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Developers React To 'Wii'
Gamasutra has reactions from game developers to the announcement of the Revolution's new commercial name, 'Wii'. From the article: "It doesn't change my personal opinions of the console in the slightest. It changes my opinion of the Nintendo marketing department considerably. Did they even bother to research this? Why do they do these things? What was wrong with 'Revolution'? It's bad enough that the Japanese have a drink called "Sweat," but at least they don't try to export it to the English-speaking world with that name. Am I supposed to be happy about having to go down to the game store to purchase the 'Nintendo Wee'? For God's sake, where was Miyamoto? I can't believe he would have let this get by. - Ernest Adams"
The funny thing is, Engelbert Humperdinck is a stage name! The singer's given name is Arnold Dorsey. (Eddie Izzard taught me that.) He chose a silly-sounding name and had a successful career . . . perhaps Nintendo's new console will have similar fortune.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engelbert_Humperdinck _(singer)
their primary market won't want to own one
"Hardcore" gamers and geeks aren't their primary market anymore, the're going for the casual gamer market in a big way, gamers are now a secondary market. People like me, who just like to play Tetris DS, or Mario Cart for an our or so, will be their main focus. seeing how Nintendogs and Animal Crossing etc. did, it seems that the're hitting that market almost perfectly.
If I have nothing to hide, you have no reason to search me
You do know that Prince renamed himself because his record label owned the name "Prince" and he decided to split with them? He had to rename himself something, so an unpronouncable name that was spoken as "The Artist Formerly Known As Prince" is a good way as any to deal with legal bullshit like that.
Like it or not, someone obviously ignored the fact that "Wii" is a homonym for "wee", which is synonymous in the English langue for uriniation, as in "I gotta go to the bath room and go wee-wee".
Really, what is a *primary* market for this in North America? Young, adolescent boys.
I just have a hard time seeing one of these kids saying, "Want to come over and play with my Wii?"
Perhaps they were being smart: "Wii" -> "We" or "Whee!"
Either way, which one is going to be an easier sell? Playstation or Wii?
Time will tell.
We = Us, our
Wee = Small, tiny
Whee = Used to express extreme pleasure or enthusiasm (Dictionary.com)
If you think about as meaning any of the above, the Wii isn't that silly of a name. Granted, if you have a puerile mind, it can also be a homonym meaning "pee". With so many words with double-meanings in the English language, you have to take it all in context. As a well-known example, "faggot" can be an offensive term for a homosexual man -- or it can be a bundle of twigs, or a kind of stitch, or a bassoon. A "fag" is a short form for the offensive term, or a cigarette. And you know damn well which one someone means when they ask if you'd give them a fag. When your child asks you to buy them a "wee", you'll know exactly what they're talking about.
One of the major complaints about the Wii name is that it doesn't define what the product actually is. Well, neither do iPod, Dreamcast, frisbee, Dr. Pepper, Lego, Nike... And yet these all are now memorable household names. Words can be created and then given a meaning, not just the other way around.
You are both kind of right. Wikipedia has a good bit on it. A big part of it was to get out of his record contract, but many think he wanted to reduce his audience size too.
h ind_the_name_change
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_(musician)#Be
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