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October 12, 2008 4:49:56 AM CDT

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Smoking May Be Harmful to Your Wii

Posted Mar 13, 08 12:41 PM CDT in Arts & Living,  Technology 

(Newser) – Here's another reason to stop smoking: It damages your Wii. Some cigarette-wielding users in Japan last month noticed that the much anticipated "Super Smash Brothers Brawl" wasn't working properly, prompting Nintendo to provide free shipping and cleanup of tar-covered disc readers, the Boston Herald reports. Nintendo says the issue affects a "very small percentage" of more than 20 million consoles worldwide.

The new game exposed the flaw because it comes on a double-layer DVD that requires a more accurate reading than smoke-laden lasers can apparently give. Tech and gaming websites were abuzz this week discussing the problem, which prompted the company to release a statement in which it warned gamers not to clean the consoles at home.

Source Boston Herald

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The much anticipated Super Smash Brothers Brawl game is so filled with data that it required a double-layer DVD, whose precise reading requirements exposed the Wii's sensitivity to smoke.   (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
Keep both hands on the Wii. Smoking interferes with game play.   ((c) hasidandnancy)
Nintendo is paying for shipping and cleaning of Wii consoles that have been dirtied up by smoking gamers.   (Getty Images)
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