Revolution's final name....Wii. (pronounced we)

[lazyfatbum]

i'm absoluutely in love with the name, i dunno what's wrong with me. it's like..... a learned a new word, and now it's poping up everywhere. Does anyone remember this?

http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/weeee.php

and i also present Nintendo's theme song;


http://www.micrux.net/cc/upload/Queen%20...%20You.mp3

I wanna go Wii, and i god damn like it

wiird pictures of unknown source! completely fake or leaked images? they're awful professional looking, especially the Madden one.

[Great Rumbler]

I hope those are real because that logo style iis awesome.

[N-Man]

It looks kinda like two people reclining on a couch, playing wiideo games. I like it.

[Dark Jaguar]

Vii?

[Paco]

I like it, and the logo looks great.

Now I just need to know how much it is and what I'm getting on launch day. :)

[Dark Jaguar]

You really must be joking. What names were rejected, that something like Wii remained vertical at the end of it?


The range of responses thus far have not been terribly surprising. It's the usual camps, really, and I don't know if these positions exist throughout all of human dialogue or if they are local to our merry band, but they are known to me. People who hate it because they hate X, people who hate it because it is not good, people who like it because other people hate it, people who like it because they are "above the fray," and people who like it because they like X. The first million times I saw this scene play out I could always find some piquant flavor in the proceedings, something that made each conflict unique. Now all I see is a kind of template superimposed over every motive, as though the argument were taking place between cells on a spreadsheet.

I'm uncomfortable with it because I think a word of alien origin like "Wii" is phonetically ambiguous for most people, but I doubt that I represent some genuine constituency. Nintendo clearly felt the name was so cryptic it required a Rosetta Stone alongside to contextualize it, which doesn't really speak to its deep strength or intuitive character. I believe, almost fervently, in their vision for the product - but I don't see any reason to do their public relations work for them. Enunciating each syllable clearly, I would call this moniker a profound error in judgement.

I'm aware that some people like it, or in any event they don't hate it. I am not those people, but I think that I can live in peace with them as long as they do not try and honestly suggest that the Goddamn name is emblematic of togetherness. What makes me mad isn't that Nintendo has chosen a name based on bizarre, interstellar philosophy. It's that they chose a name that was and is so readily used to obscure and discredit the imaginative power of the system.

Up until now, they've done an almost miraculous job maintaining enthusiasm for what is really a very unorthodox idea. To be honest, I sort of thought this would be the easy part.

(CW)TB out.

[A Black Falcon]

"Use your good arm"... am I the only one having trouble not taking that as a sexual reference, combined with the name 'Wii'?

That's why I kind of hope those images are fake... :) (And anyway, the logo is different from the one on Nintendo.com...)

[Great Rumbler]

"Use your good arm"... am I the only one having trouble not taking that as a sexual reference, combined with the name 'Wii'?

And "Touching is good" isn't?

[Dark Jaguar]

Paco is king and queen of avatars.

[A Black Falcon]

And "Touching is good" isn't?

True, true...

[Dark Jaguar]

So I found out there was some text UNDER that movie when I scrolled down after looking at it again.

"It's not about you or me, it's about We!"

First of all, what is "it"? The meaning of life, or video games? Because if it's about games, then it is about ME, not you. I'm not "part of the team" Nintendo, I'm just a customer.

The whole block of text comes off as meaningless drivel. Wii may mean something in English, and there sure are a lot of people around the world that have english as a second language, but for those who have no second language, and I'm sure Americans aren't the ONLY people that, the name is completely meaningless.

Sorry, I'm not buying it. Besides, as PA pointed out, as much as they SAY it is immediatly clear, they apparently had to translate it and make it clear how to pronounce it anyway right in that block of text, which means they know themselves they are full of it.

And lazy, yes a lot of people would talk about Puu Blossoms if there was some world wide mandate, but more people would be talking about Viva La Revolution and likely a war might break out over a seemingly trivial (but in reality, oppresive regime inspired) enforced global law. By the end, the name of "rose" would become a great symbol of freedom and "puu blossom" would have the same negative connotation as nazi.

Yes, such an enforcement of law would indeed change the world, and create world war 3.

If however it just happened naturally, I'm pretty sure no one would care.

[Great Rumbler]

First of all, what is "it"? The meaning of life, or video games? Because if it's about games, then it is about ME, not you. I'm not "part of the team" Nintendo, I'm just a customer.

The gaming community, maybe?

[lazyfatbum]

if they're fake, i still think that's the kind of stuff we can imagine. But i was thinking, because it's using a very relaxed font, maybe Nintendo wants developers/players to choose how the symbol looks? Yunno, kinda like how you can choose the icon for winamp

Another interesting aspect is that the i's may expand or collapse depending on how many controllers are plugged in - 4 controllers = Wiiii, just like google

in the ads posted, they took the W and collpased it, if you want to see something interesting, draw a W and the erase it's left line (it becomes an 'N')

Everybody is talking about what the W means symbolically, as the i's represent the players (heads and bodies) or wiimotes (furthering rumors of Wii having two controllers). One rumor so far is an ooooold 'leaked' image that was discovered to be fake or not, showing the Revolution with it's front flap open and outputting two beams of light on to a screen. Well, looking at the image the beams of light actually look like a W when you look at it from top down. While i dont buy this, i'm almost 100% certain that the W has something to do with last secrets for Wii. not to mention the things that nintendo have said such as 'Riding the wave on the blue ocean' or 'making waves' or even the rumored revolution name; Blue Wave which nintendo accidentally admmitted to when they had pics on their site of Revolution named 'Blue_wave.jpg' and then removed (i'll have to find the pics later). Less than two weeks away!!!!! Wiiiiiiiiiii!

