Explody DS: anyone else have this problem?

kenjura

My DS exploded.

Well, okay, it was actually my friend's DS, and it didn't explode. It did, however, start emitting a nasty high-pitched tone (which was fortunately still subject to the volume control), and began to run as if someone accidentally turned off the turbo button (for those of you who didn't own a computer in the early 90s, it got real slow).

After a couple of tries at rebooting (without the game card), with the problem only persisting, eventually it got to the point where it turning it on only results in a black screen (well, two).

Tomorrow it's going back to Nintendo, unless anyone has seen this issue before and knows of some spiffy way to fix it?


And on a side note...why is Nintendo the only one with a 1 year warranty, and why do they think that's good? Dell and Apple offer that standard, with upgrades to longer service (a good idea in the case of laptops). They sell computers that have many permutations of hardware and software. Console makers sell one exact build, and certify every single game that runs on their console...yet they have no confidence in their hardware? The Xbox 360 had only a 3 month warranty at launch, and it soon became apparent why, with all the bricked consoles.

It makes you miss the days of "repairing" your console by blowing into it, but then, what doesn't?

Omnutia

I'm kind of surprised what we haven't seen more Nintendo malfunctions considering the amount of problems with the XB3.
Was this a big DS or a DS Lite?
Well good luck with getting it fixed or replaced. The limited warranty thing is kind of interesting but remember Nintendo is a big friendly evil corporation; it won't expend any more resources that it has to.

P.S. I don't think it really counts as exploded unless something comes out of it or the parts push apart. "My Friend's DS died" would be a better title.

Apreche

Only a year makes sense to me. If they had it longer than a year, they'd have to repair all these DSes that get smashed up by little kiddies. If they had less than a year, then some of their product that was actually defective wouldn't get warrantied. Considering that your case is the exception rather than the rule, as it is with the 360, it's not much to worry about.

Mamath

Despite being a Big Friendly Evil Corporation, I've heard tales of Nintendo replacing things after the warranty has expired anyway so that's certainly worth a try.

If I were a console company, I, too, would be wary of giving a warranty of any longer than a year. Kids like game consoles, and they are insane.

HMTKSteve

The only thing holding the Xbox360 line from profitability is the warranty service costs.

Omnutia

It's Microsoft, profit isn't a really big concern for them.

kenjura

It's a DS Lite, and only a month old. Of course, I think the game Sims 2: Castaway had something to do with it; they make you scrape the touch screen furiously while blowing into the mic to start a fire. To some people (such as the one using the device), this means applying enough pressure to destroy the screen while blowing furiously into...the headphone jack. And this is an adult we're talking about. Sigh.

I can't fault Nintendo much, since their warranty is at least reasonable, but rather I fault the people who are willing to buy an unstable, overpriced console at launch (after waiting in line for 2 days), just so they can play shitty launch titles for 3-4 months until their console breaks without the possibility of refund or free replacement.

I find that attitude every bit as ridiculous as the console fans seem to find the World of Warcraft attitude. Of course, I can't keep up with that game either, and never have been able to meet the benchmark of fanaticism to truly get the most out of it, but there is still plenty of enjoyment to be had for those who consume it in moderation. The same thing is true of consoles. Not all console fans camp outside Gamestop to buy a pre-broken, gameless system for $600.