"Revolution" officially named

[Anya 0]

Google, Yahoo, ect. are silly but they're not common words and they don't remind you of baby talk. A simple and fun name like those would make sense. Wii is just too out there. We is a word we use all the time. It's never going to feel right using it in a sentence. The spelling makes pronouncing it confusing. The explination about it representing the controllers people coming together sounds like something they just made up after already deciding the name. It's hokey and contrived. I don't believe they came up with this name because they wanted to symbolize anything, it feels like they came up with a weird name and spell it like that just for the sake of being different.

 

It's ok as a logo and text.....it's stupid when you say it. Having the name be similar to a word like "we" is just awkward.

 

 

 

I also don't think a name like this will do anything to get these mythical "non gamers" to suddenly buy a console. Gaming is bigger and better than it has ever been before. The status quo has made it mainstream. I do not think there are millions of people out there who will suddenly want to play games because of a simple name and controls. The whole idea of middle aged women and grand parents playing games because of the wand is just nonsense. These people that don't care about games do not think they are too complex or whatever.....they just don't care about games period. A memorable name or gimmick controller is not going to make them start playing. I am convined that in 5 years the gaming world will be.....exactly the same. The big audience will be young men. The latest GTA and Madden will sell millions more than any of Nintendo's innovative games.

[Use Your Illusion 0]

I hope they call their controller the 'Wiimote'.

 

Oh, you know you want it.

[AndrewTS 0]

So...

 

What was so bad about "Revolution" again?

 

Simply, it doesn't work for Japan, and is relatively long and clunky when you try to translate it. It can't even be pronounced by most native Japanese speakers.

 

Wii doesn't really mean anything, but it's something distinctive.

 

For English-speakers, it's all about bad puns and bathroom humor, though.

 

And as Anya says, the name by itself has to be put in a very specific context for anyone to get what you're talking about. You'd have to say "Nintendo Wii" when you should be able to just say the name of the console.

 

Nintendo Nova would be better.

[Use Your Illusion 0]

Weren't they going to use 'Nintendo Go'? That means five in Japanese and is catchy enough for Western markets.

[AndrewTS 0]

Weren't they going to use 'Nintendo Go'? That means five in Japanese and is catchy enough for Western markets.

 

I was expecting something 1 syllable ever since I heard the rumor about the "Go" name

 

Yeah.

 

It would still get bathroom jokes, but it wasn't be as common or easy.

 

It sounds more for a portable system, which it is in a sense.

[Guest Ronixis]

Well, I want to laugh. But i feel like damn...come on even 4Kids can get a better name for this! Nova is a great name! How about 5ive? Or UNES?

 

BUT THE Wii? This smacks of trying to put a google with an Ipod.

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

Well Nintendo is pushing "Wii" as a simple word without a language barrier, and that sounds neat so run with it. Most people will probably just call it "the Nintendo" anyway, and when you consider the fact they are pushing the fact you can download Nintendo (as in NES) games for the system, you have to wonder if that's some sort of master plan they have in the back of their minds. "Give the system a name people in America won't like so they refer to it as "The Nintendo" like it's the 80s". Probably not...

[ragingfear79 0]

Wtf, seriously....

[bobobrazil1984 0]

this sounds like a Japanese move. The kind of thing they'll go crazy for but americans will just go WTF?

 

I s'pose it stands out. Playstation 3. XBox360. Wii.

 

...........

 

lol. So much for appealing to the college age "cool trendy" segment of the market.

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

People weren't exactly crazy about the Xbox 360 moniker, either (as best I can recall... maybe it was just me).

 

As long as it plays good games, they could call it Wazoo 64 for all I care (though an awesome name would be nice...).

[Star Ocean 3 0]

I doubt they could copyright Revolution...

 

What about "Nintendo Revolution"

 

Revolution isn't any harder to pronounce for a Japanese than Playstation is. They've dealt with tougher English words.

[ChrisMWaters 0]

How many people thought "Game Boy" was a good name when it first came out?

[ZGangsta 0]

Ok, when I first saw the controllers I thought "WTF, is Nintendo TRYING to kill themselves." Then I read about them and gave it some time and now I think they're awesome. So I decided to do the research and give it some time before I let myself have an opinion on this name. One day later, I still think it's fucking stupid.

