The Official Nintendo Wii Thread.

[comrade]

they didn't put it in there but 2 months ago, and why would they even bother with putting nintendo revolution logos in there if they knew they were changing the name. They said they knew it for awhile now.

I would probably guess to throw everyone off, you know? Resultiong in a huge wave of publicity and shock! News that would shock Wal-Mart employees everywhere!

Oh, and Nintendo said in the begining that the 'Revolution' was a place holder name. We knew they would change it ahead of time. The public just didn't know what the name was going to be, or when it was going to be announced.

[atomicthumbs]

I'm just going to say this, then stop watching this topic...


I like it. But how the name is received by the general public depends greatly on their advertising campaign.

[Jasoco]

The Nintendo rep was in today. She didn't know a date yet, but she said "Winter". Which scares me. It could mean anywhere between Thanksgiving (A stretch) and March! Hopefully that was a safety date and the real date will be announced on Tuesday.

[calthaer]

I think that wholly depends on how aggressive Nintendo is with their marketing. I don't think it'll be an overnight shift in state-of-mind for the world, but I think in a couple of years, if Nintendo really pushes it, it really won't be that bad.

This post identifies the whole problem. Throwing a big push of marketing dollars merely in an effort to mitigate the damage done by a stupid name is a complete waste. They could be using that effort to actively steal market share from Sony or Microsoft, or to get people to play and try their new console.

The name should be an asset to the system, not a detriment that they have to slowly change with a big push in marketing so that the name "won't be that bad."

[comrade]

The name means to urinate for god sakes!

I guess I can learn to like it.

[hezeuschrist]

I don't think it'll be an overnight shift in state-of-mind for the world, but I think in a couple of years, if Nintendo really pushes it, it really won't be that bad.

Which is EXACTLY the reason why this is a bad name choice. Thank you for pointing that out. In "a couple of years" this generation of systems will be half done.

I still disagree. Nintendo, if they stayed the present course, would be nowhere. No one would care about GameCube 2, even most of us.

They HAVE to make people care about a new brand, a new idea, and with that comes a new name. You can't build an empire around a brand name in a couple of months, and yes, it's going to take years to make it happen. But once they build that foundation you can expect to see the Wii logo on everything Nintendo, from renaming the GameBoy Evolution to "Wii Portable" (ok, that's really bad), to releasing a sequel to the DS designed around the Wii brand name.

As for using those dollars to attract Sony or Microsofts customers? THATS an impossible battle, no matter how much you put into it. They simply aren't running that race and the Joe Average PS3 player cares about one thing above all else: Graphics. Trying to coax a consumer with that frame of mind is going to be nigh impossible for such an "underpowered" system.

It's a whole new Nintendo, and I'd rather see them try to re-establish themselves in a new direction than to see them continue to chase their tails and waste a bunch of money on a technology race they simply can not win. This has far more implications than just the looming console generation, the is the beginning of a whole new company.

[FantasiaWHT]

Hezeus, I agree totally with your analysis of what Nintendo needs to do, I just feel that there's an incredibly large number of better ways they could have accomplished the same thing without using a word with such awful connotations.

(A handheld Wii... the Port-a-potty!)

Just to illustrate... imagine Sega had never made a 16-bit system. A system with a name like "Genesis" now would do everything you described. We have had two generations of video game systems with incredibly derivative names that follow an identical template- universally a compound word, mostly combining a gaming-related theme with a concrete object or location. A cube with which you play games. A station with which you play. A box that's an X. A cast of dreams. Something like Genesis has none of that.

Wii may catch on, but if it happens at all it will happen slowly. The esoteric reasoning behind the name is not going to win over the public majority quickly. I'm not even sure if marketing alone can do that before the system even comes out; I think it's more likely that it will not appeal until (even if) it becomes a success. Why not pick a name that's INSTANTLY catchy and doesn't force the first-time-hearer to wade through confusion, astonishment and even disbelief that it is serious?

[Bronty-2]

I dunno... different type of name for a different type of console. I can see a lot of people walking into eb or whatever, seeing the name "Wii" and asking "what the hell is that"? Salesperson explains the how different the functionality is, etc. It will definitely grab people's attention and make them ask about the system... which is when nintendo hopes to convert that curiosity into a sale, I guess. Will it work - I don't know. But it might. The different name does underscore the idea that this system is not like the others, which is what they're going for. Whether that turns into sales time will tell.

But I don't think you can discount a system that is priced affordably, appears to have a very good launch lineup, has backwards compatability and a virtual console feature. There's a lot there for your money. Whether or not people are ready for new controllers and a strange name we will see but personally I think it looks pretty promising. The fact is that it looks like they will deliver a lot of value for the price, and I think that will sell some people on it for sure. The fact that it's coming after and not before the success of the DS can't be understated either... they have proven to least a few million people that their new direction is worthwhile. I think they have a good chance of expanding on that success.

[hezeuschrist]

Actually for the handheld system I was thinking "P-Wii." Heh.

Wii may catch on, but if it happens at all it will happen slowly. The esoteric reasoning behind the name is not going to win over the public majority quickly. I'm not even sure if marketing alone can do that before the system even comes out; I think it's more likely that it will not appeal until (even if) it becomes a success. Why not pick a name that's INSTANTLY catchy and doesn't force the first-time-hearer to wade through confusion, astonishment and even disbelief that it is serious?

I don't think the "meaning" of it is going to be pushed very hard, moreso just the fact that it's different will likely be the large portion of the marketing push. They needed to have some kind of immediate rationalization behind it, and I wouldn't really be all that suprised if the only piece of it the mass market gets is the tagline, "It's not about you or me, it's about Wii."

