Wheeeee!!!!
As company strives to appeal to mass audience, the Revolution gets renamed: Gamers scream: Why!
Nintendo officially ditched its long-used codename for its next generation machine Thursday, revealing Wii as the final name for the product.
Pronounced like “we” (or “whee,” I suppose), the name is meant to emphasize that “this console is for everyone,” Nintendo said in a flash video which introduced the name change.
“The other systems have an extension of their current names; ours is a new leap to something different,” Perrin Kaplan, Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Affairs for Nintendo of America, told me. “A lot of thought went into the name.”
Wired as come out in defense of the name. (Thanks Gregory!)
Talking to people that have worked in games retail, you find that normal people can’t/don’t/won’t keep the names of the systems straight. People ask for “PlayStation 360s” and “PlayCubes” and “Mario on Xbox” even though they actually own a GameCube – to them the system names are confusing and completely interchangeable.
This is basically Nintendo trying to create a name and brand that is in no way similar to the others, in order to be distinct in the minds of consumers. They see the ad, they actually retain the correct name, and they go and ask for it at the store.
Yet another take on the name, not so favorable this time…
“The biggest key to figuring out it’s a bad name is when they explain it,” he said. “You don’t have to explain a good name, you have to explain a bad name.”
The funny guys at Penny Arcade have a great take on the name!
That is a very dumb name, and a very dumb move on Nintendo’s part to rename the thing when people have already gotten used to the name.
Agreed. A very bad move on Nintendo’s part. It’s not uncommon to abandon project code names, and in many cases its a good change, like Longhorn to Vista. Compare & contrast the two names:
“Revolution” brings to mind: cutting edge, exciting, eventful, new & improved.
“Wii” brings to mind: small, diminuitive, childish, relating to urine or male genitalia.
Yuck!
I see a bad Abbot and Costello skit coming on here. We will buy a wii to make use go weeeeeee!
HAHAHAHAHAHA What a dumb name, I haven’t laugh this hard since Nintendo revealed this new ‘revolutionary’ controller!
Anyone else think of gonads and strife?
The final vote to OK this name — the entire group that said, “Yes” to this juvenile POS-name — should be condemned to spending the rest of their lives writing deodorant commercials for the pre-pubescent.
“A lot of thought went into the name.”
Well, it must be a good name, then, if you spent all that time thinking about it. I’m sorry I ever thought it had been something that a suit type in his 20s came up with while in the restroom.
Guess N will release a masturbating game for the Wii. After all, the controller is eminently suitable for the old knuckle-shuffle.
How about WIITF?
Ugh, another Engrish moment.
That controller looks perfect for certain date “games” that are popular in japan *wink*
It makes me wonder who will make a copy of it for certain PC “games” *wink*
I just booted the computer again to say this.
While I was taking a … Wii (has to say it) I remembered that this console reminds me of Microsoft Bob.
Both with silly names, silly interfaces and silly concept.
Let’s see if the … Wii doesn’t end just like MS Bob.
actually I’m with the author of this Wired article… I’m not a fan of the name, but I see the logic.
why
WTH? I thought “Revolution” was a great name. Much better than “Playstation3” or “Xbox360”. Plus, it rolls of the tongue – “This is the Nintendo Revolution!” And the new controller embodies that sentiment by revolutionizing how the gamer interacts in the gaming experience.
Speaking of which, that’s a good name for the next-gen. The Nintendo Experience.
Why?? Revolution sounds like a gaming console – Wii sounds like … nothing. So what for world-wide usage – call it the Revolution in North America, and something else elsewhere … please.
omfg, Wii? hell, i can do that for free, why spend $200 or so dollars
Thank GOD!! I was beginning to think there was no truth in advertising!
I was once at a discount grocery store, looking at the off-brands, and found a jar of peanut butter call Shmucks. “With a name like Shmucks it has to be good!”
Then there’s Scotts toilet paper, advertised as “common sense on a roll!” (Maybe a better motto would be “what life is all about!”)
They also advertise food that way. There’s cereal advetised an TV with some cartoon charactor shouting “whoo hoo, I’m wacko the kookoo plops!”
Speaking of wackos, there’s an antidepressant called “Fukitol: the all-purpose lifestyle pill.” Please take a few minutes to recover your composure.
Don’t believe me? Fukitol.com.
yeah i think that the new name really stinks!!!! but my gf thinks its “cute” so i duno whats the deal!? However, do you still call the gamecube “gamecube” or “little purple lunchbox” ?
Good lord you people are small-minded. I’ll agree that Wii is definitely not a good name for the system (I’m still not convinced this isn’t some huge viral marketing push and that the name will change again at E3), but all you people equating it to urinating are just ridiculous. When was the last time you referred to taking a piss as “Going for a wee?” Yeah, didn’t think so. The name may be a bad one, but half of you wouldn’t be complaining nearly as much if this is what Microsoft or Sony chose to call their console. There are enough baseless Nintendo haters out there who would find things to whine about with this system no matter what it was called, just because it’s Nintendo. Obviously, there’s still a large market for people who just prefer paying more money for the same games with prettier graphics as opposed to wait for it…wanting new and innovative games! And before you all call me a Nintendo fanboy (the universal defence of the hater who can’t come up with a good counterpoint), I own a PS2 and an Xbox and will likely end up owning a PS3 and a 360 when there are enough good exclusives available. However, my friends and I haven’t been as excited about a game system in a long time as we are about this one. If they can change the paradigm of the game experience, I could care less if it’s called Nintendo Bucket or Vomit, I’ll buy it. Get off your high horses.
P.S. Nintendo made $800M profit (not revenue, profit) in the last QUARTER while Microsoft had lost over $4B on the Xbox project and Sony is expected to lose billions more on the PS3. Who’s got the dumb ideas?