[Rocky Raccoon]

that logo is 100% fake.

[lazyfatbum]

And how do YOU know? :D it probably is, but it still doesn't mean that developers cant play with it to fit the game they're working on. Developers spend time creating special fonts for their titles, and if you look at DVD's they'll sometimes put the studio's name in the same font as the titles (on the case and in the menus), or yunno how in movies it'll bring up the studio spot (let's say Paramount) at the very start of the film and instead of the normal stars swirling around the mountain, the mountain becomes a volcano, or it flies in to the mountain and there we see a man climbing it and these are now the opening scenes to the movie; playing with the loading or startup screens for Wii might be a popular thing to do too

Like when you pop in Metroid Prime 3, you see a white background with two large lines and a dark dot in the middle, the dot moves left and shoots some 8-bit Zoomers, then jumps on to a stone statue (the W) that is also holding another dot and looks like a chozo statue holding a powerup. It acquires the other dot (classic power up theme music played faster, comedically) and then jumps on one of the walls, charges up, and shoots the other dot it just got to the other wall (killing a Zoomer) and then it pulls out to reveal the Wii; all done in like 5 seconds. and that startup screen is only for Metroid Prime 3, Mariio's *giggle* startup screen could be completely different and so on and so on.

i could see EA making the usual NFL logo but instead it says Wii in the same font and style as the NFL logo and just really having fun with it.

[Rocky Raccoon]

that fake logo is completely different from the official one that nintendo has released. and in the case of the Wii, the look of the actual logo itself is as important as the spoken name in terms of branding. it's not real, dudes!

[Dark Jaguar]

Let's put it this way. Rather than making a certain claim about it, which means you have to have evidence for it, a sticky position to be in, just do what I do, say "I see no reason to say that logo is real", that puts the burden of proof on someone saying it is.

Ya know, it's not that I have an issue with this SORT of name, I'm just saying Nintendo should "try again". Even a little change would be better. How about the Nintendo See? That has potential.

[lazyfatbum]

yes... no one said it was real, it's just fun to look at and imagine what Nintendo and other companies are going to do with it.

get ready for the confirmation:

Blowout Madden Wii Interview
EA's senior VP and group studio general manager gives us the full scoop on its revolutionary new football game. Do not miss this interview.
by Matt Casamassina

April 28, 2006 - IGN Wii recently had the chance to talk with EA Canada's senior vice president and group studio general manager, John Schappert, about the company's upcoming version of Madden developed specifically for Nintendo's Wii. Schappert is a self-admitted Nintendo fanboy who commands a lot of respect. After all, he co-founded Tiburon, the developer responsible for EA's Madden franchise. Now Schappert heads up several major studios, including a dedicated group at EA Canada that is devoted to Wii development. We asked Schappert about Madden for Wii, as well as his thoughts on the machine as a whole, in the must-read interview below.

IGN Wii: Fantastic Madden news. We're excited. Now, what is the official name of the game?

John Schappert: To be determined. We all just learned the official name of the Revolution. You know, it's funny, but I think we're still in the process of naming the game.

IGN Wii: Yeah, Wii is certainly a unique console name.

John Schappert: You know, what else would we expect from Nintendo? I mean, it's different. You expect them to do the unexpected. Sure enough, they surprise us with a unique controller and they surprise us with a unique name. They're just a different company and they do certainly breed innovation there.

IGN Wii: Exactly. We're honestly very, very excited about the console and its showing at E3 2006.

John Schappert: Are you? Are you a Nintendo fanboy?

IGN Wii: Yes, indeed.

John Schappert: I'm a Nintendo fanboy, too.

IGN Wii: Fantastic. Well, tell us about the team creating the Wii version of Madden. Also, why isn't traditional developer Tiburon handling the project?

ohn Schappert: The approach we took was this. When we saw Wii for the first time, it was so different and so unique that we thought about how best to handle that. When we first saw the console and saw how unique the pointing device was, we thought about how best to approach the machine. We wanted a team dedicated just to maximizing the u uniqueness and the innovation of the machine and we wanted it to focus just on making Wii software.

The cool thing is, we looked at the franchises we have and the ideas we have for making games and we started focusing on what was unique about the machine, which is the controller, and how these games - specifically Madden - could be revolutionary and stand out. It's great to have one center of excellence, if you will, to make these games. All of the great ideas and learning they get from one game automatically cascades to the other game. All the focus group testing we're getting and the gesture code work we're doing on Madden right now, and the interpretation code - all of that stuff benefits every one of our Wii titles.

IGN Wii: Now when you talk about the Wii team, are you referring to a group of teams at EA Canada?

John Schappert: It's correct to call it a group of teams. Normally, when you think of a franchise at EA, it's a group of teams that work on different platforms, if you will. What's different about this group is that it's a group of teams - collectively a larger group - that works on a single platform, which is Wii. They're working on very disparate titles - Madden being one and there are some others in development - that are, you know, aligned because of the console that they are on.

IGN Wii: How big is this group?

John Schappert: Well, we're really not talking numbers, but it's a good sized group.

IGN Wii: So it's already working on multiple Wii projects?

John Schappert: Yes.

IGN: What'll you have at E3 2006?

John Schappert: Oh, we're showing Madden for Wii. We're pioneering with that because it's always best to have a flagship title and Madden is our flagship title. You know, working through the intricacies of learning the control and everything. So it was appropriate that this be the first title we show as well.

IGN: When did EA get Wii development hardware and how long have you been working on Madden for the system?

John Schappert: We don't talk specifics on when we receive hardware, but I can say that we've been working with the controller… Nintendo announced that controller last year, didn't it?

IGN Wii: Yes.

John Schappert: We've been working with the controller since last year [laughs].

