Broken monitors, shattered windows, and black eyes. No it’s not cinder block night at Mount Davis, it’s the reign of destruction caused by the Wiimote. Not to unlike the monkeys of 2001, man has taken a tool, and made it a weapon.

Time for some Cave News: The thin plastic cord that connects the Wiimote to the wrist strap has be come notorious for snapping at the worst possible time for panes of glass, the capillaries of the ocular region and household electronics. How? I’m going to break it down for you, Mathlete style: (The kind of energetic play associated with motion sensitive technology + (the resulting sweaty hands) * Thin cord = property damage. As an aside, it’s nice to associate gamers and sweating with something other then Dead or Alive Volleyball 2.

It stared as a rumor, tales told over the customer service counter at The Tag. Then it hit the net: the forums first, so it could be easily dismissed as just the ratings of some attention starved eighth grader, and then the very idea of it got its own web site, which makes the idea a little more credible. Then again, there is a site dedicated to the art of cutting the cheese so the idea is still not vaulting my personal credibly hurtle.

But when snapping strap story appeared on the FRONT PAGE of the Chicago Tribune, it has earned a bit of my valuable pondering time (not that the content of major newspapers are automatically canonical in the universe that I live in). It’s not an overwhelming positive story; it shares tales and pictures of this great crisis, and Nintendo’s response. However, this is not a dark day for our beloved industry.

You see, there was an old saying I used to use in this kind of situation. It was in the halcyon days before the OJ/News Corporation’s cosmic level “If I Did It” debacle. It went like this: ‘There’s no such thing as bad publicity,’ and this is a prime example. While the story is book-ended by tale of a mother’s worry about her child’s holiday gift becoming a projectile, it also mentions several facts about other incidents that have a greater meaning. For instance the report of the destruction of a 42 inch projection TV: This (was) not a child’s toy, but the asset of a young professional. And the violence, who knew that they first actual case of video games causing another person injury would be because people are getting to physical while gaming, so much for the sedentary gamer stereotype. Oh and where are The Scolds: Jack, Joe and Hillary now? Curiously (and uncharacteristically) quiet; because what are they going to do? Come out against exercise?

While Nintendo’s rapid, and informative PR response, including operating suggestions and offers of replacement straps with thicker cords, have shown the world that the gaming industry is in fact a responsible one it’s not the most vital point to be gleaned from this crisis of control(lers).

It’s the fact that none of the people reported noted a willingness to dispose of their Wii systems; they are going to stick with it, even if they have to play on a cracked screen in a drafty room.

THE RIDE BOARD:

Your Mail:   This was quite unexpected. I’d like to thank all of those who made this possible: My family, my buddy Nav, the honchos at GTA: TMonkey and DocZero who took a chance on what looked like just another malcontent, and most of all, you, my loyal riders, without whom I wouldn’t be here to accept this honor. I will not let you down. Thank you.

Did You Know:  A giant statue of the Jolly Green Giant can be found in the city of Blue Earth, Minnesota (thanks, Wikipedia).

This is my stop.

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Back of the Bus is © 2006 by Seth “4:10” Robison, used with exclusive permission by gamertransit.com. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.