The reaction to the Wii U name seems way out of proportion.
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blog/26718
Going into E3, rumors and speculation regarding Nintendo's next console were all over the place. In addition to technical specs and controller features, one of the hottest topics was what the new system would be named. Everyone seemed to agree that the Project Café codename wouldn't stick, but lots of alternatives were offered with varying degrees of "evidence" to back them up: Nintendo Stream, Nintendo Biim, and just plain Nintendo were just a few possibilities you could find scattered around the Internet.
What we finally got at Tuesday’s Nintendo E3 press conference wasn't among those, however. Instead of moving on from the Wii brand (which, lest we forget, had quite the controversy over its name following its initial reveal), Nintendo announced that the next console would be called Wii U.
And then the Internet exploded.
At the time, I didn't realize how big a deal this was going to be. I was too busy with my staff duties, making sure the news from the event got posted as soon as it happened, to be paying attention to public opinion. I only found out later, when I had time to go back and read the massive forum threads, that this was hugely important to a lot of people.
Let me make this clear: I don't think Wii U is a good name. It's not the direction I would have taken, and I think Nintendo certainly could have done better. But is it really bad enough to warrant the theatrics it has brought? I've seen people dismiss the console based purely on the name. I know someone who actually turned the press conference off entirely upon hearing the name, not bothering to actually see what the console could do. I've seen and heard members of the gaming media, who really should be above this kind of thing, spending far too much time talking about the name of the system, at the expense of discussion about aspects that actually matter.
We need to get past this, people. It's just a name. It has no bearing on the quality of the hardware, or on the experiences it makes possible. A dumb name doesn't have any effect on a game console, which is proven by the fact that most game console names sound pretty dumb, at least the first time you hear them. Over time, though, that goes away. As I mentioned earlier, the Wii brought about even more hyperbolic outrage than the Wii U has, at least so far, and while the system certainly has its faults, I don't think any sane person could blame those on its name.
The Wii U name has been totally blown out of proportion, and we need to stop treating it like it's some kind of major offense. Yes, it seems like it was a mistake, but I'd rather they make their mistakes on something trivial like this than something that will actually affect me when I'm playing it. Hands-on impressions of it have been positive, and developers seem very happy with it. Nintendo did good where it counts, so why don't we cut them a break on something as minor as this is.
Super Wii or bust.
Brand confusion. The name is confusing because it doesn't distinguish itself very much from its predecessor.Didn't stop people who owned the "Nintendo Entertainment System" from buying the "Super Nintendo Entertainment System." Nor Playstation 1, 2, or 3.
Brand confusion. The name is confusing because it doesn't distinguish itself very much from its predecessor.Didn't stop people who owned the "Nintendo Entertainment System" from buying the "Super Nintendo Entertainment System."
New ad campaign: Two Japanese men drive up in a Wii U themed ambulance and announce, "Wii would like to play... with U!" And then they leer creepily.
(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f118/Cericme/WiiAmbulance.png) | Now I wish I had actually started working on that pic of an ambulance racing to the scene of an accident while making the :siren: weeooh :siren: weeooh :siren: weeooh :siren: sound. |
Now I wish I had actually started working on that pic of an ambulance racing to the scene of an accident while making the :siren: weeooh :siren: weeooh :siren: weeooh :siren: sound.(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f118/Cericme/WiiAmbulance.png)
seemed like too much work for a GIMP novice like myself.
I like to put some smoking out the back tires but that's beyond me right this sec and I really should be working. The Ambulance is from Macross.
You meant the Spinning Sirens? I don't know how to do that off the top of me head and keep the spinning.Now I wish I had actually started working on that pic of an ambulance racing to the scene of an accident while making the :siren: weeooh :siren: weeooh :siren: weeooh :siren: sound.(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f118/Cericme/WiiAmbulance.png)
seemed like too much work for a GIMP novice like myself.
