Slashdot Mirror
Nintendo Revolution Renamed 'Wii'
Retroneous writes "The Nintendo Revolution has had its name changed to the Nintendo Wii." Confirmation on the official Revolution site. Update: 04/27 16:32 GMT by Z : More information available from a Gamasutra article: "New details on the disc format have also been revealed: 'Instead of a tray, a single, innovative, self-loading media bay will play both 12-centimeter optical discs used for the new system as well as Nintendo GameCube discs. Owners will have the option of equipping a small, self-contained attachment to play movies and other DVD content.'"
"Because, it's really not about you or me. It's about Wii."
To quote Irwin Mahatma Fletcher: I R pissed.
Wii not?!
Wii Nintendo, Wii? Gotta say that's a very bad name. It doesn't make me think of video games at all, and opens itself to too many easy jokes (Wii Bother?). Maybe it sounds clever in Japanese, but I think the Revolution was a much better name for the console. But what do I know, I don't have a marketing degree or anything.
Man that's just terrible. The name "Revolution" had a powerful feel behind it, which I think would have been useful in its marketing against the Xbox360 and the PS3. "Wii" sounds diminutive and powerless. I hope they reconsider. Somehow, saying 'Hey I'm going to go out and buy a Wii [we]' just doesn't have the ring of 'I'm going out to buy a Revolution!'.
Maybe it's just mii though...
Nothing to see here
My initial reaction: let the namecalling begin. Wii Nintendo Revolution becomes too easy an acronym. I can't be the only one to think of this.
And it has just dreadful connotations..
I need to go Wii Wii,
ha ha, my wii wii is bigger than yours,
WII the second world war,
W2 time to pay taxes,
this little piggie goes Wii Wii Wii all the way home,
honey, wii need to talk...
... can we, as gamers, keep the name "Revolution" in use? I mean, Nintendo can officially change the name of the system, but they can't force people to actually call it that. I'd feel embarrassed asking for a Nintendo "Wii", but I have no problem buying a "Revolution"... so certainly hope that stores continue to recognize the previous name.
This goes a long way to putting to rest all that crap about Nintendos only being made for kids...
This guy's the limit!
Is it pronounced Yo mutha fucka weeee! or Wheee! (nyeh nyeh nyeh)?
The first thing I though of upon hearing this name was the Gonads and Strife flash animation.
I personally wouldn't vote for this name. It's too odd sounding for a video game system. Their explanation for why they choose this name makes a lot of sense, but they shouldn't have to explain the name to convince people about anything. The system's capabilities should speak for itself, not a name. I guess in the same way I got used to "DS" I'll get used to "Wii".
There was much confiusion between PCI and PCMCIA. What chance does Joe Average stand with Wii vs Wifi?
Engineering is the art of compromise.
I wonder if the offical name for Europe and North America will be different? Much like NES and SNES was the Famicom and SuperFamicon (respectively) in Japan.
Of course, back then, those systems were released in Japan first and the original Japanese names were never used as part of the marketing campaign in other parts of the world.
Wii. Not so Wii. and FREAKIN HUGE.
Just like the marketing guy who coined the "Touching is good..." slogan for the NDS, the guy who came up with this and thought it was clever needs to be a bit more in-touch (pun intended) with American culture.
Just like parents thought twice about buying a product for their child that kept telling you how good it was to "touch", it's going to be hard for self-respecting gamers to ask for a "Wii". And God-help us when the 16-year-old behind the counter at Wal-Mart explains to the nervous parents how the NDS will interface with the Wii, so the product with the catch-phrase "Touching is good" can be used to interface with your..."Wii."
I love Nintendo, and I think the new console is going to rock - but naming it "Wii" is like naming your kid Richard when your last name is Head; you're just gimping them unnecessarily from the start.
AE
It's not an April 1st. Right now, the only explanation I can think of which casts Nintendo as anything other than a bunch of utter muppets is that this is the first half of some multi-staga announcement, in which it's revealed, once the initial furore has died down, that "Wii" is either an acronym for something less stupid, or the start of a longer name. For this reason, I'm holding back right now, for fear of being made to look stupid later.
However, I've commented on Nintendo's decade-old talent for self-destruction before, so it's entirely plausible that this is, in fact, nothing more than a really good example of them shooting themselves square in the foot again.
