Is hardware quality getting worse?

[Xenidal 36]

Something I've noticed... I think that hardware (specifically Nintendo products) is getting worse in terms of quality.

 

My DS became entirely useless after it stopped charging for some unknown reason (having nothing to do with the battery or with the charger... it is a problem with the system itself). And I wasn't abusing it or being overly rough with it.

Then the other day I notice that my DSi's L button has lost functionality... only working some of the time and usually needing to be pressed in really hard / held in order to do anything.

However, looking back on older systems -- my GameBoy Color and my GameBoy Advance... I've never had a single problem with them. And I probably used them even more than my DSs.

 

Then there's the Wii. The fact that it is impossible to turn off (so that the power button does not remain lit at all) without unplugging the system makes me nervous. As a matter of fact, I've noticed that sometimes my Wii turns itself on and the disc slot starts glowing. And I've had a friend whose Wii turned itself on and overheated... and now it can't properly display the graphics. Nothing even close to this has ever happened to any of my older Nintendo systems.

 

Then there's the problem with the Wii controllers... I put new batteries in, then a few months later (even if I haven't used the controller at all) the batteries are completely drained / dead. This may not be a hardware issue but it is certainly poor design. This never happened with my Wavebird controller for GCN.

 

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

[Uncle Dolan 963]

DS Lite was cheap as firetruck. That's all I've had problems with stuff by Nintendo. Excuse me while I play Kingdom Hearts with graphics enhanced by PS3 (1st Gen).

[Setting Sun<3 196]

Solution: use emulators. 8D

[Uncle Dolan 963]

Solution: use emulators. 8D

 

Better Solution: Don't use emulators.

 

Emulators are for cheap scums who don't want to pay money to play their games. I do believe it is right to play games, which are impossible to play with your current region's devices and/or you own the game already. Emulators are also very low-quality. It's best to play the real system (unless your talking about those PS2 and Wii emulators which emulate above the current system's resolution)

[President Yoshi 313]

that actually interesting. i have all of the systems you mentioned and i experienced no such problems before. are you sure that you are taking proper care? i suggest that you get the nine month free warranty from nintendo.ca

[Setting Sun<3 196]

Better Solution: Don't use emulators.

 

Emulators are for cheap scums who don't want to pay money to play their games. I do believe it is right to play games, which are impossible to play with your current region's devices and/or you own the game already. Emulators are also very low-quality. It's best to play the real system (unless your talking about those PS2 and Wii emulators which emulate above the current system's resolution)

 

Please tell this to my parents and ask them to buy me some consoles. P.S.: yeah, i do talk about PS2 and Wii emus like PCSX2 and Dolphin. DS emus really suck, but i have no other choice. Edited May 26, 2012 by Setting Sun<3

[Xail 113]

dsi looked like it was made from low quality plastic then again it probably was

[Xenidal 36]

that actually interesting. i have all of the systems you mentioned and i experienced no such problems before. are you sure that you are taking proper care? i suggest that you get the nine month free warranty from nintendo.ca

 

Well the systems came with warranties although those warranties have expired. The DS I simply can't have fixed by Nintendo due to the fact that the serial number is gone (the ink faded away). The other systems I never bothered with. As for proper care,

- for the DS I never abused it or anything, but it might have been something I did. I used to carry it around a lot so it might have somehow been damaged and also it got dirty so I used to wipe it off and I suppose the moisture could have gotten to it. Still, I wouldn't have expected a charging issue to have come out of ither of those things... the system itself works fine (other than charging).

- the DSi and Wii... it was nothing that I did at all. I have always taken good care of the DSi (I don't even remember ever dropping it) and the Wii is stationary so no way that it ever could have been damaged.

[XIIISwords 1,059]

For the DSi, try lifting the L button slightly and blowing into it (but make sure you don't spit into it). This could clean the dust out of it and get the button working (It did with mine).

 

My old Gameboy Color had a similar problem and I had to remove the cartage and blow into it.

[President Yoshi 313]

Well the systems came with warranties although those warranties have expired. The DS I simply can't have fixed by Nintendo due to the fact that the serial number is gone (the ink faded away). The other systems I never bothered with. As for proper care,

- for the DS I never abused it or anything, but it might have been something I did. I used to carry it around a lot so it might have somehow been damaged and also it got dirty so I used to wipe it off and I suppose the moisture could have gotten to it. Still, I wouldn't have expected a charging issue to have come out of ither of those things... the system itself works fine (other than charging).

- the DSi and Wii... it was nothing that I did at all. I have always taken good care of the DSi (I don't even remember ever dropping it) and the Wii is stationary so no way that it ever could have been damaged.

 

hmm... well it may just be the battery, i know you already said that the battery isn't the problem but you know.. its a possibility

 

and for the other stuff you said (like the L button) well most likely there are systems that they didn't check on individually meaning it is possible that its just the your system in specific and not the manufacture

 

either way, hope you get the problem figured out

[Xenidal 36]

hmm... well it may just be the battery, i know you already said that the battery isn't the problem but you know.. its a possibility

 

and for the other stuff you said (like the L button) well most likely there are systems that they didn't check on individually meaning it is possible that its just the your system in specific and not the manufacture

 

either way, hope you get the problem figured out

 

Not the battery... I didn't elaborate on the problem but I've swapped the battery and it still doesn't charge. That, and the battery does charge when put into an external charger (although I no longer have the external charger that I was using so now I can't charge it at all...)

Anyway, I'm not going to worry about it... I think I'll just buy a DS Lite eventually and in the meantime play the games on my 3DS. I just find it strange that out of all the problems that I've ever had with any video game system... all my problems are occuring to the newest systems that I own (except for thr 3DS which has't had any toruble).

[President Yoshi 313]

lol good job!

oh and btw i just go a 3ds yesterday!!! u no just saying cuz im bored

lol

[Rob 5,571]

Um......I was expecting this thread to talk about PS2 to PS3 and Xbox to 360 since those are the biggest problems gamers have since they came out. lol All my handhelds work.

[Xenidal 36]

Um......I was expecting this thread to talk about PS2 to PS3 and Xbox to 360 since those are the biggest problems gamers have since they came out. lol All my handhelds work.

 

Yeah, I didn't mention them because I don't personally own either of those systems so I've never experienced it before. I have heard of some of those problems though... although I thought they were software problems? Either way... those are all current systems which makes my point even more valid.