Jump to navigation
Nintendo blames SSBB problems on dirt Related content
Super Smash Bros. Brawl game info ->
Advertisement

Nintendo blames SSBB problems on dirt News

Wii News by Ellie Gibson

4 February, 2008

Nintendo Japan has offered to clean Wiis free of charge following reports of problems playing Super Smash Bros. Brawl discs.

In a statement (translated by IGN), Nintendo confirmed there have been complaints of choppiness during video playback. Some gamers say their Wiis won't play the disc at all.

Nintendo reckons the problems are caused by a build-up of dust and tobacco on the laser units. Unlike other titles, SSBB comes on a dual-layer DVD which is more sensitive to dirt. That's why the consoles in question will play other games without any problems.

The solution is to clean the lens. Nintendo will do this for free if Wii owners send their console, warranty card and SSBB disc to a service centre. They'll even pay the postage, and Wiis are returned within a week.

The offer is only good in Japan, on account of SSBB not being out in the US until 9th March and not out here until goodness knows when.

Advertisement

Are you excited about Super Smash Bros. Brawl on Wii?
View Eurogamer readers most anticipated games

Thanks!

Related Games

Want to comment on this article? Log in, or register!

Comments: 1-28 of 28 in total

Poster
Comment Low-scoring comments hidden. Log in to see them!
Fitzmogwai
04/02/08 @ 10:08
#1
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Cigarettes are bad, mmmkay?
kangarootoo
04/02/08 @ 10:12
#2
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Seems a fair response, though if units are getting grubby under normal use, how does that bode for the future?

If dual layer DVDs are the future, is this issue going to get more common?
Macross
04/02/08 @ 10:13
#3
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
*sigh* I was hoping the wii had escaped the hardware related shennanigans of the new generation
the_dudefather
04/02/08 @ 10:16
#4
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
dust: enemy of the PS3 and Wii
Arwin
04/02/08 @ 10:20
#5
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
A Wii game needs a dual layer DVD? Wow. ;)
xAx
04/02/08 @ 10:30
#6
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Where is your god now!
Crovax20
04/02/08 @ 10:34
#7
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Please just hurry up and release the damned game here in Europe.

I HATE YOU NINTENDO
locus2k1
04/02/08 @ 11:21
#8
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
um.... tobacco?
Darren
04/02/08 @ 11:23
#9
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
If the Wii could play DVDs or even CDs then you could clean the heads yourself using one of those head cleaners but it can't play either stupidly so if the lens does get dusty then you'll have no choice but to send the Wii back to Nintendo. Great, eh?
twh104
04/02/08 @ 11:32
#10
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
You mean Wii games aren't all on 9Gb discs anyway, what the hell.
Markusdragon
04/02/08 @ 11:40
#11
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Didn't Sony refuse to fix a console because of dust, and now ninty are actively embracing it?

I'm not sure which is more bizarre.
kangarootoo
04/02/08 @ 11:56
#12
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Here is a variant on that suggestion, which allows us to be lazy. How about you find the photo (as you appear to have already seen it) and post us a link?

Deal? :D
Oceadge
04/02/08 @ 12:28
#13
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Would it not just be cheaper for Nintendo to create their own cleaning disc and send it out to those affected?
link'sdad
04/02/08 @ 12:30
#14
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
I've had intermittant problems with my wii on most discs for a while. If the game is loading really really slowly then I eject it and put it back in and/or turn my wii 90% and try again. This surely cant be down to dust, so may point to another problem...
mingster
04/02/08 @ 13:02
#15
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
It'll be lens alignment, or dust or scratched discs.
Lemming81
04/02/08 @ 13:04
#16
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
As much as I loath the Wii-negativity, I'm surprised no one has made a 'Wii gathering dust' joke yet. Come on, guys it's been handed to you on a silver platter!
JonFE
04/02/08 @ 13:13
#17
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
kangarootoo, glad to be of service :)
SeesThroughAll
04/02/08 @ 13:17
#18
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
That's not just dust, it's filthy!
kangarootoo
04/02/08 @ 13:39
#19
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Jesus, that PS3 is way beyond dusty.

Given the relatively short amount of time the PS3 has been out, you only have to wonder what kind of shit tip house could even deposit that amount of dust in the time available.

I hope the owner in question is proud that his due to his (it has to be a "him", lets face it) efforts, half the gaming internet world now knows what kind of pigsty he calls home.

If I was in charge of warranty returns I would have couriered him a crowd of people to point and jeer the very next day, as a courtesy gesture.
Lemming81
04/02/08 @ 14:08
#20
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
If I had to guess, I'd say that PS3 was resident in a saw mill and being used as a lathe o_O
Pac
04/02/08 @ 14:19
#21
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
@link'sdad

Exactly same problem here. Every 2 or 3 times out of 10 the Wii disc drive refuses to load games and console needs to be rebooted.

Cannot take it back as it is a couple of months out of warranty.

And I thought Nintendo hardware was usually more robust than the others.

Edit: Robost, Robots can't spell?
Edited 1 times, most recently on 04/02/08 @ 14:20
Darren
04/02/08 @ 14:32
#22
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
It's possibly more rodust! ;)
monkie_king
04/02/08 @ 15:00
#23
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Hmm, yes. Why are they putting tobacco into their machines? That's probably the trouble.

@Pac: I had a 'cube die on me, only hardware I've killed other than a much abused PS1 (too much swap-trick action burned the drive motor out--used to take about 2 minutes for a disc to spin up to speed).
kangarootoo
04/02/08 @ 15:04
#24
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
@Pac

You may still be able to take it back. Sale of Goods Act says a product has to last for the "reasonable life of the product". It doesn't define what that period is, and it varies per article I guess.

Some may say that 1 year is not a reasonable time period for a non-portable console to remain fault free.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2006/mar...
http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file25486.pdf

Second link is a bit wordy, but worth searching on keyword "reasonable".

Also, you could speak to the Citizen's Advice Bureau if you are feeling like you might want to pursue a repair but need some more advice.

http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/
dirtysteve
04/02/08 @ 17:05
#25
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
who knew ssbb fans were such heavy smokers?
smelly
04/02/08 @ 19:28
#26
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
*cough* red ring of death *cough*


Man i think i'm going down with a cold..
Ryze
04/02/08 @ 23:52
#27
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
Oi! Ninty! Leave Colin McCrae alone!!!!!

/coat
Canyarion
21/02/08 @ 21:37
#28
0
You buried this comment
Comment below viewing threshold
Show
And I thought Nintendo had buried their dust problems with the death of the NES...

Comments: 1-28 of 28 in total

Want to comment on this article? Log in, or register!

Statistics
Get Games. Download Great PC Games!
SwapGame
About Eurogamer
The Network

X View gallery