So does this mean that all the games are going to be appended with Wii? Super Mario Wii, Zelda Wii, Metroid Wii? Or even worse Madden Wii? This has got to be the worst product name since the Kia Smegma.
The days of the digital watch are numbered.
Was it something I said?
Cheers,
Ian
* Q
P.S. If you don't get this note, let me know and I'll write you another.
They could call it the Nintendo crap bucket, doesn't matter. I'm still getting one so I can play all those old Nintendo games.
stuff |
People are overreacting to this. It may be a dumb name, but the majority of the population isn't going to instantly think "wee" and giggle, or worry about jokes on a playground. If anything, it'll get kids talking about it, and all publicity is good publicity. But the whining about the loss of the revolution name is a bit silly, people alternately saying that the masses are sheep for buying marketing while simultaneously talking about how they won't buy it because the name is so silly.
Actual reaction will doubtlessly be in between.
I fully approve of this name, even if it is one 'i' short.
I think "Nintendo Wtf" would have much more universal recognicion than "Nintendo Wii", because "Wtf" is what I think when I see that name.
WTF?
Does it make you happy you're so strange?
It's not that bad. Really.
They clearly state that they intend to bring the video game system from "gamers" to "everyone else." "Everyone else" doesn't want an "X-Box" or a "Playstation" or a "Revolution" or a "Super Whiz-Bang Toy 2010." They want something simple, sophisticated, intuitive, and a little artsy. "Wii" fits the bill for that type of goal.
I don't think the name is going to appeal to the gamer sect at all, but then again the gamer sect doesn't really give a shit about the name - they care about how cool the games are.
Actually the gamers would probably buy any console if it said "Bad Ass Motherfucker" on it, but, barring that...
Seems kind of stupid. Aside from being a way to fleece people for the attachment, there is no reason it shouldn't be able to play DVDs out of the box.
You are right, about the code name thing... what I'm not sure about is how good it is to build up a brand idea around a name, such as revolution (or Longhorn for that matter), and then change it to something stupid sounding that people will feel silly saying, Vista/Wii (which I'm sure they must know is pronounced the same as the word for piss), and that people don't really know or associate with the product... shooting ones self in the foot, methinks
*''I can't believe it's not a hyperlink.''
Nintendo while not number one has been having constent profit, and has had one quarter in company history that was not profitable. This was causing by the extra investments and the USD taking a dive in value. But over 100 years of profit looks good.
Microsoft while a rich company does not have limitless funding. Shareholders will eventually get upset with all the money being pissed away. While it remains to be seen what happens this generation, I'd be extremely suprised if Microsoft killed off both Sony and Nintendo. Hell it will be surprising if the Xbox360 turns a profit 1/2 through it's life cycle.
"I can't wait to get home and play with my Wii!"
"Want to come over and play with my Wii?"
"Will this run on my Wii?"
I'm sorry, but I can't find the right way to incorprate the Wii into conversation.
I'm against picketing, but I don't know how to show it.
Kudos to Nintendo for getting their stupidity out of their sytem early, and in a manner which won't affect the machines performance.
If brevity is the soul of wit, then how does one explain Twitter?
Because Nintendo doesn't want them to use it that way. Because no one actually uses their system for that, since they all have DVD players. Because people who don't want to use the system for that don't want to pay extra for a useless feature.
The list goes on and on.
wii are not amused. It's going to cause all sorts of havoc asking for it.
Me: Can I have a 'wii' please?
Irish counter guy: A wee bit of what lad?
Me: No, a wii. 'Wii you've heard of it, right?
Irish guy: There'll be no sort of that behavior in this store sonny!
Seriously, that's the dumbest product name EVER.
I have a feeling that it's not going to last. In Japan, maybe "Wii" doesn't sound ridiculous, but in English-speaking countries, it sounds stupid. I'm sure Nintendo of America is having a nice long talk with Nintendo of Japan right now.
Well, at least they didn't name it "Monday".
Admittedly, Wii does sound strange (and alot like 'weeeeeeeeeeeeee' :) ), but it also has something that makes one wonder what this 'wee-thing you just talked about' is.
Off record: If the Wii's can connect to eachother, would it be a 'wiiwii' ? And would I be in trouble if I told people I'm off playing with my friends and our WiiWii's ?