IGN Wii: Okay, sounds great. Let's get into the guts of the game. How will Madden on Wii be different from the other versions for separate platforms?

John Schappert: Well first, it's a separate code base altogether. The great thing is that we have a long-standing heritage of excellent Madden games. We've got great Madden code that plays a great game of football and has a lot of depth. So we can take from that and make sure we're not spending our time saying, "Hey, let's make sure defense is great." We've got a lot to rely on. So our focus has been, how do we make this unique for Wii? How is this game going to be seen as innovative and, if you will, a Wii original? That's what we focused on.
When you first play it, it's completely different. When you go to hike the ball, for instance, as opposed to pressing a button you simply jerk the controller up. Boom, you snap the ball. When you want to pass the ball, you gesture a throwing motion while holding the button down to the intended receiver. When you want to stiff-arm left or right, you juke with the nunchuck controller literally. When you want to kick, you gesture the kick motion.

It's not like we said, "Oh, here's a different controller, how can we kind of finagle Madden on it?" It was, "Hey, here's a completely unique controller that we've never seen before. What's the best way to play Madden on this machine?"

IGN Wii: So you're using the free-hand style pointer. How are you using the nunchuck unit?

John Schappert: Well, it controls how you move your player.

IGN Wii: Does you use the trigger buttons on the nunchuck unit?

John Schappert: You know, the buttons are all still being mapped out. It does use the trigger buttons right now. I don't know how much we'll have locked in for you at E3 because we are still working on the final button layout, but it does use the trigger buttons, and it does use the accelerometer in the nunchuck unit as well for juking.

(I dunno what juking means, but Nintendorks was riight!!!!!)


2 entries found for juking.

juke1 also jook P Pronunciation Key (jk, jk) Southeastern U.S.
n.
A roadside or rural establishment offering liquor, dancing, and often gambling and prostitution. Also called juke house, juke joint.

intr.v. juked, also jooked juk·ing, jook·ing jukes, jooks
To play dance music, especially in a juke.
To dance, especially in a juke or to the music of a jukebox.

[Probably from Gullah juke, joog, disorderly, wicked, of West African origin; akin to Wolof dzug, to live wickedly, and Bambara dzugu, wicked.]
Regional Note: Gullah, the English-based Creole language spoken by people of African ancestry off the coast of Georgia and South Carolina, retains a number of words from the West African languages brought over by slaves. One such word is juke, “bad, wicked, disorderly,” the probable source of the English word juke. Used originally in Florida and then chiefly in the Southeastern states, juke (also appearing in the compound juke joint) was an African-American word meaning a roadside drinking establishment that offers cheap drinks, food, and music for dancing and often doubles as a brothel. “To juke” is to dance, particularly at a juke joint or to the music of a jukebox whose name, no longer regional and having lost the connotation of sleaziness, contains the same word.

juke2 P Pronunciation Key (jk) Football
v. juked, juk·ing, jukes
v. tr.
To deceive or outmaneuver (a defending opponent) by a feint; fake.

v. intr.
To deceive or outmaneuver a defender by a feint.

n.
A feint or fake.


...LMAO wtf? I bet it means 'jerking' YES! Jerking your Wiimote! Jerk your Wii HARD!

IGN Wii: Perfect. Could you just for clarification purposes give us an idea of how a typical play might work using the controllers?

John Schappert: So, you take the controller, jerk it up to snap. Quarterback now has the ball. Your passing icons are now up. Take the wand controller and you'll see that the four directions on its D-Pad represent four of your receivers; the A button is your fifth receiver. Point to one of those receivers that you want to receive the ball and with your hand gesture a throwing motion to pass. Now, the harder you throw, the more that's going to be a bullet pass. The softer and the more you lob a throw, the more that it's going to be a lob. When you receive the ball, you run with the analog stick on the nunchuck and if you want to juke, you use the nunchuck to gesture it. And if you want to stiff-arm, you use the wand.

IGN Wii: Are you going to be using any force-feedback when you're throwing the ball or when you're getting hit, or anything like that?

John Schappert: Yes, we are. I think it's a little early to talk about how. Right now, these are the core mechanics that we've been working on getting them right. And I think you'll see further refinement there, but I think we're pretty happy with how Madden will be experienced on Wii. <--- OH WHAT THE FUCK SAYS I, TOO EARLY TO TALK ABOUT NOW!!!?!?!?! TIS NOT SIMPLE RUMBLE PEOPLE! GET READY!!!! OH GOD ITS GOING TO ROCK!!!!!!


IGN Wii: Some of the Wii games we've seen can be overly sensitive. Do you, as a developer, have the option to set sensitivity? For instance, can you set sensitivity so that players need to make wide, arching gestures to effect on-screen movements? And alternatively, can you set everything so that minimal movement is needed to play titles?

John Schappert: You know, that's up to the programmers. What you're speaking to directly is all of the iteration time that will make Wii games great. That's what we've been spending time on. We've had these motions in the game since early January. You'd pick it up and it wasn't always as receptive as it should be because our algorithms for interpreting the gestures weren't always right. You'd go to juke right and it'd juke left sometimes. That's the stuff that sounds intuitive when I tell you how to play it. It's actually really hard to get that stuff working right. When I picked it up and I throw the ball, it has to interpret that I'm throwing the ball correctly and it may have to interpret that I throw it differently from the way you throw it. That kind of stuff sounds easy, but it's a lot of work to make sure you get it perfect. That's what we've been working on and that's what we're proud of. I think at E3, hopefully, you'll pick it up and you'll say, "Hey, that's pretty cool - it did what I thought it would." Which means that there's a lot of work under the hood to make it do that.

IGN Wii: Are there any instances in the game where you'll need to turn the free-hand style controller on its side? We've heard of other titles doing this.

