Revolution Renamed...

[Vilge Duin]

Revolution renamed Wii

[uPDATE 3] Nintendo announces the console formerly known as the Revolution has a new--and surprising--moniker. Analysts' reactions are mixed.

By Staff, GameSpot

Posted Apr 27, 2006 9:14 am PT

In a surprise announcement this morning, Nintendo revealed the new name of its forthcoming game system: Wii. "As in 'we'," the official statement adds. For the official announcement, visit the Revolution...err...Wii Web site.

After a brief Flash introduction, the site explains Nintendo's move. "While the code-name 'Revolution' expressed our direction, Wii represents the answer. Wii will break down that wall that separates game players from everybody else. Wii will put people more in touch with their games...and each other."

The site goes on to say that Wii should be easy to remember for people around the world, no matter their language, and that it will avoid abbreviation. The "ii" spelling is intended to represent "both the unique controllers and the image of people gathering to play." It may also be worth noting that "ii" means "good" in Japanese.

Nintendo sums up the name change with the following comments. "So that's Wii. But now Nintendo needs you. Because, it's really not about you or me. It's about Wii. And together, Wii will change everything."

Game-industry analysts were swift with their responses. "Looks like a good solid name for Nintendo," said an optimistic Michael Gartenberg, vice president and research director of Jupiter Research. "The key is making sure they follow up with a strong launch campaign to evangelize the new brand and help drive the message forward."

Wedbush Morgan Securities' Michael Pachter was more mixed in his assessment. "My initial reaction, of course, is that the name is dumb," he bluntly stated. "However, upon reflection, I thought that the name Game Boy was dumb, REALLY thought that the name Xbox was dumb, and can't even recall my reaction to PlayStation. Let's face it, devices with cool names like Dreamcast and Gizmondo fail, and the lame names seem to do well."

Colin Sebastian, Lazard Capital Markets' senior research analyst for Internet and interactive entertainment, displayed Vulcan-like logic responding to the Wii revelation. "The success of the console will have much more to do with the quality of the games and the gameplay," he said. "Nintendo probably believes they've found a name that can stick with consumers. Revolution was catchy, but given similarities with the Xbox 360 name, perhaps Nintendo felt they had to make a change."

[SeanDMan]

Wii will break down that wall that separates game players from everybody else. Wii will put people more in touch with their games...and each other.

The fuck it will. I've been promised that a modem was coming since the N64. Nintendo is so fucking far behind purring people in touch with each other through games you could get a years amusement from rereading this statement. It's a nice idea, five years too late.

[Scott McFly]

"Do you wanna come round to my place and play some Xbox?"

"Yeah, sure"

"Do you wanna come round to my place and play some Playstation?"

"Yeah, sounds great"

"Do you wanna come round to my place and play some Wii?"

"...what?"

I know the proof is in the games and it should be judged on the experience of playing the console, but that really is a dumb name. I don't care if "ii" means "good" in Japan, over here "ii" is pronounced "ee" and placed with the "w" it sounds like slang for piss. Don't get me wrong, everything about the console sounds great, but Revolution was a decent name - it got across the idea of the new controller and the virtual console being things never seen in a console before, but Wii just sounds crap. Bad move IMO.

[PkmnTrainerJ]

Wii is an odd name, but still can't wait for it.

[Sparko]

That is such a ridiculous name. They should have just called it Revolution. I'm looking forward to playing it, but still, what in god's name are they thinking?

[Darloboy]

Wii?

They're taking the piss.

[GoGo Yubari]

... *Siiiigh.* So I'm just going to ignore them and call it the Revolution. Forever.

[LL!]

... *Siiiigh.* So I'm just going to ignore them and call it the Revolution. Forever.

That's what I was thinking.

God, I hate you Nintendo...

[SeanDMan]

And another thing, since when is Nintendo Revolution close to X-Box 360?

[Scott McFly]

I think they're connecting 360 as a full circle to revolution, as in a revolution of going from the start back round to the start again.

...I think. Which is the most tenuous link I've ever heard.

[Mortis]

I can't wait for a thousand sexual innuendos about touching Wii, etc.

Crappiest console name ever, it's so crappy, that it may just end up being good.

Ehh, I don't think so, but it's possible we'll understand once we play. If the system just pure out rocks, it won't matter. Well.. it's not generic anymore... at least.. right?!

[Scott McFly]

I wouldn't say Revolution sounded generic at all. It sounded powerful, it made the console sound like something to stand up and take notice of. Now it just sounds like a small, crappy PDA or something.

And I'm sure some people can already say this, but would you like to say you've had a Wii under your TV?

[Buford Ripley]

Ech, that name was probably devised so that they could use cheesey puns.

[Colly]

Any of you wanna come round and play with my Wii?

[Spee]

1. Who's to say that it'll be called that outside Japan? The Sega Mega Drive was called Genesis in America, for example. It doesn't state for definite that it will be named 'Wii' outside Japan; I'm sure they're well aware of its phonetic semantics in English.

2. It's only a name, a bad one yes, but only a name; personally I don't let the name of a product affect me buying it. Which I will with this anyway.

Edited April 27, 2006 by Spee

[Cactus Drags]

The site goes on to say that Wii should be easy to remember for people around the world, no matter their language, and that it will avoid abbreviation.

[Quom]

2. It's only a name, a bad one yes, but only a name; personally I don't let the name of a product affect me buying it. Which I will with this anyway.

[gunnar hendershow]

This went from the best name ever for a console to the worst name ever for a console. That said, it's only a game. And though it won't be a great marketing tool, it won't affect their games at all which is what it really comes down to.

[zero]

There is no doubt about it, Nintendo is run by inmates of an insane asylum. What the fuck are they thinking? You can't market a system with a pronoun that describes a group of people... that just doesn't make sense.

[oldskool]

The part I found most interesting:

Wedbush Morgan Securities' Michael Pachter was more mixed in his assessment. "My initial reaction, of course, is that the name is dumb," he bluntly stated. "However, upon reflection, I thought that the name Game Boy was dumb, REALLY thought that the name Xbox was dumb, and can't even recall my reaction to PlayStation. Let's face it, devices with cool names like Dreamcast and Gizmondo fail, and the lame names seem to do well."