First off, the pronunciation is ambiguous. It could be "why" or "wee." Then I read that it's "wee," which is just dumb. I mean if you pronounce it like a 'y' at least that has some meaning, even if it's a bastardized spelling. It could refer to the Wifi capabilities of the system, and there's some technical connotation there (there a 'wye connection' in electronic circuits). "Wee" is the sound a toddler makes while riding their big wheel.

And Nintendo keeps justifying it by referencing iPod, Xbox, Google, and Game Boy, as weird names that got recognition.

Well, google is a number and pod, box, game, and boy are all real words. Wii is not a real word.

I see what they're going for with the whole 'One word for all languages,' but for the english world it's a failure.

 

Whatever though, I'm still buying one. I'll just keep calling it the Revolution.

 

 

Edit: One thing I have read a few places that I agree with is the fact that Nintendo had go put out a press release explaining and justifying the name, is not a good sign for the name. They claim that it means all these symbolic things, but you don't get that from looking at the name. When I fist saw this I didn't think "Oh two i's, two controllers. Oh yeah, and wii, like 'we.' Synergy and inclusivness." I thought "How the fuck do I pronounce that."

A good brand name should not need its meanings explained.

[Astro7x 0]

You'll get use to the name. You will also own one in your home.

 

Nintendo has you talking about a fucking name, Bravo Nintendo!

[Guest Fook]

What's going to happen when they try to name their games after the system (which they always do)?

 

"Mario Wii" sounds a lot worse than "Mario Revolution".

[bobobrazil1984 0]

Apple just announced that their next music player will be called the The. The Apple The. I mean Thii.

 

I'm gonna listen to my the every day on the subway.

[Sideburnious 0]

I dunno, i'd say it will have a surprising amount of sales from all the stoner kids.

 

"Psshhhhh, I'm so high! Weeeeeeeeee bwahahahahah weeeeeee. Dude, lets go buy a nintendo weeeeee. It'll be awesome!"

 

 

They'll shift half their systems at 3 in the morning.

[Team Angle Pusher 0]

The name is shit no matter how you put it. "I'd like to have a Wii please" "Down the hallway to the left". It's so stupid, the guys at Nintendo are senile.

[dubq 0]

Oh, the Wildlife Institute of India is going to have a field day with this one.

[Slayer 0]

Simply, it doesn't work for Japan, and is relatively long and clunky when you try to translate it. It can't even be pronounced by most native Japanese speakers.

That's their fault for sticking extra vowels in English words

[CBright7831 0]

Blast!

 

Where's that Patrick Bateman photo when you need it?

 

Oh well, I guess this will have to work.

[AndrewTS 0]

I'm disappointed nobody picked up on my reference in my reply to JST.

 

There's like 5 different jokes buried in there. NOBODY could get one of them?

[The Amazing Rando 0]

They should have called it "Sonic Death Monkey"

[ChrisMWaters 0]

They should have called it "Sonic Death Monkey"

That's being saved for the M-Rated Sonic/Super Monkey Ball crossover.

[LaParkaYourCar 0]

So...

 

What was so bad about "Revolution" again?

 

Simply, it doesn't work for Japan, and is relatively long and clunky when you try to translate it. It can't even be pronounced by most native Japanese speakers.

 

Wii doesn't really mean anything, but it's something distinctive.

 

For English-speakers, it's all about bad puns and bathroom humor, though.

 

And as Anya says, the name by itself has to be put in a very specific context for anyone to get what you're talking about. You'd have to say "Nintendo Wii" when you should be able to just say the name of the console.

 

Nintendo Nova would be better.

 

Yeah but then you run into the same problem the Chevy Nova had. In Spanish "No Va" means "No Go".

 

"Hey this system doesn't go....maybe it's broke."

[AndrewTS 0]

That's a complete myth, actually. Read up on your wikipedia.

 

No va =/= Nova.

 

At least somebody finally caught one of the built-in jokes, though.

[Star Ocean 3 0]

You need to work on your delivery, and know your target audience.

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

I have no idea what jokes are going on. A JST is what now?

[Slayer 0]

Andy is really grasping at straws with this one

[Ravenbomb 0]

so, is it just the "Wii" or is it the "Nintendo Wii"? Cause I keep hearing that it's just "Wii"