CNN: Nintendo discusses Wii

[Evil Avatar]

As we all pick our jaws up off the floor after hearing the new name for the Revolution, CNN's Game Over column (http://money.cnn.com/2006/04/27/commentary/game_over/nintendo/) has spoken with Nintendo to try to make sense of how the name came to be. Saying "A lot of thought went into the name," the company acknowledges the howls of protest going on in messageboards everywhere, but says it expects people will quickly grow used to it. It also explains why it made the announcement today, rather than waiting for E3.

[Abednigo]

So why announce the name now and not at the show?

By letting the gaming community vent now about the name, they will be less distracted as launch titles for the system are announced and initial reports about what it's like to play the games begin to come in.

Good point. I think by the time E3 is in full swing, the complaining about the name will have died down. Then we'll get to see some actual Wii games and the name won't be that big of a deal. At least I hope it won't.

[crashedout]

SO they knew it was going to be bad, and wanted to get the initial "it sucks" out of the way? That is some pretty visionary thinking, or they made a huge mistake. Time will tell.

[KarmaGhost]

SO they knew it was going to be bad, and wanted to get the initial "it sucks" out of the way? That is some pretty visionary thinking, or they made a huge mistake. Time will tell.Exactly!! Ex-act-ly!! Seriously, wtf. I want people who don't game to take gaming seriously, naming your console "Wii" is not how you do it.

[Borys]

Something is very wrong when you have to damage control your own product's name.

[Serapth]

Evil Avatar must be giddy as a school girl right now. Its rare to see a company you dont like much make such a clusterfuck mistake.


Myself... im waiting for Sony to actually announce their price for my giddy school girl moment.

[agentgray]

The announced it now because the media furor and perceived appearance would have made them a lauging stock at Wii3.

I'm laughing now at the comedic element of all of it. Let the puns fly.

[Grifter]

The fact that they know the name sucks so they released it early to give us time to vent...WTF is that.

I understand most gamers are a bunch of whining bitches and will complain about everything but you should never have to give your market audience a time to whined down and vent over something that was done intentionally.

[Serapth]

You remember the old expression "Theres no such press as bad press"?

Apparantly... not so true :D

[DCJoeDog]

Holy shit, they KNEW the name sucked and had ot give us time to get over it?! Then why use that name at all?

[DaedalusFolly]

Self professed pun lovers shall unite under the Nintendo banner. Case in point..

Wii (sic)!

[cppcrusader]

"The other systems have an extension of their current names; ours is a new leap to something different,"

Did I miss the memo were the definition of a Revolution was changed to "not a leap to something different"?

[dotbomb]

I don't think people will ever get over this name. This is a pretty big marketing mistake.

[UglyPimp]

Wii is not something I will ever get used to. It is just too awful to even comprehend. I remember when Playstation was announced I thought it was weird, and got used to it. I remember when the Xbox was announced and I LOL'd at the X for eXtreme marketing, again got used to it. Even the Gamecube, as kiddy as it sounds, was an OK name for the time. But Wii? Wii HATES Wii. WE HATES IT. FOREVER.

[Tetsuo]

Hope we get a release date soon, so I know when I can start playing with my Wii.

[bone_matrix]

...OR, they knew that we, the internet generation, bitch and moan about every little thing, wether it is good or not, and decided to get the bitching out of the way to allow us to take in the GAMES. You know, the things we aren't playing right now because we are on the internet? Hell, people have bitched about the 360 name (I'm not saying its good or not), and that has died down. Nintendo just realized it would happen to them too, so they planned for it.

(Go ahead, call me a fanboy, I don't care. I'm tired of the puns already, and its been what, a couple hours or so since they announced the name?)

[Zacharai]

Gamers are knee-jerk and reactionary. Case in point, this thread.

They wanted to set it in stone, because they think that in the long run, a made-up name like Wii is going to be more marketable than a purely English one like 'Revolution' or a purely Japanese one like... well, I don't speak Japanese. Plus, it sounds little-kid-cute, which is kinda the whole Nintendo thing. And it lets everyone know that they really don't want to have anything to do with PS or XBOX.

I'm just playing devil's advocate, they could call it a creamy mudpie for all I care. I'm still getting one, and getting down with the Pikmin goodness. They might release blockbuster games at the rate of the Gamecube, but that'll be fine. They won me over with the DS.

[EmoryM]

Wii: its coming soon.

[EternalGamer]

This press release is the most fun I've had in a long time. Props to Nintendo for making me laugh and to everybody else that is so angry, lighten up some. You will get used to it, but in the mean time, it's a big basket of silly fruity fun.

Dan

[xxBlackCrossxx]

...OR, they knew that we, the internet generation, bitch and moan about every little thing, wether it is good or not, and decided to get the bitching out of the way to allow us to take in the GAMES. You know, the things we aren't playing right now because we are on the internet? Hell, people have bitched about the 360 name (I'm not saying its good or not), and that has died down. Nintendo just realized it would happen to them too, so they planned for it.

