Topic: Sent in my 3DS to Nintendo for repairs...

[JonLeung]

So I sent in my 3DS to Nintendo for repairs yesterday...hope it works out!  And a week short of a year old, too.

(Guess I don't need to pick up Kid Icarus: Uprising on the first day...ah well.  What's with the Friday release, anyway?  Didn't games used to get released on Sundays?)

B button isn't working well...most certainly not responding to light touches like the other buttons.  Sure, it'd work if I pushed down hard on it, but that felt unnatural and like it might cause further damage.  I could play some Mario Kart 7 (at least if I didn't brake) and Mii Plaza and a few other things, but I'm sure I would fail at any high-action game that requires precise timing of pressing it.

While they're at it, I mentioned the upper screen, which has been scratched by the edges of the lower screen (a common complaint), which a lot of people are saying Nintendo is really good about replacing.  I should get a screen protector...  And Nintendo says they do their best to retain save data (I'd completed all the StreetPass puzzles except the Kid Icarus Uprising one, and am one away from completing the Mario Kart 7 one - my co-worker just got that piece, too >_<), but that disclaimer that I have to check and click through that says they can't always guarantee that, depending on the fix, is concerning.

Though I had previously sent my Wii in for repairs very early on in its lifespan for onscreen graphical glitches (like Christmas 2006), and that wasn't a problem (though my Miis became uneditable because they were apparently transferred over to a new one), so I guess I should have some faith that they will keep my saves if they replace it instead of repairing it...but is the quality of electronics declining?  Before this current gen, I have never needed my game systems repaired...and in these cases it was early in their lifetimes...and I would think I would be more careful with things as I got older.  I mean, my NES still works, come on!

[FlyingArmor]

...but is the quality of electronics declining?

My first thought was planned obsolescence, but that'd be a little silly for something like a console to break down in such a short span of time (like within one year). But even so, I wouldn't put it past Nintendo if they indeed designed their hardware to break down quicker nowadays.

[Peardian]

The scratched screen is just a design flaw, but the messed up B button could be a fluke... or a crumb or something.


As far as quality declining, I don't think so. I've had N64 and GCN controllers with the same problem, both probably caused by junk under the button. As for the graphical glitching on the Wii, that may be a Software issue or something. I don't know what causes it, but I know our Wii has it, and that proof of it can be captured in Brawl screenshots.

[JonLeung]

I never meant to imply that Nintendo would deliberately choose shoddy materials - at least not any more or less than any other company.

I mean, yes, I had graphical problems with a Wii, a dead pixel on a DS Lite, a broken hinge on the replaced DS Lite, and now these two problems with the 3DS.  But maybe there are just more sensitive components that can be faulty these days.  My brother used the DS Lite a lot and the 3DS in particular I've been carrying around near-constantly because of the StreetPass feature, so that accelerated its wear-and-tear.  At least I've been able to return/exchange/get the others repaired, so hopefully the 3DS is no different.

It's just that you hear stories of NESes dropped down stairs and Game Boys scorched by napalm, but they still work.  My mom's old TV from more than twenty years ago still works fine, but my six-year old TV is having problems with one of its inputs.  So in that case, it's just that there's more than can go wrong, so it's more likely.  Also, I think electronic parts might not have to pass as stringent quality control measures as they might have in the past, because, especially in the cases of TVs and computers, new technology would cause everyone to be expected just to buy an entirely new one after a few years anyway, so nothing's built to last.  Why bother with repairs when there's more money circulating when people just buy the next big thing?  However, the within-a-year thing of these game devices...yeah, not cool.  But at least Nintendo is good about their warranties, if these kinds of problems can't be avoided.

I don't know.  I guess I just felt like talking about my 3DS situation.  At least you'll hear from me in this topic when I get it back, if I'm satisfied or not.  Hoping I will be, but if I'm not - like if I lose my saves that are on the 3DS itself and not on the SD card (which I indeed remembered to take out) - you'll certainly hear about it.