I don't expect the name to win anybody over until the system is released at the very least. Hell, I don't expect the name to win anybody over. Pre launch advertisement will probably be slim, but it'll be there to plant the seed. I just think there is FAR too much emphasis being put on the negative connotation of the word. Much like anything that can have any number of dick and fart jokes associated with it, the public will quickly get over that. I wouldn't expect to still be hearing "wee" jokes by the time the system launches in the states. That's obviously not its strength.

It's strength is in pure simplicity and difference, not the convoluted meaning of togetherness. It needs to be totally different to represent the totally different experience you'd have with the system, and it's complete difference will prompt people to look into it. Be it amused, confused, shocked, awed, or genuinely interested, the name will make people think enough to look deeper. The reason they look deeper at that point is completely irrelevant.

It's strength right now is in the thousands of 10 page threads across gaming message boards all across the internet. It's doing exactly what it should be doing, getting people talking about the name gets people talking about the system, and come Tuesday there's going to be so much anticipation built up over what we can actually associate the "Wii" with it'll take first billing over anything to do with the PS3.

[Bronty-2]

hezeus, I salute you sir We posted that at almost the exact same time - looks like our trains of thought were quite similar.

[calthaer]

They HAVE to make people care about a new brand, a new idea, and with that comes a new name. You can't build an empire around a brand name in a couple of months, and yes, it's going to take years to make it happen.

This is a good point, and one which makes it seem even more stupid for them to throw away the positive credentials and connotations that the name Revolution has been building up over the past year or so.

[Bronty-2]

I see your point, but then again, looking ahead, "revolution 3" doesn't sound so revolutionary does it? Kind of like Final Fantasy 12 or something (guess the first 11 weren't so final). So if they are trying to establish a brand that is going to be around for 20 years or something, then I'm not sure Revolution was the right name either.

[B - Mark]

I don´t like the name "Wii" for the new Nintendo´s console.
For me the name "Revolution" causes more impact.
Because the controls and the system download games from old consoles.

We can´t forget his price is lowest in comparsion with Playstation 3 and XBox 360, according Nintendo´s preview.

[hezeuschrist]

They HAVE to make people care about a new brand, a new idea, and with that comes a new name. You can't build an empire around a brand name in a couple of months, and yes, it's going to take years to make it happen.

This is a good point, and one which makes it seem even more stupid for them to throw away the positive credentials and connotations that the name Revolution has been building up over the past year or so.

The simple answer to that is that in this day and age of global software sales, they have to have a global name, something "Revolution" certainly isn't. Anyone who has heard Iwata try to say revolution would very much understand that name wouldn't fly at all in japan... and really, I don't think it would have worked in japan even beyond the phonetic difficulties. It just doesn't seem to fit the culture at all.

Beyond it being pretty worthless in Japan, it really doesn't have the same impact Wii does, or for that matter, any other easily recognizable word would. It certainly fits better, but this is a marketing move, not a definition. The simplicity is going to be a huge part of the campaign to move the console and Revolution sounds and feels very much stuck in the current industry trends, something this console means to break completely free of.

Not to mention the only people that even know about the Revolution are people that are not in their major target audience. At this point it's pretty much an industry junkie term and anyone in the mass market doesn't have a clue. Those are the people they need to build a brand around, not us. They've already got our dollars.

[playgeneration]

The name is bad, no-one can really deny that. You can defend nintendo's choice by saying "its only a name, who cares?" or "the name has got everyone talking about it". But you know what, i would much rather them give it a bland dull name, and have some amazing new games that capture peoples attention instead. Xbox wasnt a particularly wonderfull name, but you could play halo on it, and thats all that people cared about.
E3 will really show if nintendo can back up their claims of revolutionising the industry. Will they show brand new franchises with unique control, or a different way to play yet more mario party games?.

[playgeneration]

The name is bad, no-one can really deny that. You can defend nintendo's choice by saying "its only a name, who cares?" or "the name has got everyone talking about it". But you know what, i would much rather them give it a bland dull name, and have some amazing new games that capture peoples attention instead. Xbox wasnt a particularly wonderfull name, but you could play halo on it, and thats all that people cared about.
E3 will really show if nintendo can back up their claims of revolutionising the industry. Will they show brand new franchises with unique control, or a different way to play yet more mario party games?.

[playgeneration]

The name is bad, no-one can really deny that. You can defend nintendo's choice by saying "its only a name, who cares?" or "the name has got everyone talking about it". But you know what, i would much rather them give it a bland dull name, and have some amazing new games that capture peoples attention instead. Xbox wasnt a particularly wonderfull name, but you could play halo on it, and thats all that people cared about.
E3 will really show if nintendo can back up their claims of revolutionising the industry. Will they show brand new franchises with unique control, or a different way to play yet more mario party games?.

[Richter]

like it or not, the name is here to stay

http://www.joystiq.com/2006/05/04/wi...aysayers-wiip/

[Jhonny_ParadoX]

"E3 will really show if nintendo can back up their claims of revolutionising the industry"

Nintendo is known for helping save the entire console gaming industry back in the 80s. I have been fairly disappointed with the past two consoles that Nintendo has released though, but I have a feeling that they have done a lot of research into untapped target audiences and current gamers alike, which prepared them for this console.

As for the name, I think everyone's initial response is to spit out something negative, then ask "wtf does it mean?" And THAT is exactly what they want to acheive. Nobody really likes the name, but it works for the purpose it was made for, to generate interest and curiosity. Overall the deeper meaning to the name will become apparent with time, for now, continue with the potty jokes and the play with the name. Wii will survive.

[GrandAmChandler]

I am dubbing this "The official Wii Thread"

DISCUSS!