(Go ahead, call me a fanboy, I don't care. I'm tired of the puns already, and its been what, a couple hours or so since they announced the name?)


i totally agree. seriously, i don't care if they call it The Douche-a-tone, as long as the GAMES are good, who gives a crap. the main problem i have with it is that it seems they are ripping off apple with the lower case "i" stuff or Volkswagon logos as well.

[Verocity]

Wii...maybe it's a Japanese thing and we are just freaking in the states over it? This will take some getting used to...

[chilifries]

Wiiiiiiiii!! (http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/weeee.php)

[RMan]

Wow, I mean, Wow. I think they pick final machine names that are inversely proportionate to the coolness of the codenames. Ehh, I'm calling it the Revolution, they can call it 'N'Do's super happy fun machine' for all I care, I'm calling it Revolution.

[UnderHero5]

You know, I was thinking. Every one was calling the Revolutions controller the "Revmote"... to I guess it's known as the "Wiimote" now?

I think I know why they named it Wii!!
Elmer Fud is their lead marketing manager!

[dimsumx]

Nintendo fanboys make a big noise
Shoutin' in the streets gonna be a big fan today
In the next gen race
The name's a disgrace
But you're waving your banner all over the place

"Wii will Wii will rock you!"
Singin'
"Wii will Wii will rock you!"

[if76]

Think about it this way:
Capitalize the 'i's and you have WII
Add another W and you have WWII

Clearly this machine is meant to train kids to bomb Pearl Harbor

[Talltale]

Gonads and strife man, gonads and strife.

Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!! (http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/weeee.php)

[Schnoogs]

As far as I'm concerned its the Rev

[kokyunage]

Who cares. A name won't stop me from buying a product. And it won't stop most consumers.

[GunJ]

"I'm sure people felt the same way when Google was named � or the iPod. Napster. Yahoo."

No sir ! Those products / brands didn't have a perfectly good name that their potential clients liked/got accustomed to and then got raped and transformed into an infantile retarted final name.
Nintendo has shot themselves with that stupid name.
They lost a lot of image IMO going from Revolution to sth that's ridiculed as "piss related" - ffs. ( True that it's a 12-year-old remark but still... )
Granted the system will be judged by the games, but the name is a fucking joke - all internet agrees to it.

They must be pretty confident at targeting the console at non-gaming communities, but they did it at the expense of their image in gamer's eyes. Baaad move imho.

On the other hand - how do the japanese users react to it ? I believe a healthy portion of the units will be sold in Japan - seeing as it's the primary market for nintendo. Any Japanese feedback out there ?

[Nessus]

The Japanese, or was it a Korean game? Had no problem with Touch Dic.

I'm not going to try to "damage control" this. I think it's a bad name for most people. I don't really mind it, I don't love it either.

RS probably would have been a better name.

[TheBrainKills]

Holy crap, somebody hit that switch again... only it it went further, bunch of 8 year olds here.

[Derwin]

oh please, the way people react to this is making me hate gamers.

its fine, i like it. even if i dont, im still going to play it.

[Borys]

Leaked E3 photo of Nintendo's Wii controller:

http://www.remotecentral.com/weemote/photo1a.jpg

[Mason]

Eh, my only problem is that the focus on the controller's gyroscopes made "revolution" a good subtle name. I can see everything about this, including the gamer outrage, being spun into an effective marketing strategy.

[Whimbrel]

wii nii

I liked revolution just fine, but maybe it was too political.

[Stormwatcher]

I didn't like, but it's not THAT bad. I'll keep calling it the REVOLUTION.

[Averic]

Seriously, Wasnt April 1st a month ago?

Anyway, I will forever be calling it the Revolution. Even when I buy it. I cannot picture myself walking down the street with a friend asking did you get your Wii yet.

Or: Can I have a Wii?

[dimsumx]

I didn't like, but it's not THAT bad. I'll keep calling it the REVOLUTION.

i still call the PSOne PSX. :D

[Zurik]

You know what'd really be hilarious? If the Wii ended up like the N64 or Gamecube, with only a small handfull of good games a year, but also with a bad name. At least when you say Xbox 360 you don't feel stupid for telling people that's what you play.

[Zeal]

You know what'd really be hilarious? If the Wii ended up like the N64 or Gamecube, with only a small handfull of good games a year, but also with a bad name. At least when you say Xbox 360 you don't feel stupid for telling people that's what you play.

So you guys coming over tonight to play some Nintendo WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

::retarded kid on a swing::

[cppcrusader]

I would've liked to have been a fly on the wall during the meetings about it. Just to see how their thought process came about to lead them to this conclusion.

The fact that they're announcing it early shows that they're willing to stand behind it. I just don't see how they'll be able to pull in non-gamers now with a product that the clerk will have explain how to pronounce the name to them. That will just alienate them further.

Judging from the lowercase i's though I think they're banking on the iPod style of naming. The name iPod doesn't give you the slightest clue as to what it does, but everyone knows what it is and what it does from its marketing. I guess they have some really big marketing stuff planned. I still think its a poor choice, but we'll just have to see what happens in a few weeks.

[EternalGamer]

Eh, my only problem is that the focus on the controller's gyroscopes made "revolution" a good subtle name. I can see everything about this, including the gamer outrage, being spun into an effective marketing strategy.


