Cigarette ash proves a drag for Nintendo's Wii
Don't smoke around my baby console
Everyone knows smoking's bad for you, but, until now, we didn’t know if it was also detrimental to the health of games consoles. Nintendo’s claiming that a build-up of tobacco is partly to blame for recent complaints about the quality of gameplay in Super Smash Bros Brawl.
Smokers to blame for SSBB gameplay problems?
The Japanese company announced today that an accumlation of nicotine deposits and dust on the console’s optical disc drive lens is to blame for the poor performance. Complaints from punters range from choppy video playback to instances where the Wii can’t play the video game at all.
SSBB comes on a dual-layer DVD and is thought to be more sensitive to an ash-obscured lens. However, Nintendo did at least offer to clean Wiis free of charge for users returning their console, warranty card and SSBB disc to its service centre.
The offer’s only good for Japanese gamers, because SSBB hasn’t been released in Europe yet. But when it hits UK shelves on 30 April, at least you know where to stick a no-smoking sign.
COMMENTS
Methinks
The problems is that SSMB is one of the first dual layer discs that Nintendo have released, as with such a huge demand for the game, maybe the production was rushed and Nintendo are trying to cover their mistake? Admittedly Ninty are offering free repairs if you send your Wii, the game and proof of purchase.
least of my problems
I think i shall complain to nintendo about how smoking and playing their consoles at the same time leads to poor graphical performance, which in turn leads to severe eye pain.
Not cigarette smoke...
...it's the overly oily smoke from weed that really fouls things up. Open a window while havin a toke and you'll have no probs.
To be expected
In these days of rampant unchecked capitalism, it's not surprising. If a manufacturer can shave a few pence off the materials cost, they will. Once, products were designed up to a specification; nowadays, they are designed down to a price.
Product unreliability ordinarily doesn't benefit manufacturers, because most consumers are smart enough not to buy the same make next time; but the situation is inverted when the manufacturer of unreliable products holds a monopoly.
If John Thomas's Panasonic stereo breaks, and he already has lots of CDs, he might buy a Philips next time. If John Thomas's Glow-worm boiler packs up in the middle of winter, he might replace it with a Worcester boiler. But if John Thomas's Wii breaks, and he already owns several games, he has precious little choice but to buy another one from Nintendo. The games may well have cost more than the console -- it would be a waste not to have anything on which to play them.
Just wait till the current generation of gamers are old enough to become MEPs! The EU will come down hard on this blatant anti-competitive behaviour; and, once other manufacturers are allowed to make compatible consoles, manufacturers will be forced to compete on merit.
