Gallery: Wiijected: Readers' Sad Pictures of Dusty Nintendo Controllers
01dusty-wii-gus-mastrapa
When's the last time you touched your Wii controller — other than to wipe a layer of dust off it? Although Nintendo's revolutionary motion-control game machine launched in 2006 with lots of compelling software, the days of Wii Sports, [Twilight Princess](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/gamelife/2006/11/zelda_the_reaso/) and Super Mario Galaxy are long over. Nintendo promised Wii would appeal to hard-core gamers who love deeper, more traditional gaming adventures, but these types of games have become fewer and far between. Some publishers have figured out how to sell casual games on the platform (see Ubisoft's smash success Just Dance), but the rest have abandoned Wii in droves. Of particular frustration to Wii owners is Nintendo's decision to keep many interesting Wii games out of the United States. A group of activist fans calling itself [Operation Rainfall made efforts to get Japanese games](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/gamelife/2011/06/xenoblade-the-last-story/) Xenoblade, The Last Story and Pandora's Tower to U.S. shores, but Nintendo is not even interested in this token level of support. With Nintendo's top designers working on games for the 3DS and [upcoming Wii U](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/gamelife/2011/06/nintendo-controller-hands-on/), it's looking less and less likely that gamers will have any reason to turn their Wiis on beyond this year's release of [The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/gamelife/2010/06/zelda-skyward-sword/). After Nintendo's brief Facebook post in which it shot down Operation Rainfall's requests, Wired.com asked Wii owners on Twitter to send in pictures of their dusty, unused game setups, accompanied by their tales of empty-Wii syndrome. See the best of their woeful submissions in the gallery above. __Above:__ "One of my dogs chewed through the cord for the Classic Control Pad," said Wired.com alumnus [Gus Mastrapa](http://www.twitter.com/triphibian). "At least *somebody* had some fun with it."
02dusty-wii-gregory-gay
"I was one of many who rushed out and stood in line for hours on launch day," says reader [Gregory Gay](http://twitter.com/greg4cr) of his now-abandoned Wii, "and I haven't touched my console in months." The last games Gay played were Epic Mickey ("not great") and Kirby's Epic Yarn. "I eventually unplugged the system, since it can remain pretty warm even in the standby mode," Gay said. "The picture is of the first controller I found. It has a nice layer of dust and dirt on it. I think that a hair even fell off of it."
03dusty-wii-ben-jones
Reader Ben Jones says his Wii is shoved away with his old CD burner. "It's in the corner of my house that time forgot," he writes. "The vinyl player upstairs gets more use."
04dusty-wii-daniel-bowman
"I've included a picture of my Wii Remote sitting on top of my entire collection of Wii games," writes reader Daniel Bowman, who bought his white console the day it launched and has only purchased three Wii game discs. He says he would have sold his Wii long ago, but he's downloaded many games from the Virtual Console digital distribution service. Since Wii games are tied to the system rather than a user account, he can't sell the system and keep the games. "Everything I've spent on Virtual Console is now just a sunk cost," Bowman says.
05dusty-wii-chris-taran
"Very few games exist on the Wii that interest me to begin with," writes reader Chris Taran, enclosing a photo of a dust-and-hair-covered Wii Remote. "On the few occasions that I picked up a promising title" like [Fragile Dreams](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fragile_Dreams:_Farewell_Ruins_of_the_Moon), he says, "the controls were such a mess and so frustrating to me that after an hour or so I put down the Wiimote and never looked back."
06dusty-wii-dave-prince
After moving to a new home in January, reader Dave Prince decided to conduct an experiment. He would leave his Wii in its box next to his television until an interesting game was released. "To this day, it sits patiently in its box next to my TV," he says. "Not only has the dearth of quality titles effectively killed off my interest in the Wii," Prince writes, "but without any new releases to move me to unpack it, my interest in the games I already own for it ... has fallen dramatically. Without a feed of new titles sustaining its future, my interest in the Wii's past has atrophied."
07dusty-wii-sm-pit
"I know dusty Wiis and their controllers implies they haven't been used for a while, but 'a while' could only be a few weeks," writes reader "sm pit." "How about a photo that proves they've never been used since Oct. 6, 2008, not by the dust, but by the fact the controllers are still in their original packaging with the receipt to prove it?" This disappointed Wii owner bought two Wii Remotes, two Nunchuks and two Classic Controllers when a store had a buy-one-get-one-free sale. But he hasn't been able to get his friends excited about playing any multiplayer games recently, and the controllers are still in their blister packs.
08dusty-wii-daniel-feit
"My Wii is still hooked up to my TV, although it's been at least nine months since anyone turned it on," says Game|Life contributor Daniel Feit. His Wii isn't particularly dusty, he says, but that's because it's being neglected in a very different way by his toddler. "My son has made a habit of pulling it off the TV stand and, well, standing on it. Notice the dings on the front and the absence of a cover for the memory card and Gamecube controller slots. He broke that off long ago," Feit writes.
09dusty-wii-kyle
Reader Kyle's Wii has "been in this box for four years," he says. "Gets broken out about once a year for Christmas family time."
10dusty-wii-josh-hesterman
Josh Hesterman used to use his Wii for gaming, he says. "But then came Netflix. All of a sudden, I realize I've got a perfectly good streaming device in my hands, and the poor Wii has become a fixture in my kitchen, fueling my [Instant addiction](http://movies.netflix.com/WiHome) while I traipse around prepping for dinner. "How low have you fallen, dear Wii? How low?"
The Best Ski Clothes for Staying Warm and Having Fun
From weatherproof jackets and pants to puffers, gloves, and socks, WIRED’s winter sports experts have you covered.
Chris Haslam
The Best Game Controller for Every Kind of Player
A great gamepad instantly levels up your play. These are our top picks for Switch, Xbox, PlayStation, and PC.
Brad Bourque
The Best Apple Watch Accessories
You finally caved and bought an Apple Watch. These are our favorite bands, screen protectors, and chargers to go with your new smartwatch.
Adrienne So
The Best Automatic Litter Boxes Tested by Our Spoiled Cats
With these high-tech automatic litter boxes, gone are the days of scooping and smells. Welcome to the future.
Molly Higgins
The Best Fitness Trackers Check Your Sleep, Heart Rate, or Even Your Blood
With almost ten years of hands-on testing, WIRED knows what separates the best fitness trackers from the rest.
Adrienne So
Give Your Back a Break With Our Favorite Office Chairs
Sitting at a desk for hours? Upgrade your WFH setup and work in style with these comfy WIRED-tested seats.
Julian Chokkattu
Death to Dry Skin. These Humidifiers Are Better Than Chapstick
From models for traveling to humidifiers that double as planters or air purifiers, we've tested a dozen of them.
Matthew Korfhage
The Best Heart Rate Monitors Check Your Cardiac Health
These chest straps and watches will help you keep your finger on your pulse—and many other heart-related metrics.
Michael Sawh
The Best Kids' Bikes for Every Age and Size
The WIRED Reviews team has kids, and we tested all types of kids’ bikes. Here are our top picks.
Adrienne So
The Best Portable Chargers for All Your Devices
Keep your phone, laptop, handheld gaming console, and other electronics running with these travel-friendly power banks.
Simon Hill
The 11 Best Electric Bikes for Every Kind of Ride
I tested the best electric bikes in every category, from commuters and mountain bikes to foldables and cruisers.
Adrienne So
Which Fujifilm Instax Camera Should You Buy?
Should you buy an Instax Mini or Mini Evo? Instax Square or Wide? We demystify Fujifilm’s Instax lineup to help you find the perfect instant camera (or printer).
Scott Gilbertson