I agree but I do think "Wii" is a much better name for the general market, assuming Nintendo wants to continue to push and expand its userbase beyond gamers, as they have with Brain Training et al. I can see a middle age person going into an electronics store to buy something called a "Wii" (it's the spelling that makes the marketing). As funny as all the puns are, I guarentee that "Revolution" sounds a lot more kitsch-y or childish to an outsider.

Dan

[digitalErich]

Ethnocentrism FTW around here, eh? There are other markets out there and other languages outside of the English speaking ones. I'm not saying I like the name, but from a global marketing perspective, choosing a name with a simpler and more universal pronuciation is a smart move on Nintendo's part. Quick example: there is no V sound in Japanese.

[Roc Ingersol]

A lot of thought went into the name
And not alot of time went into test marketing.

[kizke]

I like the name.

[MaiXu]

SO they knew it was going to be bad, and wanted to get the initial "it sucks" out of the way? That is some pretty visionary thinking, or they made a huge mistake. Time will tell.

No. Nintendo just knows that gamers bitch about anything and everything. Even if they kept it as the Nintendo Revolution, some people would bitch. Anything new, people would bitch.

So no matter what it was, let the bitching get out of the way before anything that actaully matters - like games - is shown.

[Serapth]

I would've liked to have been a fly on the wall during the meetings about it. Just to see how their thought process came about to lead them to this conclusion.

The fact that they're announcing it early shows that they're willing to stand behind it. I just don't see how they'll be able to pull in non-gamers now with a product that the clerk will have explain how to pronounce the name to them. That will just alienate them further.

Judging from the lowercase i's though I think they're banking on the iPod style of naming. The name iPod doesn't give you the slightest clue as to what it does, but everyone knows what it is and what it does from its marketing. I guess they have some really big marketing stuff planned. I still think its a poor choice, but we'll just have to see what happens in a few weeks.


Atleast we all know how to pronounce iPod. Not so much with Wii

[askheaves]

Quick example: there is no V sound in Japanese.

However, in about half of Europe, they trade the V sound with the W sound... always.

Like, you pour wodka into your vatermellon.

[digitalErich]

Nintendo just knows that gamers bitch about anything and everything.

This alone makes me think that Nintendo knows gamers better than most companies out there.

[King Chaos]

I like it. Its happy. Fun. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[thecrazyd]

You know what'd really be hilarious? If the Wii ended up like the N64 or Gamecube, with only a small handfull of good games a year, but also with a bad name. At least when you say Xbox 360 you don't feel stupid for telling people that's what you play.
Whoa whoa whoa... you don't feel retarded saying the Xbox 360? Cause I do.
::retarded kid on a swing::
Huh, and I always assumed you were a retarded kid on a forum.

[Deathbane27]

http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/7114/exquisite.jpg

[MaiXu]

You know what'd really be hilarious? If the Wii ended up like the N64 or Gamecube, with only a small handfull of good games a year, but also with a bad name. At least when you say Xbox 360 you don't feel stupid for telling people that's what you play.

You actaully give a shit about what people think about the name of something you use that you have no control over?

So would you check with other people before buying a car? You know, decide on a car who's name isn't too dumb? I mean, fuck price or mileage or warranty or anything important. Make sure you get a name people approve of!

[Deadend]

I will pronounce it the Why. As in Why not just call it the Revoution? Why call it something so infantile. Why do you need 2 paragraphs to explain the name? Why did they not realize all the puns?

That is pronounced W-ii, Why. Not W-e-e, Wee.

[MaiXu]

Jesus tittyfucking Christ people! Nintendo didn't need two paragraphs to "explain" the name! They explained as much as MS did when they revealed the name "Xbox 360," as much as Sony did when it created the name "PlayStation," as much as anyone explains when launching a new product. So stop harping on the explanation! It wasn't needed, it was just there, it's what marketing shitheads do all day. Anyone that didn't see Wii and read it as "we" is probably too stupid to hook the fucking thing up to a TV anyway.

[Deathbane27]

I will pronounce it the Why. As in Why not just call it the Revoution? Why call it something so infantile. Why do you need 2 paragraphs to explain the name? Why did they not realize all the puns?

That is pronounced W-ii, Why. Not W-e-e, Wee.

Good plan. I shall join you!

[Sensei-X]

Well you know if Evil Avatar was around in '89 we would be talking about what a stupid name GameBoy is, and we all know how terribly that did. I mean yeah Wii is a weird name, but no worse than Xbox, Dreamcast, Vectrex, Neo Geo or Atari. I mean it might suck, but saying it'll suck because of the name is as stupid as all those idiots who said GameCube would fail because it was violet and had a handle.

[Megalith]

nintendo wang

[panopticon]

My (non-gamer) sister says she likes the name. She thinks it's cute and friendly.

As far as I'm concerned, this case is closed. Nintendo knows exactly what they're doing. If they piss off a couple of hundred thousand hardcore gamers, that hardly puts a dent in their strategy. They're aiming for mass appeal now, and with a name like Wii, they just might get it.

[Nim]

No. Nintendo just knows that gamers bitch about anything and everything. Even if they kept it as the Nintendo Revolution, some people would bitch. Anything new, people would bitch.

