PDCA-ing the Wii

0
2

Nintendo to replace 3.2M Wii straps

Wii mishaps lead to busted TVs, injuries

If you've heard about the new Nintendo Wii  videogame system, you know it has a motion control sensor that you wave around to play games. Maybe it was error proofing (or maybe it was lawyer driven), the sensor was built with a wrist strap to keep it from flying if you dropped it during the heat of gaming.

Unfortunately, the straps are breaking. Controllers are flying into TV's, windows, etc. (I'd rather break my window than my TV). So, Nintendo will be beefing up the straps. It's the equivalent of an automotive recall, eh? Well, without the government involvement.

Nintendo will now allow customers to exchange the old straps, which have a 0.024 inch diameter, for a beefed up strap that has a diameter of 0.04 inch, company spokesman Yasuhiro Minagawa said.

“People tended to get a bit excited … and in some cases the control would come loose from their hands,” Minagawa said. “The new strap will be almost twice as thick.”

It's too bad the PDCA cycle couldn't take place BEFORE 3.2 million units had been sold.


What do you think? Please scroll down (or click) to post a comment. Or please share the post with your thoughts on LinkedIn – and follow me or connect with me there.

Did you like this post? Make sure you don't miss a post or podcast — Subscribe to get notified about posts via email daily or weekly.


Check out my latest book, The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation:

Get New Posts Sent To You

Select list(s):
Previous articleUpdate on the Trash "Improvement"
Next articleFollowup: Nurse Gets Probation
Mark Graban
Mark Graban is an internationally-recognized consultant, author, and professional speaker, and podcaster with experience in healthcare, manufacturing, and startups. Mark's new book is The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation. He is also the author of Measures of Success: React Less, Lead Better, Improve More, the Shingo Award-winning books Lean Hospitals and Healthcare Kaizen, and the anthology Practicing Lean. Mark is also a Senior Advisor to the technology company KaiNexus.

2 COMMENTS

  1. Not enough lunatic game players in testing… :)

    Seriously, it is unnecessary to wave the thing like a madman to play effectively. In fact, going spastic with the controller is the sign of a novice player.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.