1st May 2006, 4:34 PM
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.
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.
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.
Quote: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.