Except that in this case, it really is one of the worst names for a product in human history.

The strawmen are running amok in this thread. Basically nobody has said the name is relevant to the quality of the hardware, or whether the games will be fun. It's just a really, really, really, horrible name. No more, no less.

[Dabombpizza]

Well you know if Evil Avatar was around in '89 we would be talking about what a stupid name GameBoy is, and we all know how terribly that did. I mean yeah Wii is a weird name, but no worse than Xbox, Dreamcast, Vectrex, Neo Geo or Atari. I mean it might suck, but saying it'll suck because of the name is as stupid as all those idiots who said GameCube would fail because it was violet and had a handle.

I do agree, that Wii is not that...terrible. But it definetly goes against all the examples of past consoles, all of them, save Atari (I think), being derivitives of english or latin.

Dream + Cast = Dream fishing.
Game + Boy = Kinda self defining.
Vectre + x = Something that draws vectre's, but is EXTREME!
X + Box = Something that is a box, but is EXTREME!
Neo + Geo = New Earth...not sure what that does with gaming.
W + ii = ?

Wii will get used to the new name, no doubt. But Wii can still be upset that it's not "cool." Either way, iWill buy one.

[pheriannath]

Wasn't one of the rumored names for the Rev the 'Go'? What if that ends up being their online service? "We (Wii) Go" seems very close to Nintendo's 'feel' in their advertisements as of late and would definitely fit.

I'm not a fan of the name as well, but that was the first thing I thought of when they announced this.

[Borys]

Why did they abandon the Revolution name?

That's the answer I'm looking for, Nintendo Revolution sounded way cool (Revo in short).

[IndependentGMR]

It's certainly odd, but I'll have to see their marketing campaign before I say they dropped the ball.

I don't how many of you have checked this out: http://revolution.nintendo.com/

They give a little explanation behind the name after the video plays.

[panopticon]

Why did they abandon the Revolution name?

That's the answer I'm looking for, Nintendo Revolution sounded way cool (Revo in short).

Revolution wouldn't make sense to someone who doesn't follow the video game scene (a.k.a. Nintendo's new target demo). A revolution means a drastic change from state A to state B, which is meaningless if you didn't know state A in the first place.

And the fact that these non-gamers will be buying their first gaming systems is not revolutionary for them, either. It won't change their lives. It's an affordable high-tech toy you can pick up, play a few minutes, then switch it off and get on with your life. Maybe that's revolutionary from an analyst's perspective, but it's just a new toy from the point of view of the person experiencing it. And that's ultimately the person that matters to Nintendo.

[xxBlackCrossxx]

You actaully give a shit about what people think about the name of something you use that you have no control over?

So would you check with other people before buying a car? You know, decide on a car who's name isn't too dumb? I mean, fuck price or mileage or warranty or anything important. Make sure you get a name people approve of!


that's great. i'm still laughing.

[ChaosDent]

Except that in this case, it really is one of the worst names for a product in human history.

The strawmen are running amok in this thread. Basically nobody has said the name is relevant to the quality of the hardware, or whether the games will be fun. It's just a really, really, really, horrible name. No more, no less.

This has never been the case for any video game system. Sony just goes with their literal "this is a game machine" brand (much as Nintendo has), Microsoft angles for the X-Treme crowd with a meaningless jumble, Sega at least had the balls to tie unrelated words into gaming, but those systems were failures for other reasons. Nintendo has just gone the next logical step past Xbox and Dreamcast into total gibberish territory.

[DoubleUranium]

So are Revolution owners going to be called Wii'ners?

[inmostlight]

You'd think Nintendo would have learned from all the flack and confusion Intel has gotten over their horribly-named "Viiv". Taking that "v" at the end and moving it to the front doesn't make it any better.

[Abash Alarmist]

I like it. It is short, simple, and to the point. It isnt a long, convuleted and ultimately soulless name. It actually has a personallity. It speaks fun, spunk, and is interesting. It makes it easier to pronounce, allowing the market for it to grow. It is easy to remember. Not just another mishmash of words that ultimately mean nothing (GameCube/PlayStation/whatever). It will stand out, and I bet that the advertising team over at Nintendo will have a blast making comercials for everyone to get the idea of what Wii is about.

[panopticon]

What kind of a name is "Nintendo" anyway.

[Evil Avatar]

Worst. Name. Ever.

[bone_matrix]

I do agree, that Wii is not that...terrible. But it definetly goes against all the examples of past consoles, all of them, save Atari (I think), being derivitives of english or latin.

Dream + Cast = Dream fishing.
Game + Boy = Kinda self defining.
Vectre + x = Something that draws vectre's, but is EXTREME!
X + Box = Something that is a box, but is EXTREME!
Neo + Geo = New Earth...not sure what that does with gaming.
W + ii = ?

Wii will get used to the new name, no doubt. But Wii can still be upset that it's not "cool." Either way, iWill buy one.


