Topic: Switch is actually a good name

[ThePerm]

After consoles like Wii and Wii U and Gamecube we finally have a console with an appealing name.
I did like Gamecube though, but I remember there were some negative nancies back in the day.

[Mop it up]

Depends on what you mean by "good."

The name itself is boring, but it also isn't confusing and doesn't really need to be explained, so it should be good for the mainstream market. And enthusiasts like us won't let a boring or lame name stop us from buying it.

[MagicCow64]

Yeah, they had to reverse course after the abstraction corner they painted themselves into with Wii U. I don't particularly like Switch, but it's clear at makes sense. Doesn't really sound much like a game console, but it isn't outright stupid like Xbox One.

[supermario2k]

I like it, its easy to say, it isn't confusing and it isn't a made up word you can mistake for something childish. I guess switch can have a different meaning to some children depending on what part of the country you grew up in. Hmm... Maybe it's not such a good name after all.

[Phil]

Conveys the switching between home and handheld really nicely. I like the name.

[Stogi]

I think it's the best word in that "genre", for sure. Nintendo Swap/transform/change/replace. None of those get the point across immediately. I have to give it to marketing, they did a good job.

Best part though, is how drab the name really is. Mop it Up is absolutely right when calling it boring. It is. So once again, we might refer to our console by calling it the more interesting of the two names: Nintendo.

So "Hey that's that new Switch" becomes "Hey that's that new Nintendo."

[ejamer]

I was just going to say "we'll call it 'Nintendo' regardless of what the given name is"... but Stogi beat me to it.

[TOPHATANT123]

Yeah it's nothing dumb or any crazy marketing buzz word, but like do I say "Wanna come play the Switch" or "Wanna come and play Switch". Also what's the abbreviation going to be; NS? Or perhaps SW?

It's miles better than Wii U, but I'd say not as good as Wii.

[Oedo]

It's a fine name from a marketing standpoint and we'll naturally start associating it more with a gaming console as time goes on, but I'm kinda hoping someone comes up with a better sounding portmanteau we can use (or NS catches on).

[King of Twitch]

Switches get b----es. 10/10

[Order.RSS]

Really hope they'll license this Will Smith jam for a commercial.
[youtube]http://youtu.be/uzUozo1628U[/youtube]

[Adrock]

Depends on what you mean by "good."

The name itself is boring, but it also isn't confusing and doesn't really need to be explained, so it should be good for the mainstream market. And enthusiasts like us won't let a boring or lame name stop us from buying it.

I've been saying for years that Nintendo just needs a boring name. It's just what we call it so there's no need to get cheeky with it. Nintendo made a habit of having a weird, pretentious philosophy behind its product names. What especially works about "Switch" is that the philosophy is actually self-explanatory. The player is switching from home to mobile on a whim. For Nintendo, it is not only switching back to the basics after 12 years of dual screens and motion controls but also changing how it has done business for nearly 30 years. Once the 3DS well dries up (which should be within the next year), Nintendo will have one hardware product line for the first time since 1989.

Nintendo did all that in a three minute video devoid of self-aggrandizing about how fucking clever it thinks the name is. Maybe that comes later. Right now, I think Nintendo did it right with the reveal.

[Soren]

[Spak-Spang]

From a marketing standpoint Nintendo Switch is brilliant.  It describes the product it is unique.  It can easily be remembered...and you kinda have "Let's switch." Be a slogan and catch phrase.

What do you want to do?  Hey Let's switch.

Hey can I watch TV?  Sure just a second let me Switch.

Hey can I play too?  Sure just let me switch. 

Actually, Let's Switch is a brilliant marketing slogan.

[Lemonade]

Switch is better than Wii U, but I would have preferred NX.

[Spak-Spang]

Nintendo NX doesn't tell you anything.  It isn't fun it's just cool.  I am tired of picking things for the perceived image of being cool.  Microsoft tried that with Xbox 360 and that is actually a pretty dumb name, but its "cool."  Same with Xbox One. 

Sony is consistently boring, but at least you know exactly what you are getting with PS4, 3, 2, PS. 

Nintendo has not had the best record of names, but honestly there record is better than anyone else in the industry.  Super Nintendo, Gamecube, Wii, Gameboy, Switch.  These are all good names.  Are they cool?  No...but they are marketable and memorable.
 

[ThePerm]

Some people have been calling it

NS

[supermario2k]

With the exception of Wii being a good name, I agree with most of what Spak said. Wii was a terrible name, there was so much back lash over it and people died because of stupid promotions early on because of that stupid name and the typical idiotic nature of humanity.

Wii U was the dumbest name they ever came up with.

All those other names were alright. But Nintendo did have a cool name with Ultra 64 and decided to change it to simply Nintendo 64 because their ego was bruised and they needed their name in the console. Game Cube was technically, to Nintendo the GCN because they needed the N in the name. Wii was an anomaly but it worked despite that bad name.

I like the name Switch, it's easy to say and isn't easily mistaken for something else.

[Stogi]

youtube

Is that a clave? Woodblock? It's perfect, either way.

[lolmonade]

I was kind of hoping the Rumor of "Nintendo Duo" being the name, my gut reaction to Switch was "ok, I guess".  But then they played the trailer, and did an AWESOME job showing off between the click sound and all the applications how the Switch will be just so intuitive.

[Soren]

youtube

Is that a clave? Woodblock? It's perfect, either way.

I'm on #TeamWoodBlocks

[KeyBilly]

It sounds like a mop that also scrubs.  It is one of those generic product names that appears everywhere.  But, it works from a general marketing standpoint.

I do like the acronym (NS), which is close to NES.

[The Lucky Moose]

Wii was good name. Switch is a good name. The sound is effect is the brilliant part though.

[Ian Sane]

I'm pretty neutral on the name.  It is not embarrassing or stupid in any way and that's a big plus.  It sounds a little strange to say "the Switch" and be referring to a videogame system but maybe I haven't gotten used to it.  I have literally had only one conversation about it thus far.

One thing that is a kind of sucky about it is that's a pretty long name to type despite being only one syllable.  PS4 and XB1 are nice and short.  Quick and easy for social media, blogs, forums, texting.  I hope NS does catch on because of that.

I think there is good slogan potential here.  "Make the Switch", "Switch it up", "With the Flick of a Switch" - this is easy stuff.

[Stratos]

I do like the acronym (NS), which is close to NES.

Heh, the Nintendo Entertainment Switch.


In my line of work, there are facilities known as Switches (Mobile Switching Stations) where telecommunications data is routed and transferred and calls are connected. Kind of a niche meaning to a general market, but feels like an applicable meaning here.