John Schappert: Right now, we don't have anything like that in the game. Right now we're using it as Nintendo has shown it in all of their demos. Like a wand and a nunchuck, if you will.

IGN Wii: The Wii's controller lends itself to the ability to design and literally draw your own plays in Madden's playbook. Will the title feature this potentially awesome option?

John Schappert: You know, there is a lot of stuff that we're not yet unveiling. I think you're going to get a great glimpse of how Madden is going to play on Wii at E3 2006. But there is so much, like you're alluding to, that we can do with this wand - stuff that wouldn't be easy to do without the controller. All that stuff is right there and we're looking at it and saying, "What can we get done? What's going to be great and let's make sure everything we do will be great." We've got a lot of stuff that we're chewing on and we're not really telling everyone what we're doing just yet, but there are a lot of good ideas and that's certainly one of them.

IGN Wii: Obviously, Wii is not going to have the graphic horsepower of competing next generation consoles. Some developers have called it a "GameCube 1.5" Would you agree with that estimate and how are you maximizing on the graphic capabilities of the machine?

John Schappert: I don't think I would agree with the GameCube 1.5 estimate. I would say that I think the Wii should be evaluated by itself. I think it's a unique device and I think what makes it unique is the controller. As for graphics, we'll be showing Madden in 480p and 16x9 widescreen mode running at 60 frames per second. I think it looks great. I think it looks really good. It's also kind of hard for me to judge any of these machines before they're final. We get updates to all kinds of hardware quite often as the stuff is being revved and it's always getting better. I can tell you that we had a couple of guys from Tiburon come by and they hadn't gotten hands-on with the controller, aside from some demos. They thought Madden for Wii looked stunning and played great. So my answer is that it's a unique system and we're going to maximize our power for it. I think the games are going to look really good.
IGN Wii: You mentioned that Madden runs in progressive-scan and widescreen modes. Is this something you've been encouraged to do by Nintendo or are these visual options you have pursued on your own?

John Schappert: I won't say that Nintendo so much encourages us. Any help we ask for it certainly gives us. That's just something we're doing. It'll still play in 4x3, if you've got a 4x3 television running 480i. But we think 480p and 16x9 will give it the best showing - to see it in widescreen so you can see your five receivers and to see it in 480p.

IGN Wii: When you talk about the engine for Madden Wii, was it developed specifically for Nintendo's system or is it going to be a port of another engine from, say, the Xbox version, with added functionality?

John Schappert: The port word scares me because that's what I'm trying to avoid at all costs. So we're not trying to do is just take a game and getting running on Wii and then just ship it. At the same, what I don't want to do is having us re-inventing football artificial intelligence. We have great AI. We've got brilliant engineers in Florida that continue to refine football AI and physics, so we will continue to harvest that, as we should. The team's focus in this case is, "How are we making this game, which is football, unique for Wii?" That's what all of the focus is on. You alluded to unique features that could be part of the Wii version and there's already unique control. So that's what this team is doing.

No, I don't consider it a port. Publishers who take the port strategy - the "Hey, here's a game. Get it compiling there. Figure out a way to get the controller working." - I don't think people are going to be happy with the results. I can tell you that you can probably get quick results doing that, but to truly make a native Wii game that uses the wand effectively takes an awful lot of time and planning. You know what? You kind of have to rip the games apart and re-do them from a control standpoint, if you will, to make that happen.

IGN Wii: Do you have an online mode planned for the Wii version of Madden?

John Schappert: You know, we've got lots of great online experience and Wii has Wi-Fi built in, so we are certainly planning for online.

IGN Wii: Is this going to be a Wii launch title later this year?

John Schappert: That is our goal.

IGN Wii: Oh, outstanding. We're really glad to hear that. Madden will make an amazing launch game. Now, let's switch focus a little it and speak a bit more broadly about EA's Wii plans. What do you think about the potential of the console to handle first-person shooters and action games?

John Schappert: I think those are some interesting, interesting questions, aren't they? Our approach when looking at the games we want to make for Wii is, first and foremost, will it make a great game on that platform? Taking into account the controller and how unique it is. Interesting enough, I think some games could be perfect for Wii and might offer the best control of any platform. That's the filter we're using and I think it's certainly got some interesting applications for a first-person shooter. That seems like a very nice path to follow.

IGN Wii: EA's got some big first-person shooter franchises.

John Schappert: Yeah, we do, and we're certainly looking at that. But what you're going to find is that the games we're going to make for it we want to make native for Wii. We want people to say, "Hey, maybe I've played a football game before, but this feels like a Wii original."

IGN Wii: Any final words for Wii fans looking forward to E3?

John Schappert: I hope people are happy with what they see at E3 and I'm hope that when you see our game it becomes one of the must-have pieces of software when you have the Wii this fall.

---


I'm just gonna say it, i'm going to have a heart attack and die when E3 hits and Nintendo unveils this thing. ryan you can have all my shoes, stay away from my wife. DJ, you get my library of personal notes on the world, grumbler you can have all my fisting porn, Eden gets the spitoon, N-Man i want you to make sure i'm cremated and then put me in an iced tea and drink me, together we will destroy the asian canadians. ABF you're already borrowing my die-cast chrome vac-u-lock strap on so just take care of it. new guy, you get the benefit of not feeling my penis inside you (unless I add you to messenger before E3 which is still a possibility, in which case you get nothing). Am i ready for E3?


Wii

[A Black Falcon]

http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/punkd/did-n...170381.php

Conspiracy theories about if Wii is an elaborate Nintendo hoax... :)

I think it's probably real, but we won't know for sure until E3.