I always figured the Dreamcast to be in line of a warrior cast, wizard cast, the peons, etc. They create the dreams (and the fun. *sniff* I miss my DC)

I've decided I like the name. Its not as hardcore as Xbox 360 or Playstation 3, but damnit, I like it. So will the millions of non-gamers who buy the system and make Nintendo #1 again!!!!

Not sure what I did at the end there...but, I went with it.

[Dabombpizza]

I always figured the Dreamcast to be in line of a warrior cast, wizard cast, the peons, etc. They create the dreams (and the fun. *sniff* I miss my DC)

I've decided I like the name. Its not as hardcore as Xbox 360 or Playstation 3, but damnit, I like it. So will the millions of non-gamers who buy the system and make Nintendo #1 again!!!!

Not sure what I did at the end there...but, I went with it.
I really hated the Xbox 360. It was like, how do we encompass both names of our competitors in one (revolution + 3). I still hate it, but I'd buy the system if it was cheaper.

[Dag-Sabot]

This console name decision has Barbara Walters written all over it. I fear for the future of humanity, for we are in great peril.

[TheBrainKills]

So you guys coming over tonight to play some Nintendo WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

::retarded kid on a swing::

And of course Zeal is still acting like a 2 year old.

[Vulpes]

I think Nintendo in Japan must have missed the memo mentioning that over here 'wee' means urine.

I can see what they're trying to do, and I really hope this works out for them, but I've got a feeling that in this extremely fickle market, it's going to be a laughing stock. I'm a big Nintendo fan and I know I'm still going to buy one of these crazy Wii-machines regardless, but I've got a feeling that the Sony-saturated Australian market here is not going to give Wii a chance.

[Kamalot]

I can see what they're trying to do, and I really hope this works out for them, but I've got a feeling that in this extremely fickle market, it's going to be a laughing stock.
I think that is the point. This isn't aimed at the hardcore, blood-gutts, tough-guy market. This is for everyon else.

[Samo Umer]

In good PC fashion it should be called NINTENDO ULTRA X-METAL PREDATOR EXPRESS XXM3000 IV. with TURBOFORCE RAY ENGINE EXTREME

All in big snazzy black box with a picture of a military jet flying into your face, a columbia shuttle, a 3d renered wireframe of a prehistoric T-Rex...


now that's solid marketing I can comprehend... Wii?? Fugedabauid...

[Vulpes]

I think that is the point. This isn't aimed at the hardcore, blood-gutts, tough-guy market. This is for everyon else.

That's what I mean. I don't see how they're going to snare casual/new gamers with a name that is so irrevocably associated with a certain bodily fluid.

If they want the casual market they should have called it the Nintendo Sudoku. :)

[bone_matrix]

That's what I mean. I don't see how they're going to snare casual/new gamers with a name that is so irrevocably associated with a certain bodily fluid.

If they want the casual market they should have called it the Nintendo Sudoku. :)


Maybe I'm the crazy one here, but piss wasn't the first thing i thought of when I said Wii outloud.

Ya know, its probably just me...

[aversion2k]

Do you think wii will come in different colours?

[xxBlackCrossxx]

damn it's too bad the name is immediately new and weird. i was really looking forward to playing all those new and interesting games. /shrug, guess i'll just go buy buggy xbox EXTREME 360 and play some good ol dead or alive. feel like ive played it before though?

[Mav]

Nintendo just lost a customer

[Kamalot]

I don't know. I didn't think of urine when I first heard it. I first thought of "we" followed by "wheee".

It wasn't until I read what others started saying did the "wee" come up.

Maybe this is Nintendo aiming for an audience that is mature enough to not think of kiddy names for pee.

Imagine that.

Nintendo: Our new console is only for mature gamers. If you are immature enough to conjure up ideas of urine, when the sound "we" is used more commonly in many other variations first, then the console isn't for you.

It is more than a little ironic that those saying Nintendo needs to shed the 'kiddy' image, are the first ones with immature potty jokes.

:-)

[Borys]

In good PC fashion it should be called NINTENDO ULTRA X-METAL PREDATOR EXPRESS XXM3000 IV. with TURBOFORCE RAY ENGINE EXTREME

All in big snazzy black box with a picture of a military jet flying into your face, a columbia shuttle, a 3d renered wireframe of a prehistoric T-Rex...

now that's solid marketing I can comprehend... Wii?? Fugedabauid...

Nice try N-tard but how about it NOT being called like goddamn stinking URINE?

That's like Sony calling PS3 - PoohStation 3 or MS calling Xbox - FuxBox.

Just a dumb name that means something yucky and disgusting in real life.

[thecrazyd]

Nintendo just lost a customer
Are you kidding, or are you really that stupid?

[IndependentGMR]

Are you kidding, or are you really that stupid?

I was wondering the same thing.

[Savok]

I'm always complaining about the shit Nintendo gets here as just about everyone is incredibly biased at this site. The name is bad, I mean really bad, totally awful, then I giggle a bit, then it's awful again. It's not even the worst part that it's named after a bladder function, worst part?

The unusual spelling is meant to symbolize both the unique controllers and the image of people gathering to play.
What the fuck is that? I spent a god damn month laughing at the 360's design being based on the "inhale", thinking "holy shit, these guys are fucking wankers". I had no idea, fuck I can't even laugh at how stupid it is now, it just goes too far.

