If youβre into video games you know that, if the controller doesnβt work right, then whatβs the pointβ¦
It appears Nintendo users are taking issue with a specific technology thatβs been on the fritz for a while now and a newly filed class action lawsuit is pegging the problem on poor product design.
Last week national law firm CSK&D β which specializes in class action suits β filed suit against Nintendo over problems with the detachable controller for its Switch product, called Joy-Con.
Apparently, users of Joy-Con β a controller than can be used as one device or detached into two pieces, making two controllers β have been complaining as far back as 2017 about problems theyβre having with these devices. Joy-Con users have reportedly experienced whatβs referred to as βdriftβ β where the device senses input when there isnβt any, and so a userβs video game character could move on the screen without being directed to.
In the lawsuit, Nintendo is being accused of knowing its product features a βmanufacturing defectβ but failing to disclose it to customers. Even worse, says the suit, the company βroutinely refuses to repair the joysticksβ without charging their customers.
The suit details the saga of one Switch customer, Ryan Diaz, and also supports their complaint by citing scores of online reviews that mention problems with drift. The lawsuitβs Joy-Con owners hope to recover their βout-of-pocket expenses related to repairs and/or replacementβ and are demanding a jury trial to further pursue the complaint.
At the time of the filing, Nintendo told Business Insider it was aware of the issues and encouraged users who were experiencing problems to visit its website for support.
But after a few days of bad publicity, the company may have cracked. Wired reported that Nintendo says it will βrevise their customer service proceduresβ and plans to repair affected units for free, whether or not the warrantees are still intact.
No word yet on how that might impact the legal proceedings, but itβs a startβ¦