[Smoke]

Playwithyourwii.com

http://trashtalk.illclan.com/trashTalkAlert01.php

No, really folks, it's Wii. Deal with it.

[Paco]

Paco is king and queen of avatars.

*puts on a tiara and readjusts my junk*

[Rocky Raccoon]

Let's put it this way. Rather than making a certain claim about it, which means you have to have evidence for it, a sticky position to be in, just do what I do, say "I see no reason to say that logo is real", that puts the burden of proof on someone saying it is.

Ya know, it's not that I have an issue with this SORT of name, I'm just saying Nintendo should "try again". Even a little change would be better. How about the Nintendo See? That has potential.

the evidence is that nintendo already showed the real logo which looks nothing like this fake one. they would not have two completely different logos out there. that is enough evidence.

[A Black Falcon]

I won't give up hope...

http://www.joystiq.com/2006/04/29/ninten...a-bad-one/
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/a8854402-d6a1-1...e2340.html
http://www.joystiq.com/2006/04/28/was-ni.../#comments
http://www.forbes.com/2006/04/28/nintend...can08.html

Oh yeah, was anyone looking for a Wii image like this?

http://godamonginsects.com/wii.gif

[lazyfatbum]

good god rocky you thick individual, yes it is most likely fake, but it brought up an interesting point about developers playing with the logo - that's it! drop it, it's dead Jim.

ABF/ Yunno you like it. You like Wii, I like Wii, Wii all like Wii. it's awesome because it's not serious, it's weird, and two i's are cool; the message is simple and effective, it's artsy but not too much plus, more about the meaning of the logo will be revealed at E3. But more importantly, we can all indulge in sophmoric humor until we eventually Wii ourselves to death.*

*at which point Nintendo will rule the universe

[Rocky Raccoon]

lol, i was specifically addressing the question as to whether the logo is fake or not. it's sooooo fake.

[lazyfatbum]

haha, you fail at the internet!

http://www.consolewars.de/news/11680/ani...tony_hawk/

Looks really good! dunno if its real or not, but it sure does look like an engine test.

[Smoke]

http://wiiwillrockyou.ytmnd.com/
http://wiichange.ytmnd.com/
http://stopsayingwii.ytmnd.com/

[cppcrusader]

You know the main reason I don't like this name, besides the fact that it just sounds dumb, is that they chose this name purely to create buzz. Instead of marketing the Revolution base on the merits of the system they decided to change the name to something idiotic and meaningless to get the entire game community talking. Its an underhanded marketing scheme that I would have expected from Sony, but never Nintendo.

And I have yet to talk to a non-gamer that would give it the time of day based on the new name.

[lazyfatbum]

Well not only did they say they would reveal more info about the logo and what it means at E3, but also the marketing campaign as well.

There's a number of people who 'get it' and many do not. At E3 Nintendo should give the did nots a better understanding.

I'll try to explain it:

1.) Revolution is very hard to pronounce for the japanese (some japanese have said it's actually impossible, and it ends up being 're-ra buh shon') the E sound in Japanese actually means 'happy'. The Japanese pronounce Wii as 'ooeee' which translates to a sound you would make when happy. (just as english say "weeeee!")

2.) Nintendo's logo's have always been deep and meaningful - Wii is no different. We know the i's represent controlers, and the word means a united We as in the global wi-fi network, and in that it's for everyone. But more is to be revealed, like what the W means and what the campaign is going to be.

3.) It's not only taking a page from Apple, but also it's looking at all types of products that have invaded our language, Mp3, TiVo, wi-fi, dolby and services like all the misspelled symbolic names such as DirecTV, U-Watch, i-control, etc. No one raises an eyebrow when you're watching Fox news or E!, VH1, etc. it's everywhere, weird names I mean. When crusader and I were in college we worried about our loan from Fannie Mae. TiVo's a great example - most people will not understand what a digital recorder is, but tell them it's a TiVo and they understand, even if its a different product. The salesman will say it's 'like TiVo' because consumers have latched on to that phrase whether they like it or not. And i guarantee you that if you would have asked people ears ago if they would buy a digital recorder called 'TiVo' they would have said no.

4.) speaking of television channels there is actually a channel called WE (stands for women's entertainment) and is made by Lifetime networks. When you're watching WE you hear 'Tonight on WE, exclusive to WE, dont miss We's next episode of whatever" and it sounds completely natural, and even, dare i say it, good. Imagine the context of things - 'First videos of Mario 128! Wiiiiiiii! - third party CEO talks Wii support, describes himself as Wiiner *zing!* - Turok: Snowball in Hell exclusive to Wii! - Wii want Pikmin 3! - Walmart press release suggest Wii has sold out; Houston Wii have a problem." and it's going to work beautifully, puns and all.

5.) Most of the upset around the name comes from fans who dont want to be labled as idiots and they want a name that sounds like death incarnate that sounds as overbearing and ecllectic as competitors, names that make people think of power such as 'XBox 360' which in reality, means absolutely nothing and doesn't even make sense. Revolution brought a sense of power, of overtaking, destroying oppresive regimes or thinking, etc and it only made sense to Nintendo fans who follow the politics of the industry. The same people who wanted to name the GC the Pheonix or the Babylon or other goofey things that give the console a name of uprising and power. But to anyone who hasn't been privy to Nintendo's fall from the number 1 spot or its politics will not attach any meaning to such names and then they become rediculously overpowering and eventually useless. Wii is central, symbolic and it's cute, fun to say. it's inviting "Say Hello to iMac" - 'TiVo will make your life easier!" etc etc. inviting instead of threatening; perfect for going after the 50% of the population of earth that do not play video games, especially since all other the other names have been proven to fail in that area. ever heard a non gameplayer ask for something in the store? 'I Need that Mario Racing for the Play Station 64 thing" - not working. If my dad knows what a TiVo is, he'll remember Wii.