And people aren't cranky because of its "uniqueness", there is nothing wrong with Google, they're angry because it's shithouse. Get a god damn clue, jesus.

[ProfPuppet]

Did I miss the memo were the definition of a Revolution was changed to "not a leap to something different"?

I think they had a problem with the Revolution machines trying to kill game testers while screaming in Mario's voice "Freedom! Freeeedoooom!"

[Opty]

It's named after a bladder function just like Uranus was named after your asshole.

[UnderHero5]

So... the Revolution... or... Wii... is going to have built in emulation of Nintendo's old consoles, right? Right.
So the emulator that will play old NES games can be called WiiNES, right?

[SnappyCrunch]

I think it's a good move for N to release the name of the console early.
People always bitch when things change, especially codenames to product names. People bitched when MS changed from "Whistler" to "XP", and again when MS changed "Longhorn" to "Vista". A bunch of people said "It'll always be Longhorn to me!". Know who still calls it Longhorn? Nobody.
I was used to the name "Revolution", and while I don't really like the name "Wii", I'll get used to it, and maybe even come to like it. It's at least more imaginative that the PS3 and XBox 360. Maybe people just don't want imagination in their game companies, just like they don't want imagination in their TV.

[Stryfe01]

oh wii wii...how fair are thee

man...why change the name at all ?

[Steele Johnson]

I've heard that the name is so bad, most gaming sites are refusing to change the name on their websites. That's amazing... the people for the win!

[Savok]

People always bitch when things change, especially codenames to product names.
There's "I like the old name better" and there's "you're fucking kidding?"

[Cubfan]

Showed my girlfriend the name and she first thought it said 'wi-fi'. Asked her how it was pronounced, she said 'why'. The name is a built-in hinderance to reaching non/casual gamers, they should have at least made it obviously pronounceable.

[jakie_chon]

i though at first i didn't like the name, but then again thats what I thought of the controller. But now, after a few hours and after reading really too many 'wee' jokes, I am starting to get used to it...

I won't pronounce it in public for some time, but my primary language is spanish and wii does not resemble anything in spanish, so I won't have to hear lame 'wee' jokes once I buy it.

[Kelegacy]

I don't know. I didn't think of urine when I first heard it. I first thought of "we" followed by "wheee".

It wasn't until I read what others started saying did the "wee" come up.

Maybe this is Nintendo aiming for an audience that is mature enough to not think of kiddy names for pee.

Imagine that.

Nintendo: Our new console is only for mature gamers. If you are immature enough to conjure up ideas of urine, when the sound "we" is used more commonly in many other variations first, then the console isn't for you.

It is more than a little ironic that those saying Nintendo needs to shed the 'kiddy' image, are the first ones with immature potty jokes.

:-)

Spin it, spin it!

I actually wrote up an article tonight about the Wii--I'm with EternalGamer. I'm not a hater anymore, it's grown on me just a bit, but I'm still skeptical. I keep thinkign I'll wake in the morning and it will all be some silly joke.

I kind of hope it isn't, though. This stuff is too weird.

[TheBrainKills]

Just a dumb name that means something yucky and disgusting in real life.

I didn't think you were 8 years old, if you are more mature we means "us" not "pee".

[Mav]

Are you kidding, or are you really that stupid?

Could you honestly look another male gamer, over the age of say 18 years of age, in the eye and say "Yea, I bought the Wii last week"?

Maybe some can get used to it or look past it, bad names can kill a product. It'd be almost embarassing to say you owned one.

[bean19]

Eagerly waits for mainstream news journalists to mispronounce it as "Why".

Also, I think some weird right-wing Republican will probalby link it with devil worship or some other horse-shit.

How many mothers will make this joke to their children: "Stop playing with your wii-wii and come eat your dinner."

[haleck]

How many mothers will make this joke to their children: "Stop playing with your wii-wii and come eat your dinner."

Not many, I hope...

[Uncle Ben]

Could you honestly look another male gamer, over the age of say 18 years of age, in the eye and say "Yea, I bought the Wii last week"?

Maybe some can get used to it or look past it, bad names can kill a product. It'd be almost embarassing to say you owned one.

I could, but then I'm not horribly insecure.

Not a whole lot left to say about this one, so I'll just jump on various bandwagons.

1. Wii is a dumb name.
2. But it won't kill the console.
3. When I first read it (in Nintendo's press release) I saw what they were going for with the "we" thing.
4. I sure as fuck didn't think of piss.
5. #1 is still true, but it's also true that everyone on this site (and all those other sites) bitch about anything and everything.
6. Like so many others, I'm still going to buy this at launch. If the name stops you from buying it, you're a dipshit. Seriously, if someone was going to sell you a sweet car for really cheap with nothing wrong with it, would you NOT buy it because it was called "The Shitstain?"

So laugh all you want XTREMEBOX/Sony fanboys, because there are about two hundred million people in the US alone who would laugh in your face if you tried to tell them about how badass Master Chief is or asked them about Metal Gear Solid: The Subtitleing.

