Nintendo miss Christmas with new straps

With the announcement of Nintendo’s Wii strap replacement programme last week, these broken strap images that have surfaced across the internet (and in my inbox) will be a thing of the past, right? I’m not so sure.

Looking at the small print on their website they state the following: “We expect to begin shipping replacement straps around December 21st. It will take 5 to 9 days for delivery depending on your location”. By my calculations, that means the new beefier straps can be expected on December 26th at the earliest. Yoiks! And that means no new straps for Christmas.

Expect this conversation to play out under the Christmas tree in homes across the planet:
Son: Oh Dad, a Wii, that’s the best present in the world! Thank you. Quick, let’s set it up.
Dad: Not so fast son. We’ve got to register for the strap replacement programme. Now, where’s that serial number?
Son: Are you serious?
Dad: After what’s happened to some of those spoilt kids who got their Wiis before Christmas, I don’t want to see that remote getting anywhere near our new flat screen TV.
Son: No way! Are you saying it’s going back in the box until our new strap comes through? But that could be 2007! Oh, Daddy I want to play my Wii NOW.
Dad: Sorry Son, but we can’t be taking any chances. Now, go and thank your mother for those new socks.