6.) the french and french canadians are making puns about the word Yes. 'Yes i want a yes", while the dutch, germans and nordic territories have no word like Wii so it only means what nintendo is saying to them. london and the UK are having the biggest problem because 'wee' instantly makes UK'rs think of peeing. for americans, it's a word we would use to children or babies about peeing, but in the UK its used in common language. So a definite problem there... you'd think. The UK is well known for having goofey names with goofier syntaxt or context for just about everything and its almost always bathroom humor, so it fits right in. :D i can already see UKers making the 'lets go wii' announcements, but they also use wee in common language to explain small, wich the Wii is. 'It's so Wii! - it's not the size of your Wii that counts!' etc.

Wii is essentially, a side from gaming, becoming a household name and will be a conversation piece. Something that verbally brings people together to have fun with, which is litteraly happening now in what has become arguably the most talked of console in history. If it can achieve the same level of TiVo; Wii already won.

On a side note,

[cppcrusader]

I don't disagree with the fact that its working. I merely take issue with the fact that it's an underhanded marketing technique from a company that, in my memory, never stooped to those levels. While Nintendo might like to use the other products have weird names excuse, it doesn't fly with me. Those other products weren't being marketed with a name that made sense for a year and a half before changing the name.

I do want to see Nintendo back on top, but they should've handled this one like the DS. Which, thanks to innovative games like Brain Age is bringing non-gamers into the fold.

I honestly don't think a big ad campaign or a weird name to generate buzz is what's going to sell this thing. What's going to sell it is the same thing that sold the DS. There was a strong core group of people, both gamers and developers alike, that believed in the system and the new directions that it would be able to take us. Those people talked up the system constantly because they wanted to see it succeed, I was one of those people. Couple that with playing the system at a demo station and that's where the success of the DS came from.

I want to see the Revolution succeed, because its a needed step for the industry. I've just lost some respect for Nintendo though for doing what I thought they were beyond doing.

[Great Rumbler]

They get people interested with an odd and catchy name, then get them to buy the system with the games and new control style. The name really has nothing to do with whether or not most people will buy it.

[A Black Falcon]

4.) speaking of television channels there is actually a channel called WE (stands for women's entertainment) and is made by Lifetime networks. When you're watching WE you hear 'Tonight on WE, exclusive to WE, dont miss We's next episode of whatever" and it sounds completely natural, and even, dare i say it, good. Imagine the context of things - 'First videos of Mario 128! Wiiiiiiii! - third party CEO talks Wii support, describes himself as Wiiner *zing!* - Turok: Snowball in Hell exclusive to Wii! - Wii want Pikmin 3! - Walmart press release suggest Wii has sold out; Houston Wii have a problem." and it's going to work beautifully, puns and all.

Yes, and if they called it the 'We', it'd be okay (well, it'd still be a stupid name, but it wouldn't have this degree of potty humor)... the problem is the double i, I think.

6.) the french and french canadians are making puns about the word Yes. 'Yes i want a yes", while the dutch, germans and nordic territories have no word like Wii so it only means what nintendo is saying to them. london and the UK are having the biggest problem because 'wee' instantly makes UK'rs think of peeing. for americans, it's a word we would use to children or babies about peeing, but in the UK its used in common language. So a definite problem there... you'd think. The UK is well known for having goofey names with goofier syntaxt or context for just about everything and its almost always bathroom humor, so it fits right in. i can already see UKers making the 'lets go wii' announcements, but they also use wee in common language to explain small, wich the Wii is. 'It's so Wii! - it's not the size of your Wii that counts!' etc.

On the mostly UK gaming forum I go to, the Wii thread reached 40 pages, with lots of wii jokes... (that's where those images I posted came from... :))

But I think that it's just a big deal here... just with the additional connotation of 'childish'. EXACTLY the thing Nintendo is trying to get away from.

[Paco]

They get people interested with an odd and catchy name, then get them to buy the system with the games and new control style. The name really has nothing to do with whether or not most people will buy it.

I have three friends who refused to own a Dreamcast on account of the name. They didn't mind playing mine(in fact they had quite a bit of fun with it), but they said they wouldn't own a "gaycast."

[Great Rumbler]

Well, you're friends are retards.

[Paco]

Well, you're friends are retards.

I won't argue that. I haven't spoken to them in several years but I'd say they are still the same, and won't buy a Wii because of the name.

Image isn't everything but it is a deciding factor for some people.

[Great Rumbler]

What Nintendo is trying to is to reach out to play that haven't played games in a long time or at all, like with the DS [although it hasn't been quite as successful outside of Japan, and one of the ways to do that is to come up with a catchy name that makes its way into the mainstream media. It might turn off some people who care more about image than good games though.

[cppcrusader]

Yes, and if they called it the 'We', it'd be okay (well, it'd still be a stupid name, but it wouldn't have this degree of potty humor)... the problem is the double i, I think.

On the mostly UK gaming forum I go to, the Wii thread reached 40 pages, with lots of wii jokes... (that's where those images I posted came from... :))

But I think that it's just a big deal here... just with the additional connotation of 'childish'. EXACTLY the thing Nintendo is trying to get away from.

See that's what doesn't make sense. Nintendo specificly said that they wanted to choose a name that didn't mean anything in any language. So they chose a word that means small and insignificant in Scotland, urine in the US, yes in French, ugh somewhere else (Canada I think), in addition to the fact that it just sounds, as you said, childish and toylike.