[Steele Johnson]

Hey, I laughed when Sony announced that their console was going to be called the "Playstation". The first thing that came to mind was a device for children ages 2 to 6.

[Nessus]

I just realized that despite the now close association in my mind, I didn't think of piss until I saw a photoshop someone made.

My initial reaction was more "wtf?"

I don't like the pronounciation, but I actually like the look of the logo.

[SMES]

I missed the witch hunt in the first "wii" thread, so I'll throw in my two cents here.

For everyone who says "you're immature if you think of pee when you hear this name!"-

Just because I don't think of urine that doesn't make it a good product name! I honestly didn't think of urine when I first saw the name. Granted, after a few moments of thinking about it and reading about it, I did. But it was not my first impression.

My first impression was "FISCHER PRICE"

followed almost simultaniously by "Wow, they need to fire some people at Nintendo"

Nintendo REV. I saw that name in the other thread. That would have been cool. I like "Nintendo REV." I can't think of many names worse than "Wii"

I think it would be kind of cool if the name was profanity. Nintendo Shitwand. That is better than "Wii"

Just my two cents.

[Monotone]

http://blog.wired.com/games/index.blog?entry_id=1467976

Chris Kohler at Wired gives his view.

[Zeal]

Could you honestly look another male gamer, over the age of say 18 years of age, in the eye and say "Yea, I bought the Wii last week"?

Maybe some can get used to it or look past it, bad names can kill a product. It'd be almost embarassing to say you owned one.

This simple piece of common sense does not apply to fanboys. You're wasting your breath.

Horrible name. Earth agrees. The End.

[Hemalin]

When I first heard about Xbox 360 I thought "what a stupid name," months later I still think it's a stupid name. The moment I heard about Wii I thought it was a stupid name, months from now I'm sure I will still think it's a stupid name. Whatever PR statements say it doesn't matter Wii is stupid.(God that sounds horrible)

[RMan]

As much as I think the name is stupid, I don’t think it will hurt the system (I do, however, think they could and should have done better than a name that doesn’t hurt). It may help non-gamers feel it’s cute and accessible, and certainly won’t stop traditional gamers from buying it. Some of the more harsh ‘I’m not buying it’ criticisms crack me up, and I can’t imagine that a real gamer would actually feel that way (a real gamer would buy a system called ‘my owner is a crack smoking tool’ if it had really cool games). Sure, some haters like Zeal will always say something overly negative, but the name could have been so magical that it’s utterance granted eternal life and multiple orgasms, and people like him would hate it, that’s what they do. Anyway, in short, name sucks, I don’t like it, I doubt I’ll ever like it, but it ranks so low on my list of concerns that I can’t push myself to care beyond expressing that I think it sucks (it’s slightly more important than the quality of the boxart the system comes in, and less important than the length of the power cable).

[Goronmon]

Not the best name ever, but then again, I don't buy anything based on its name.

In short, the fuss over Wii is an Internet Problem, not a Real Life Problem. In real life, the name's soundalike will pass almost entirely without notice.I think that pretty much sums it up.

[Dei]

I'm beginning to like it more and more. I'm up for anything that upsets the typical hardcore people who think they own gaming. That especially goes for Americans, please realize that Americans are not the only ones that have to use these names and the world, especially Nintendo’s world doesn't revolve around 18-24 American or even english speaking males. On top of that, one may not want to say it, but is there anyone who is no longer going to purchase the console because of the name?

[sixtyfps]

So... the Revolution... or... Wii... is going to have built in emulation of Nintendo's old consoles, right? Right.
So the emulator that will play old NES games can be called WiiNES, right?

You totally beat me to that one. :D

After a few hours' consideration, I've decided I love the new name.

[sixtyfps]

Uh...not that I wasn't busy doing something other than simply thinking about that for hours upon hours.

[Shifteh]

Yeah, you sure have to 'damage control' a name that has spread through the entire internet, getting more and more people looking at the product.

Yes, what a foolish and shortsighted thing to do.

[the1bullet]

it’s slightly more important than the quality of the boxart the system comes in, and less important than the length of the power cable.

Agreed. I don't get it when people can bring themselves to care so much about a console's name, box art (remember when the 360's box was revealed? I think we registered for plates with that design, but nobody bought them), the color of its plastic (special edition? who cares?), or what it looks like. I'll concede a little on that last point because some of us have wives who will bitch and moan if you try to put out anything that doesn't "go". However from the time I've spent skimming vg forums, I'll go out on a limb and say that many of our fellow gamers do not have the issue of running things past their significant others.

In any case, I like the name. It's short, it's catchy, and it sounds like what you say when you're having fun (in cliche-speak, that is). But if I didn't like the name, I'd still probably get the dang thing because it looks like a lot of fun.

[Shifteh]

It's not even the worst part that it's named after a bladder function, worst part?

So, wait a sec, if I say "Where are we?" you're going to giggle and go "LOL IN YUOR PANTSSS!!!!1111" When you saw the name Virtual Boy did you think "OLO A BOIFRIEND GAEM FORE FAHGS!!111"? Was the Playstation "WERE YUO JURK OFF?!?!??!11111"?

If you see Wii and think piss, the problem is you, not the name.