*cough* I'm sorry.
Please? I don't care if you have to lie.
Yeah pretty much..umm Wii? Does this mean someting in Japansese? Is this its tittle in Japan? Because if it is the American Name then American are going to call the Wii the Gay Revolution.
A Good Troll is better than a Bad Human.
Perhaps the pronunciation will be regionalised. In Japan it will be pronounced 'Wee'. In most of Europe it will be pronounced 'Why'. In the US it will be pronounced 'Why? Dear Lord, Nintendo, why?' Only in Newcastle will it be pronounced 'Why-eye'.
++ Say to Elrond "Hello.".
Elrond says "No.". Elrond gives you some lunch.
decade-old talent for self-destruction
????
I fail to see how nintendo can be talented at self-destruction if they've been doing it for a decade.
I mean, I have no inherent abilities at self-destruction, but give me free reign at Nintendo & I'll run the company into the ground in less then a month.
There are shills on slashdot. Apparently, I'm one of them.
We are the systems that say "Wii!" Now I demand you bring me.....a mushroom!
"All you have to do is be fragile and grateful. So stay the underdog." Chuck Palahniuk, Choke
Call it the 'N Wii' instead of the 'Nintendo Wii' and it doesn't sound so bad.
Jumpstart the tartan drive.
I'd buy it even if it were called "OMG PONIES!"
Seriously though, if your buy/don't buy decision revolves around the name of the console (as opposed to the games, or even just shiney specs), then you're not the target audience. You don't broaden the game-buying audience by being all 1337, you instead make it approachable by people who are currently put off by exactly that kind of attitude.
If they were trying to be badass and edgy, they'd probably call it "Xbox" or something.
Why are you looking for validation of your masculinity in your video game purchases to begin with?
The "wii" sound is uncommon in Japanese; it doesn't mean anything.
How come I cannot type katakana into slashdot comments? It just deletes it.
Wii hates it, wii hates it, wii hates it for ever!
Circumcision is child abuse.
I really, really hope I'm reading this wrong, but my understanding of this statement is that the Revolution will have an external DVD player?
No chip I just pop in the back to enable DVD functionality. No special remote to use DVD functionality. No, it's an entirely seperate unit that you plug into the Revoltuion.
Why the fuck even bother with that? You can get small-as-hell DVD players now for about $40 at your local Target (which will probably be cheaper than the Revolution add on.)
Did Nintendo just take one huge shit of bad ideas and release them all on one day, or did they take small shits progressively and just hold off on flushing them all?
Nintendo, you're working backwards! PLEASE STOP!
Something tells me this is going to get ugly. Just off the top of my head:
1) Shopper: "Hi. I see these are on sale. I would like to take a Wii."
2) Son, you've been playing with your Wii all day on that tiny monitor -- give it a rest or you'll go blind.
3) Headline: Wii usage linked to possible repetitive stress injury?
BTW, Is a cluster of these called a Wii-Wii?
Surely there are more jokes to be had... your turn, Slashdotters.
Shareholders will eventually get upset with all the money being pissed away.
Don't you mean Wii-Wii'ed away?
"Wii are not amused"
Did you get that thing I sent ya?
Oh, I fully accept the kiddy aspects of my Magical Purple Lunchbox of Joy (aka GameCube). Real adults actually like being kids again. The denial aspect is instead for the competition, which is actually marketed to teenagers, i. e. mental juveniles that are trying hard to look more "mature" and "adult."
If you're buying video games to support your personal image, aside from being a lost cause, it suggests you're not all that interested in games to begin with.
I don't think the reason DVD playback was left out was because of difficulty to implement, I think they probably didn't want to pay the license fees and raise the price. Not everyone needs another DVD player, and people who already have one don't want to pay for another one.
Ignorance is not linguistic drift.
My contribution
The short answer is no.
The longer answer is that Japanese obsoleted the "wi" sound many years ago, and the most common way of making similar sounds in loan words and sound effects is to use the two characters "u-i" instead. As there are no suriving Japanese words that start with "wi," unless there's some ancient meaning that only a classical language scholar would recognize, this is just nothing but a sound effect word, like "Wheee!"
Oh. I just saw the bit about asking us to lie. Hmmm....