[cppcrusader]

Gamasutra has posted a great article with reactions from developers.

http://gamasutra.com/features/20060501/s...d_01.shtml

[A Black Falcon]

See that's what doesn't make sense. Nintendo specificly said that they wanted to choose a name that didn't mean anything in any language. So they chose a word that means small and insignificant in Scotland, urine in the US, yes in French, ugh somewhere else (Canada I think), in addition to the fact that it just sounds, as you said, childish and toylike.

It makes me seriously wonder whether anyone in Nintendo is sane...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Great Rumbler
Well, you're friends are retards.
I won't argue that. I haven't spoken to them in several years but I'd say they are still the same, and won't buy a Wii because of the name.

Image isn't everything but it is a deciding factor for some people.

A lot of people do think that way though, and wasn't the whole point of this console to ATTRACT people who otherwise might not have gotten a Nintendo console, not drive them away? I guess not, if they keep this name...

[lazyfatbum]

haha, i said 'On a side note,' and didn't copy paste the link.

http://revolution.ign.com/articles/704/704020p1.html (just saw this, click and Wii yourself)

and

http://revolution.ign.com/articles/703/703618p1.html 9what i was trying to post earlier, another 'port' to Wii!)

like i said some people get it and some dont. The people who are actually using the name Wii to put Nintendo down and say that the name is a failure are the same people who have been putting down Nintendo since the 64 era. It's like being in school, they'll find any reason to hate something if it's not what the norm percieve as cool (Playstation). They (Nintendo) had to reinvent themselves to the point of shedding off 20 years of dogma to become something completely new to win back the market PLUS go after completely untapped markets. Something as literal and inviting as Family Computer mixed with the symbolism and buzz of Gameboy, people have fun with the name Wii just like they had fun with Google's name, wikipedia's, iPod (ipood!), etc. Which is why those products have those names - to be immeadiately recognizable and completely new without sounding threatening; if the name can make you smile or scratch your head, you just 'fell for' their 'underhanded marketing', if you want to call it that. But there is nothing underhanded about wanting to reinvent your corporation and its products to include a wider demographic that explores untapped possibilities as a video game system that isn't a video game system.

You know the main reason I don't like this name, besides the fact that it just sounds dumb, is that they chose this name purely to create buzz. Instead of marketing the Revolution base on the merits of the system they decided to change the name to something idiotic and meaningless to get the entire game community talking. Its an underhanded marketing scheme that I would have expected from Sony, but never Nintendo.

I don't disagree with the fact that its working. I merely take issue with the fact that it's an underhanded marketing technique from a company that, in my memory, never stooped to those levels. While Nintendo might like to use the other products have weird names excuse, it doesn't fly with me. Those other products weren't being marketed with a name that made sense for a year and a half before changing the name.

I do want to see Nintendo back on top, but they should've handled this one like the DS. Which, thanks to innovative games like Brain Age is bringing non-gamers into the fold.

Wow, i dont even know which direction to interpret this. you think that because Nintendo named the console Wii, they wont make innovative games like Brain Age? The entire point is to make a name that doesn't sound like a typical console to get non-gamers interested in buying Brain Age for Wii. And if you think Nintendo has never tried to create buzz over code names and console names then you have been under a rock for quite some time. And good god, the piss jokes are old, let it die. Also, wee in scotland doesn't mean small and insignificant, it means small and cute. A wee baby, for example. O NOES the scotts will think the Wii is small and cute! Nintendo is d0000md :( You're starting to sound like Stealth (long story).

Paco, either your friends dislike Sega or they're idiots. Now granted, there are many idiots on earth and Nintendo obviously wants them too but a person who wont buy a console because of what it's named is probably, and this is a theory; mentally retarded. Again, there are many people unfortunately who are mentally retarded, and they do have games for 3 and under for their demographic, so maybe they need something more their speed.

Falafel (the only blogger who is actually an insider) has some great things to say about Wii as well as some links to great articles including this one:

-----

In Defense of Wii
Topic: Console Games
Nintendo has named its new system, and it's called Wii. Pronounced 'we'.

You don't need me to tell you that the Internets have exploded. That GAF has slowed to a crawl and isn't even accessible half the time. That 1up's editor blogs are currently almost entirely dedicated to discussing why the name is a major misstep.

I often find myself in the position of having to explain why Nintendo's latest move isn't stupid. Why not -- I'll pick up that task again today. Wii isn't a bad name.

Let me start out by saying that it's not as if I like the name Wii. In fact, as I glance up at the Title: field that I filled in two minutes ago, it looks utterly oxymoronic. Wii doesn't sound like something that's defensible. It isn't the name of a video game system.

And that's where its power lies.

Again: I'm not saying that the particular name choice strikes me as brilliant. But the type of name is really what matters. It's distinctive, it's simple, it's iconic. It's half-word, half-picture. And damn if it's not going to get people talking.

Is it a homophone for a British slang word that means "urine"? Yes. But so is the first-person plural pronoun. If I said, "What are we doing tonight," would you repeat back to me, "What are wee doing tonight? Huh? Huh? Get it?" I would wonder what the hell your problem is, quite frankly.

The French word for "yes" also rhymes with "wee," and indeed this was the subject of much hilarity in French class. When I was in sixth grade. By seventh grade, when we turned thirteen, we were over it. That the Internet in toto is less mature than a group of thirteen-year-olds is not surprising, but neither is it damning to Nintendo's fortunes.

Of course, I expect the Internet to brim over with toilet humor; that is what the Internet is for. But the Internet is not real life. They've already proven this in a variety of ways related to Nintendo product announcements. Remember the almost universal outpouring of disdain following the announcement of the Nintendo DS? Nintendogs?

And look where that got the Internet. Nintendo DS is nothing short of a nationwide cultural phenomenon in Japan. Nintendo pushed hard away from the traditional notion of a video game system and did quite well for their efforts.

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. The positives of Wii will vastly outweigh the negatives.