[Chushev]

That sounds like some experiment with the masses... I'm sure that they will announce the real name at E3, or at least I wish they do so...

[Savok]

America is not the center of the universe, other countries have their own dialects, with some words used more commonly in certain regions. The Nintendo Wii is a few steps away from calling it the Nintendo Car. Do you think of cars when someone says Jimmy Carter?

And I'm sorry your understanding of the language is so limited, a large part of our language is context in case you didn't realise.

[bapenguin]

Here's an interesting take on it. I was talking to someone in PR and they mentioned something interesting. Nintendo spent a lot of time building up the Revolution name brand. Every XBox 360 press article, PS3 Press Article and similar next gen articles MENTIONS the Revolution along with the 360 and PS3. We've been calling it the Revolution for a year now. Now they've gone and just chucked that all out the window.

Will it affect their new target audience. No, probably not.

Another point, while minor is a good point. My wife who teaches first grade mentioned now we will have an entire generation of kids that spell We, Wii.

[Kamalot]

http://blog.wired.com/games/index.blog?entry_id=1467976

Chris Kohler at Wired gives his view.
This is the most level-headed article I've seen on the Wii subject yet.

As much as we at EvilAvatar don't like to admit it, we are a very small but vocal segment of a larger, and growing gamer community. Wii will work well with the rest of the world, but not the 'hardcore'.

[Furious Wang]

Yeah, the old common Nintendo line: "Get used to it."

No CDs? "Get used to it"
No DVDs? "Get used to it"
No online? "Get used to it"
Shitty name? "Get used to it"

[Mr.Green]

We're not discussing the product, we're not discussing the company, we're discussing the freakin name because that's pretty much all there is to discuss for now. Fanboys need to get off their high Epona and realize that. Nobody is saying the games will suck, nobody is saying the controller is crap, we're just a little surprised that a company this big with a marketing team the size of a small country thought it was a good idea to name their product with a synonym of urine to all the english speaking world, regardless of how juvenile it is. Maybe America isn't the center of the universe but it sure is a significant part of it.

I'm really looking forward to it and I would still do if they called it the Nintendo Golden Shower but I still think their maketing team kinda fucked up on this one.

Of course we'll get over it. It's not like we're still making Daikatana and DNF jokes anymore. Oh wait...

[Speed_D]

Of course we'll get over it. It's not like we're still making Daikatana and DNF jokes anymore. Oh wait...
The Nintendo Wii: Suck it Down!

[dr_wily]

nintendumb

i will say i bought a rev when it comes out.

[Laughing_Penguin]

Agreed. I don't get it when people can bring themselves to care so much about a console's name, box art (remember when the 360's box was revealed? I think we registered for plates with that design, but nobody bought them), the color of its plastic (special edition? who cares?), or what it looks like.

I think that last part about the color of the plastic is a bad example to make in this point. Nintendo certainly relies on people who *do* care about silly things like the color of the console, and have often leaned heavily on people who care enough about the image of the console to to market them that way. there were three colors for the GC in the US (more overseas), more for the N64, and the last 7+ generations (!!!) of Gameboy, their cash-cow platform, has banked on more color variants than most people could possibly track. At least 4 colors have been shown for the new Nintendo controller so far...

They've created a customer base where people do care about these things, so it really surprises me that they hadn't consiodered the possible reaction. As for the "mainstream" gamers they're supposedly reaching out to. I was in Video Game retail for 5 years, and now work in advertising, it honestly seems to me like people will be making the same jokes the trolls here have been making.

Non-gamers are not some hyper-intellectual elite that will stop to analyze the name for it's possible aesthetic value. Walk around your local mall and take in the casual gamers, the parents dragging kids around, and the average Joe with extra cash to spend. You show them "Wii" and the best possible response you'll get is likely to be "Huh?", with an alarming number of pee jokes thrown in once you pronounce it for them. The average American Idol fan won't debate the subtle meaning of the two "i" characters, they'll mock it in front of their friends and lean on the more familiar PS3 name. Non-gamers will go with what seems popular, what seems cool (as tragic as that fact is sometimes) and what they're friends have.

This new marketing plan seems to actually narrow their already niche market even further than they have now. It almost actively alienates a lot of the casual market, while not really reaching out to any new market, beyond those hardcore gamers "in the know" enough to really follow Nintendo wherever they might take it. This automatically reduces 3rd party support by it's very nature (not even mentioning the unusual control and and compartively weaker hardware to prevent easy ports), which means less games, which means less visibility in the retail outlets, which further narrows that niche.

It really is baffling...

[Kyle Jones]

You remember the old expression "Theres no such press as bad press"?

Apparantly... not so true :D


HAHA! Lies! Wii? Fucking genious. You guys will be talking about this for weeks, laughing at how stupid it sounds, but it's doing exactly what a product name should. Get stuck in your damn head so you can't get it out.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to take a wee...

[Savok]

I just had a terrible thought, Nintendo love having 2000 different colours on their stuff, what happens when they do a yellow one?

[overdrivechao]

nintendo wang

Megalith's standard comment: NOUN ADJECTIVE

How is it that you always evade the minimum post rule? It's amazing!