Hopefully a lot of people sent in their 3DSes, so I can maybe StreetPass anyone else there and fill in the Canada StreetPass map more.  (While in Toronto, I managed to StreetPass someone not just from there, but also someone from the UK.  I'm pretty sure I'll often be travelling with my 3DS...)

[Peardian]

Considering the System transfer ability built in to the DSi and 3DS, I'm sure keeping your saves would be no problem. I don't think the Wii had that, hence the Mii issues.


Speaking of stories, my friend's dad sometimes destroys things when he's mad, and one day he decided to take it out on my friend's DS. He tried using his hands, but it didn't work. After several minutes of constant beating with a shovel, the thing still worked fine. He had to jam the shovel between the two halves, snapping the hinges, to finally break it. Now that is durability!

[Revned]

More complexity means more chance of failure. If you've ever looked inside your NES, you'll know that it's downright empty in there compared to newer electronics.

[FlyingArmor]

I've had a few cases of electronics breaking unusually quickly, one case in particular being ridiculously so.

I had bought an external hard drive case once so I could transfer recovered files to my desktop computer. However, after a week or two, the device just all of a sudden stopped working, right in the middle of me using it. I at first thought it was a problem with the hard drive itself, but having experienced a genuine hard drive failure once before (those dreaded clicking sounds...) I knew that wasn't it. It was the external case, something you'd expect would last a little longer than two weeks...

But Nintendo is indeed pretty damned good with providing quality hardware. It wouldn't make sense for their business to do that. My being able to play Japanese games on my SNES (with a slight hardware modification) even 20 years after first getting it, is I think a great testament to that. A Wii or a 3DS certainly can't be equated with a light bulb (a product that has certainly for decades been designed to fail sooner than it should).

I definitely agree that greater complexity can lead to a greater propensity for failures, and I see that as the more likely reason in this case. But them simply replacing the units instead of addressing the actual problem is something that bugs me though.

[Peardian]

I definitely agree that greater complexity can lead to a greater propensity for failures, and I see that as the more likely reason in this case. But them simply replacing the units instead of addressing the actual problem is something that bugs me though.

That could probably be attributed to the same complexity issue. If you have a faulty disk drive reader thing, for example, how much time and effort do you think it would be to open up the Wii, replace the parts, reconnect all the wires, put it all back together, and make sure it works? It's probably better to just replace the whole unit with a brand new one than risk the customer not being satisfied with the repair. It's not perfect, but it sure beats getting your Wii back in the mail and finding out you have to ship it right back because it still doesn't work.

[FlyingArmor]

The thing that bugs me is simply replacing something without a second thought. What happens to the broken unit afterwards? Is it recycled? Or is it simply thrown into the trash?

The mentality these days is that if something breaks, don't bother trying to fix it, just buy another one (or in the case of a Wii, get a replacement). This can apply to pretty much everything. At home, if a piece of clothing gets a tear in it, I'm told to just throw it out and get a new one, even though it wouldn't take much work to mend it. This is the mindset that I'm objecting to. The complexity of the object in question shouldn't sway our judgment just because we don't have to deal with the consequences of mindlessly throwing things away, even if we don't do it directly.

This is where money becomes such a dangerous thing. Cutting down on expenses is favoured over protecting the planet from further defilement. Why should something as ephemeral as money (something that doesn't actually exist) dictate that we trash our planet just to save on expenses in the short term (this being from the perspective of a corporation)?

This is probably getting a little off topic, but it's some food for thought nonetheless.

[JonLeung]

Wow!  They sent it back already!  Then again, Nintendo of Canada is just one province over to the left, so...

As I expected, they didn't bother fixing the unresponsive B button or scratched screen or busted hinge.  They simply transferred my information over to a new one and sent it back to me.

And the 3DS turns one year old today!  What a nice gift.  Clean and scratchless and working perfectly.  And this 3DS comes with a one-year warranty, too.

I had StreetPassed some people on the way there, too.    Heh.  I guess it can pick up wireless signals through the bubble wrap and cardboard.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to play some Kid Icarus: Uprising...

[JonLeung]

So, I checked everything over.