Yes, "wii" is the way that nobles in the Sendai region used to say "ii" or "good." The use of ancient Sendai dialect evokes images of both the area's Tanabata festival and the legendary samurai Date Masamune. It is the spirit of big, brightly pastel colored floats and badass, one-eyed, moon-helmetted warlords that Nintendo seeks to evoke.
If it's for-profit but free, you're not the customer -- you're the product (e.g., the Slashdot Beta's "audience").
Judging by the price of consoles, they'll demand a little more than a shrubbery...
The Knights who say Wii demand... a sacrifice!
Windows isn't the answer... it's the question. NO is the answer!
Why doesn't someone who can speak more eloquent than I start up a petition?
It's when a ninja is wailing on his guitar really hard.
They call me the wookie man, I guess that's what I am
Only if you somehow ran Be on your Wi, or perhaps coded something in C. (i know, i know.)
If Jesus wants me it knows where to find me.
Do you have any resources to back that up?
I recently bought a BetaMax player and entire collection of 10 tapes at a garage sale a couple days ago. I think that means BetaMax is now outselling UMD.
BTW, Is a cluster of these called a Wii-Wii?
Imagine a Beowulf cluster of Wii-wiis!
That said, I'm not sure how I feel about the name, I like Revolution better, but Wii might turn out good/fun too. (And I'm looking forward to getting my hands on that Wii.)
Oh, a million puns and only so little time.
"Live free or don't."
While I didn't know Mr. Head, I did go to school with a Michael Hunt. Went by Mike, naturally.
You're special forces then? That's great! I just love your olympics!
Wii vs. Emacs 360
Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
The fact that GC owners, more than the other two consoles (because the other two have more games), have to buy a second console in order to play most third-party games is a bad thing, yet so many Nintendo fans seem to represent it as a badge of honor. It's not.
Yep, the GameCube is not a good first console. However, it's a great second console. If you already own a PS2, there's not much reason to buy an Xbox, or vice versa. However, the GameCube has its share of great, exclusive games, and it is low priced, which makes it a fantastic second console.
As for third-party support, Nintendo is not going to win by competing with Sony and Microsoft for games that are released for all three platforms. Where they will succeed with games that would only be possible on their new console. Look at the Nintendo DS for examples of that. Nintendogs. Brain Age. Nintendo is not looking for the "Which version of Burnout 3 should I buy?"market. They're looking for the "this game would not be possible on any other console" market.
My dad's college roommate was Richard Rash. I kid you not.
Well, I can't speak officially, but I think an American company named 'Wang' has bigger problems than a slogan meaning something else in Britain.. Because really, and slogan involving Wang is going to be problematic.
"You're under arrest!"
The other proposed name was the Power Nintendo Entertainment System. But then Nintendo realized they would have millions of children saying "Mommy, can I get a PNES for christmas?"
It's the only way I can justify their explanation:
http://revolution.nintendo.com/
It's like a goofy choice for english wording in the middle of japanese anime, except in the real world.
Hmmm... Pie...
http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/webform.jsp
Give them some negetive feedback, maybe, just maybe, we wont be able to get revolution back, but Maybe they will try to get another.. less absolutely horid name.
(hell, we got farscape back on the air)
Web Developers: Celebrate to our roots! Animated Gifs and Tiled Backgrounds, dont let our history die!
Surely a top-loading CD drive like the Jaguar toilet seat would be more appropriate?
Congratulations, Nintendo. You're up against stiff competition, and we weren't sure you could pull it off; but with a branding decision like this, urine the running for sure. The guy who came up with this name must be a real whizz.
No doubt there will be a shower of solid gold hit software--a veritable golden shower of games. You'll be flush with cash in no time.
GCHQ Quantum Insert installed. If only our tongues were made of glass, how much more careful we would be when we speak
Several points must be made here:
1. In America at least, "wee" is rarely used to talk about going to the bathroom. It's generally "pee."
2. "Wee" is not a term referring to a part of the male anatomy. If your joke requires doubling the name to be funny, then try a different joke.
3. If you think that "wee"is funny, you must have difficulty when people use the first-person-plural pronoun, or when people speak French.
4. Honestly, even grade-schoolers are too old to think that "wee"is funny.
Eight-year-old: "Hee hee...he said 'wee'!"
Another eight-year-old: "Grow up, Billy."
In theory there is no difference between theory and practice.
In practice, however, there is.