Nintendo said Friday it will replace 3.2 million straps for its popular Wii computer game controllers after receiving numerous reports that the device flew out of the hands of players.

The voluntary exchange program is a bittersweet development for Nintendo — a costly hitch in its three-way battle with Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360, but also confirmation of its enthusiastic reception worldwide.

The Wii's signature wand-like remote controller is used to mimic the motions of a tennis racket, golf club or sword, depending on the game. But soon after the Wii went on sale last month, people started reporting cases of the controller's strap breaking as they waved it about vigorously.

Nintendo will allow customers to exchange the old straps, which have a 0.024-inch (0.06-centimetre) diameter, for a beefed up strap that has a diameter of 0.04 of an inch (0.1 cm), company spokesman Yasuhiro Minagawa said.

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