Slashdot Mirror
Both Sides of Wii
Yesterday Nintendo released the official name for their next console. Formerly the Revolution, and now simply called Wii, reaction has been strong among gaming fans. A Brian Crecente article in the Rocky Mountain News looks at why Wii is bad, from a marketing perspective. Chris Kohler, over at Game|Life, looks at why Wii is good because of its iconoclastic nature. And, always happy to help with the irreverent, Games.net examines why Wii is weird. From that article: "We don't think Nintendo Wii is a truly terrible console name, but it's an uncharacteristically risky choice, even for Nintendo. We admire its simplicity and its playfulness (the two i's represent multiplayer action, you see). But on the flip side, parents will have a hard time pronouncing it ("Nintendo...why?") and hardcore gamers will slam it ..."
Although they'd have to name is Nintendo Shitcock for that to be true.
They changed the name of the Playstation 3 back to that marketing term from the PS2. The "Playstation Emotion Engine", or PEE.
Obligatory penny arcade reference...
I wonder if they'll start calling the new controller a Wii-Wii.
?
Sigs are for Terrorists.
I thought it was just a mixed-up Intel VIIV, developed by the same school of marketting.
Next up, AMD's AvA chip, and Sony's PIIIS gaming console.
this just opens the door to soooo many bad puns.
Although Michelle Wie would be a natural celebrity endorser.
Wonder if they'll have a normal version and a deluxe version. You know, the "royal" Wii.
"Waste not one watt!" - CZ
Feel free to add your own
But.. were any of those three territories english speaking? any of them have a gamer population? or for that matter a population of smartasses?
Every chat channel I've joined in today has spent all day making fun of it. Yes, it's good for advertising, but it looks like the general consensus is that most English speaking people are NOT going to go to a game shop and ask to purchase a WII!
I know I sure as hell am NOT going to say to the store clerk "Hi, I'd like to buy that Wii you have there."
What are they going to call the eventual portable version? Mini Wee? Pocket Wii? Wii Wii ??
Will Apple want to have their own branded version? iWii! A portable Apple brand! iWiiWii!
Who's going to have a Wii party? "Dude, let's hook up our Wiis".
"Dude, I am so tired.. I was up all night playing with my Wii."
"John, can I see your Wii?"
At least there is a bright side.
It's not "Wii-NES."
We hopefully won't have a game named "Super Mario Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!"
You can play with your friends, and you can play with your Wii, but don't play with your Friend's Wii.
"Champagne for my real friends - and real pain for my sham friends!" http://ericblade.postalboard.com/
Thats it Nintendo
You Win the Prize!!!
Cheesy Movie Night
whereas the full quote from TFA reads as:
That's quote some selective ellipsing/ellipsissing/ellipsiation going on there.
Slashdot social media options: AIM, ICQ, Yahoo, Jabber and Mobile Text. Why no MySpace?
It's a little old (circa 1999), but Salon's article "The name game" -- a look inside the "identity firms" that come up with so many of the weird names that are floating around these days -- is worth bringing up because it's just so freaking funny.
Read the whole thing, it's worth it.
Read my blog.
"Hello. Do you have any Wiis..." (trails off)
"Any what, sir?
"Wiis" (quietly)
"I'm sorry, sir, I can't hear you."
"Wiis! I wanna Wii" (loudly)
"Washroom's at the back of the store."
Modern copyright is theft of culture from everyone and it retards the progress of the useful arts and sciences.
>>Introducing ... Wii.
... and each other. But you're probably asking: What does the name mean?
>>As in "we."
So the first thing you have to do is explain how your new product name is pronounced? Dud.
>>While the code-name "Revolution" expressed our direction, Wii represents the answer.
Um, you "answer" a question. You don't "answer" a "direction". This doesn't make sense.
>>Wii will break down that wall that separates video game players from everybody else.
No it won't. Humans are tribal. The thing that separates gamers from others is GAMERS. We like it that way.
>>Wii will put people more in touch with their games
No, I wasn't. And saying "thanks for asking" is a sure-fire way to notify everyone under 30 that you're full of shit and trying to sell something.
>>Wii sounds like "we," which emphasizes this console is for everyone.
Only in English, where it also sounds like "small" or "urinate".
>>Wii can easily be remembered by people around the world, no matter what language they speak. No confusion. No need to abbreviate. Just Wii.
Bullshit. Many languages make no distinction between the "w" sound and the "v" sound. Chinese, spoken by 20% of the people on the planet, doesn't have a "we" sound.
>>Wii has a distinctive "ii" spelling that symbolizes both the unique controllers and the image of people gathering to play.
Distinctive?? "ii" means "2" in almost every table of contents I've ever seen. It's as unique as that slightly dissapointed feeling which follows every concrete announcement by Nintendo.
>>>And Wii, as a name and console, *snip marketing bullshit*
This will be the event that finally proves that all publicity is NOT good publicity.
This reminds me of the time when Finnish vacuum cleaner company Electrolux tried to invade the US markets with a slogan "Nothing sucks like Electrolux".
?SYNTAX ERROR
I agree that it is a terrible name. Now if you'll excuse me, I drank too much soda and need to go take a wicked Nintendo.
Yeah. In the Spanish translation, two of Gulliver's destinations were "Lilliput" and "Lilliput." I understand it's very confusing for Spanish schoolchildren.
It was going to be called poo, but then they decided they'd rather be number one.
Who would win this election: Andrew Weiner vs Andrew Weiner's weiner.
Hamlet: Do you think I meant country matters?
Ophelia: I think nothing, m'lord.
Hamlet: That's a fair thought to lie between maids' legs.
Done with slashdot, done with nerds, getting a life.
NINTENDO WRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
twentynine.us