Sorry Parallax, but you are indeed a Nintendo fanyboy. Your post exhibits all the standard symptoms:
1. Explaining away Nintendo’s incompetance with a far-fetched conspiracy theory (i.e. Megaton, Thursdayton, insertyourown-ton.)
2. Attributing legitimate criticism to anti-Nintendo bias (the name sucks, you even admit it).
3. Refusing to recognize innovation on platforms made by companies other than Nintendo. MS and Sony have both contributed significant innovations to the gaming industry and its fanboyish to say otherwise.
4. Claiming that your ownership of other consoles makes immune to the dreaded fanboy-itis.
5. Defending Nintendo’s shrinking market and increasing irrelevance in the console business with profit numbers that include money made off their highly successful handhelds. Who cares anyway? Do you own stock?
Sorry pal, but you are without a doubt a 100% grade A certified fanboy.
“Revolution” is complicated to sound out in Japanese. “Wii” is simple and likely sounds exotic on the other side of the Pacific.
Er, Dan? To call MS or Sony inovators is very, very wrong. The only innovation that Sony had was the original Playstation – allowing proper 3d graphics on consoles for the first time. The PS2 didn’t innovate, and the xbox didn’t, the 360 hasn’t and the PS3 doesn’t look to.
More power != innovation.
Wii isn’t a great name, but its not as bad as the frothing internet would suggest. They are trying ot brand something so it has appeal outside the gaming world. Revolution is a great title, but it is very very much grounded in current gamer mentalities. Wii isn’t. It at least has that going for it.
“1. Explaining away Nintendo’s incompetance with a far-fetched conspiracy theory (i.e. Megaton, Thursdayton, insertyourown-ton.)”
What the Hell are you talking about here?! And please explain how being profitable is incompetant.
“2. Attributing legitimate criticism to anti-Nintendo bias (the name sucks, you even admit it).”
The name does suck, but all this attributing it to a never-used reference to using the bathroom isn’t legitimate criticism, it’s just stupid. There is legitimate criticism to be levelled at Nintendo as much as anyone else. That isn’t it.
“3. Refusing to recognize innovation on platforms made by companies other than Nintendo. MS and Sony have both contributed significant innovations to the gaming industry and its fanboyish to say otherwise.”
Please provide examples. The Eye Toy perhaps, but please provide where Microsoft has innovated in a way that has made games better and not more of the same with better graphics. I am not saying you’re wrong, but if you are going to make the claim, back it up.
“4. Claiming that your ownership of other consoles makes immune to the dreaded fanboy-itis.”
I don’t claim that. I own the other consoles and I enjoy them both. Both of them have many games I enjoy (Guitar Hero being one very good example.) I owned my PS2 long before I ever owned my GameCube. I am a fan of Nintendo yes, I don’t dispute that. My point is that if people are going to criticize their new system, isn’t there something better than what name they choose for it? Has anyone considered that perhaps it’s worth trying the system out (or at least seeing footage of it) before condemning it to failure? One would think that if people are interested in providing legitimate criticism, they should experience what they are complaining about. That’s why I don’t plan to make judgements about the PS3 until I’ve played it. I’ve played the Xbox 360. It’s a very nice system. And not at all revolutionary.
“5. Defending Nintendo’s shrinking market and increasing irrelevance in the console business with profit numbers that include money made off their highly successful handhelds. Who cares anyway? Do you own stock?”
No I don’t. And you clearly are not educated on the console makers if you think that Nintendo’s profits are made solely off their handhelds (by the way, the Nintendo DS was also laughed at and it is destroying in sales right now.) Perhaps in North America, but the GameCube is very popular in Japan, has sold many units there and continues to do so. The PS2 is by far the dominant platform though and the Xbox is irrelevant there. A friend of mine is on an exchange program in Japan presently and everyone she knows there owns both a GameCube and a substantial library of games. Of course, her experience doesn’t equate to the entire market, but look it up and you’ll see what I mean.
Do you not agree that games have become very regurgitated and that Sony and Microsoft’s primary objective seems to just be a pissing match on who is going to have the better graphics? If not, then the Wii/Revolution/Whatever is probably not for you. I’m not saying you should buy one yourself. I’m just saying that as dumb as the system’s name is, maybe people should consider trying it out before talking about how stupid it is. Many of the world’s great innovations were considered idiotic at first. You can call me a fanboy for believing that this company has the interest of innovation as its core if you want. But look around a bit and you’ll find a lot more people who are looking at this a lot more than the competition.
Actually, the Revolution was about the only player in this game….the Xbox 360 isn’t all that great, and the PS3 looks “more of the same” too. At least the Revolution is trying something different with it’s controller….AND stay affordable.
Right now we have in our house an original Xbox which goes unused. A PS2 which also goes unused and a Gamecube, which gets played everyday. We have no plans of getting an Xbox 360 nor a PS3. The Revolution though is something we’re keeping an eye on.
“Who cares anyway? Do you own stock?”
Good one Dan! That’s what I ask to all fanboys, be it Apple, Micorosoft, Nintendo, you name it.
Sounds like a good move to me, will be easier to market internationally, the logo of name should be straight forward and identifiable. As for the american/english meaning it sounds a bit funny but i doubt that will make one bit of differance to sales
Nintendo seems to be learning from their mistakes with the game cube and the other console they had…. the 64 or something
So who wants to come over to my house and play with my Wii?
“So who wants to come over to my house and play with my Wii?”
I’ll bring my Wii over so we can connect them and play with our Wii-Wiis!
God, could have they have come up with a more gay name?! (Not that there’s anything wrong with that!) They might as well have called it the “Foreign pleasure object up your son’s butt”!
I’m still calling it the revolution.
After reading all those comments, I have to take a wee…