A Wii word of warning to gamers

Published on Saturday 10 January 2009 18:53

IT HAS taken the geek out of gaming, with its revolutionary controls and fun-packed gameplay attracting millions of women, children and families alike.

But Scotland's most senior A&E doctor last night sounded a note of caution about the world's favourite games console, and offered his own safety guide to playing the Wii.

William Morrison, chairman of the Scottish Board of the College of Emergency Medicine, said he was aware of a growing number of Wii casualties needing hospital treatment for everything from strained muscles to broken bones.

Insurance firms have also issued a warning to Wii owners, revealing they are dealing with a growing number of claims for accidents caused by over-enthusiastic gamers.

Morrison, who is head of A&E at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, advised gamers to take four simple steps to avoid trouble:

&149 Make sure the area around you is clear to avoid knocking into furniture or the television;

&149 Do not move towards your gaming partner or walls while playing. Try to remain standing still. Don't get too carried away;

&149 Avoid the temptation to run around the room while playing;

&#149 Do not play for prolonged periods in order to avoid strain injuries.

Morrison said: "I have heard of one case where someone knocked their elbow against the wall and broke it while playing tennis, and I have heard of people hitting their opponents and of the controller coming off and hitting the screen if people don't put the wristband on properly. I have also heard of repetitive strain injury.

"I don't think the injuries are serious, but there does seem to be an incidence of injuries to players or their partners."

Alison Rocks, NHS Fife's clinical nurse manager for A&E, said: "We have had a few patients come in with muscular and skeletal injuries as a result of playing. For example, they move too quickly while boxing and hurt their backs."

Insurance companies confirmed they are dealing with Wii-related accidents. A spokeswoman for Direct Line insurance said one recent case involved a child tripping and tumbling into a 1,500 plasma screen TV. The spokeswoman said: "Pretty much everyone in our claims team has had one or two Wii-related claims."

Britain's biggest insurer, Norwich Union, confirmed it had dealt with several Wii-related accidents. And Martyn Foulds, senior claims manager for Halifax Home Insurance, said: "We have noticed several home insurance claims for television screen damage coming through from people who have accidentally let go of the Wii handset."

Nintendo issues safety guidance with its Wii consoles.

A spokeswoman said: "Wii meets all necessary EU safety laws and is perfectly safe to use when used in accordance with the guidelines stated on the Nintendo website, in literature with all hardware and software, and onscreen before and during gameplay."