I do like something about Wii. I like that it is further evidence -- very strong evidence -- that Nintendo has stopped paying lip service to the mainstream and started aggressively pursuing them. You can't run after the mainstream with a ball and chain that reads VIDEO GAMES around your ankle. There needs to be a clean break.

Nintendo is so intent on breaking free from the shackles of traditional notions of "video games" that it is even abandoning its own name.

It's not the "Nintendo Wii." It's the Wii.

Why not stick with Revolution? Because global branding is of paramount importance. The "Genesis/Mega Drive" days are over. One world, one name. And "Revolution" was never going to fly in Japan, where the word is nearly unpronounceable. The end. If it's a shock to anyone, it's only to those who can't imagine a world beyond their tiny corner of it.

In the comments thread of my original news post, Peter B. pointed out quite well why Wii:


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.

Also, while it may sound dumb to us, you know that they focus-tested the hell out of it in all three territories and, at the very least, it’s not completely repellent to those focus groups.

In short: it's not a video game name; that's the whole point; and you can bet that Actual People, as opposed to the Internet, won't have a problem with it.

And Peter, for the record, isn't in love with the name either. But you don't have to like something in order to think it's a good call. Eventually -- possibly by the end of the day -- we'll all be totally used to it.

Still, the core gamers are anxious to be appeased. Not just name-wise, but content-wise. Nintendo's gently patting the Internet on the head and telling them that it will be alright, but all the while they're pushing hard in the opposite direction. Nintendo has decided that if they had to choose, they would choose the vast market of non-gamers and not the smaller market of core gamers.

But this doesn't mean you get left out. PCs are the preferred gaming environment for a certain subsection of core gamers, and indeed they offer the richest, deepest, most detailed game worlds in existence. But PCs are also the current home of the casual gamer, in ever-growing numbers that vastly exceed the dwindling hardcore PC gamer crowd.

If PC makers and software developers had to get together and choose between the casuals and the core, who would they pick?

If you're feeling enraged, picked on, or left out, I highly encourage you -- as I would have encouraged you yesterday -- to go out and buy an Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3. If Nintendo is right, and I think they are, you'll end up with a Wii anyway.

The Internet likes to complain, but they don't call the shots. Nintendo knew the reaction it would get. That's why they unveiled it now, not at E3. At E3, the focus will be back squarely on the games. And they'll still be amazing.

I'm not in love with Wii -- but Wii works.

----

that's pretty much how i feel about it, it's best summed up as Nintendo is dead, long live Nintendo.

[Sacred Jellybean]

I have to admit, the name "Wii" is slowly growing on me. It sounds ridiculous, but it's not THAT horrible. Maybe everyone who hates it will eventually follow suit. Desensitization is inevitable, I'm sure.

[Great Rumbler]

W = World

[A Black Falcon]

http://revolution.ign.com/articles/704/704020p1.html

Metal Slug Collection for Wii? ... Awesome! SNK is great, and I've been pretty unhappy this generation that I haven't been able to buy their games because they've all been on PS2/Xbox (mostly Xbox, because of Sony's anti-2d policy, but PS2 also if you count imports)... :) I want this! Hopefully this is a sign of SNK support... maybe some fighting games? Eventual Neo-Geo games on the Download Service? ... that last one is really unlikely I know, if they're making a collection game, but I can hope... that'd be so awesome...

As for the name, it sounds like a childish joke... it's not so much that I hate it that the image is sends is completely wrong, and the thought of years of Wii jokes... yes, you can make stupid jokes out of every console, but that one's so much easier than any before it... it takes minimal effort for 'lamecube' or the purple lunchbox, or 'PSuX' or something, but 'Wii'? Nope... but the connection between 'Wii' and 'childish' is a very strong one.

[Smoke]

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=97748

[Smoke]

http://dontfearthewiiper.ytmnd.com/

[Smoke]

In our April 28th Wiii brand naming post we mentioned the Welsh use of "w" as a vowel, but what about the way German and other Germanic languages pronouce "w" like the English "v"?

Strategic Name Development

The Nintendo V?

[cppcrusader]

Lazy, that wasn't a pee joke. I'm just pointing out the fact that they failed one of their main objectives in choosing the name. A name that doesn't have any real meaning in any language.

[lazyfatbum]

Dont fear the Wiiper!!!!!! I hope Death Jr. makes it to Wii and I hope that's the title song.

Crusader/ I dig, but people will make whatever connection they want. I think what Nintendo meant is that 'Wii' does not exist in any language. "We" does of course but the actual word Wii does not. and that's another thing, it's W-E. Not wee, but actually even then it works out like what you yell on a roller coaster, just stylized and made in to a brand name which is a pretty sweet idea. It would be like if someone made a brand name called Yahoo or Yeehaw or Whoopee or Yay! or Woo-hoo or Yippee well, you get the idea. :D

[cppcrusader]

Dont fear the Wiiper!!!!!!

I find it rather ironic that this was playing on the radio about an hour or so ago when I went for lunch.

[Paco]

Paco, either your friends dislike Sega or they're idiots. Now granted, there are many idiots on earth and Nintendo obviously wants them too but a person who wont buy a console because of what it's named is probably, and this is a theory; mentally retarded. Again, there are many people unfortunately who are mentally retarded, and they do have games for 3 and under for their demographic, so maybe they need something more their speed.

Nope, they loved their Genesis. Didn't really get in to the Saturn (not many did). Sega kind of fell off the map and then came back with "Dreamcast." Some of their other comments were "it just isn't a cool name" and "they lost their edge." As I said before, they played it and liked it, but Sega did a piss poor job of bringing their fans back, imo.

They're certainly not mentally retarded or idiots. It just wasn't cool.