I forgot to mention that when I first got it back, I was silly to have started the StreetPass Mii Plaza right away to see the five new StreetPass tags before inserting my own SD card!  Oops!  So I powered off, and stuck my card back in, but then, though the five people my original 3DS passed were in my Plaza, I didn't have a chance to get puzzle pieces from them or use them in Find Mii II!  >_<  I didn't think the SD card was required, but it gave me some message about that...  Luckily when I went back in after isnerting my card, I got the "Special" Reggie Mii released that day for the one-year anniversary and at least got one more Kid Icarus: Uprising pink piece, and noticed he was already at Level 5.  (I guess if I do go to E3 this year and StreetPass, say, Miyamoto, I'll be able to tell if he's the real deal if it's sparkly like Reggie's Special Mii is.)

About those five Miis...one was from Alberta a day after I brought my 3DS to Purolator, and then two days later, four were from British Columbia (where Nintendo Of Canada resides), and I know at least one is of a NoC employee because its name is "Elder", the same name of the person who signed for my package according to the Purolator web site.    Should I be honoured that I'm Elder's 1001st StreetPass tag?  I didn't get any StreetPasses on the way back because the new 3DS was off when they sent it, though fully charged when I turned it on.

The time and date were wrong, no biggie.  I had to re-select my region when I went into either the System Settings or the eShop, don't remember which.  Speaking of the eShop, I noticed my amount of funds were retained, phew!

I noticed a blank in my menu when there wasn't one before.  I looked at my list of previously downloaded games, which was still at 50 (sounds like a lot, but not really, considering that includes the 3DS Ambassador games and all the free preview videos and demos) and found that it was the DSi game, Photo Dojo.  I redownloaded it, and though I know the save file is separate, I started it up just to be sure my created characters were still there, and they indeed were.  I don't know why it had to be redownloaded while Shantae: Risky's Revenge (another DSiWare game) didn't have to be, but no big deal.

And I can still edit my Miis (unlike on the replacement Wii I got, where I couldn't edit the Miis created on the original).

So if you send in your 3DS to be fixed, but it ends up being replaced, you shoudn't have to worry about Coins/eShop funds/downloads/saved games/Miis/etc.  But there is a box you have to check off on Nintendo's web site with their disclaimer that sometimes data can't always be retained, depending on damage, so I guess they're covering their butts, particularly if your 3DS (or other unit) are damaged in some particular way.

Thumbs up, Nintendo.  Thanks for doing this quickly!  I love my new 3DS!...though if I had known for sure that they were going to replace it, maybe I should have asked for a Flame Red one instead...  >_>  I suppose if/when my brother wants one, maybe I'll give him this black one, buy a Flame Red one, and use the System Transfer function...

I do agree that the "replace-instead-of-repair" mentality is a good idea in the sense that it gets rid of the problem by simply replacing the whole unit, but hopefully they do something useful with the old one like reuse its good parts, and melt down or otherwise recycle the bad parts into materials.

(On an unrelated note, I got the last puzzle piece yesterday!  I now have all the puzzles completed!  Bwahaha!  Now to get the remaining hats...)

[DarkWolf]

There are still cases where things are repaired.  A few weeks before I moved cross-country I discovered there was a class action suit against Samsung about some faulty components in some of their TV models.  The TV I was going to give to my parents was one of those models (I didn't want to box and ship two TVs).  Since Samsung settled the suit, I was eligible to have a tech come out and replace the capacitors at no charge to me.  The guy came to my house with a soldering iron and the replacement parts, took apart the TV in the room it was in, popped out the bad parts, and replaced them in about 15 min.  The TV worked like the day I bought it.

[TerraEsperZ]

Bad capacitors have been a real plague for the last few years. I repair computers, printers and accessories for my employer and there's been several model of motherboards that *all* had to have their capacitors replaced. They start inflating and eventually leak after a year or so, which I once read might have been caused by a Chinese company incorrectly copying the electrolyte formula of a competitor for their capacitors, causing them to go bad after a while. That, and bad cold solder joints on various printer boards that can *apparently* be fixed by baking the affected circuit board in an oven at high temperature but didn't work very long for us.