I've never had a video game controller break on me. TV remote controls, however, seem unable to withstand normal button pressing and like nearly everything else are not built to last like they used to be. I have maybe 3-4 remotes, one of them had the on/off button fall out and I can't use it to turn the TV on. I got a universal remote to replace it but it doesn't turn the TV on well at all, and I have to press the button on my TV. Fortunately the TV is only a couple of feet from me (it's a small one).
I still remember when we only had one TV remote and they were great. Now we have several of them for different things and you have to "program" them and it's confusing and doesn't make watching the idiot box easier at all.