start shipping next week.

Wii Have A Problem is a site started by fans that chronicles some of their experiences with flying Wiimotes. Nintendo is the third-largest game console maker, behind No. 1 Sony, maker of the PlayStation, and Microsoft, which sells the Xbox.