I like to put some smoking out the back tires but that's beyond me right this sec and I really should be working. The Ambulance is from Macross.
if you could replace the sirens with the gifs too, that would be perfect.
I hated the name "Wii" so since this follows the same convention would be make sense for me to hate it as well. I actually think it is awkward to pronounce. "Whee-yoo" does not really roll off the tongue... unless you're Japanese which kind of reveals the likely source of the name to begin with.
I actually think it is awkward to pronounce. "Whee-yoo" does not really roll off the tongue... unless you're Japanese which kind of reveals the likely source of the name to begin with.
Out of laziness, The Wii U - The U
The U sounds fine to me.
Didn't stop people who owned the "Nintendo Entertainment System" from buying the "Super Nintendo Entertainment System." Nor Playstation 1, 2, or 3.I addressed this in other topics. Hardcore gamers won't have a problem distinguishing between the two. Never have and never will. It's everyone else, including and especially casual gamers, that Nintendo should be concerned about.
I've seen and heard members of the gaming media, who really should be above this kind of thing, spending far too much time talking about the name of the system, at the expense of discussion about aspects that actually matter.This kind of thing has been going on for five years now, so I certainly didn't expect it to be any different now.
You meant the Spinning Sirens? I don't know how to do that off the top of me head and keep the spinning.Now I wish I had actually started working on that pic of an ambulance racing to the scene of an accident while making the :siren: weeooh :siren: weeooh :siren: weeooh :siren: sound.(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f118/Cericme/WiiAmbulance.png)
seemed like too much work for a GIMP novice like myself.
I like to put some smoking out the back tires but that's beyond me right this sec and I really should be working. The Ambulance is from Macross.
if you could replace the sirens with the gifs too, that would be perfect.
I am still holding out hope that Nintendo revealed this name just to test the audience and the real name is something more seriuous that will encourage hardcore gamers to buy the system like "Super Wii." When I hear that I think Super Saiyan Goku or something.
Nintendo didn't drop the Game Boy brand after only one generation. It wasn't until they created a handheld that attempted something completely different from what the Game Boy brand was all about that they decided to leave the name behind and create a whole new brand. The Wii U may be a new system, but it is still building on the Wii and Wii controllers are a primary input for it, or at least are for multiplayer games.One could argue that WiiU is completely different by the definition you provided of Gameboy to DS. A the same time, one could argue that DS was just building on the Gameboy with the touch screen and microphone. Point being, it's too difficult to quantify the effect the changes had to each piece of hardware.
One could argue that WiiU is completely different by the definition you provided of Gameboy to DS. At the same time, one could argue that DS was just building on the Gameboy with the touch screen and microphone.The goal with the DS was to expand the market, whereas the goal with the Wii U seems pretty much the same as the goal with the Wii, just a better way to go about it.
... point is, people are having identity issues with WiiU while the same can't be said of 3DS.
"Wii" is a recognizable brand but "Nintendo" is just as if not more recognizable.
That said, had Nintendo called Project Cafe "Nintendo[something]" and not "Wii[something]" we wouldn't be having this conversation right now.
No one said otherwise.That's not what I was getting at. You mentioned that Nintendo has a branding strategy. I agree. Clearly, they do. The problem is that strategy has so far backfired with WiiU. Many people think it's a controller for the Wii, not a new console. There's a good chance people still aren't going to know the difference a year from now (because people are dumb). That strategy has not backfired with with 3DS because....
Yeeeaaaa, but that's still not really how branding works.It is when you name your products "NintendoDS" and "Nintendo3DS." Apple doesn't call their products "Apple iMac" or "Apple iPhone." Nintendo refers to each portable by their full name. The word "Nintendo" is the brand or at least part of it.
Well, we're having this conversation because the current name is stupid =P Not because it has "Wii" in it.It's quite pertinent. The question posed in the topic title is "Is the Name Really That Bad?" I'm arguing that the name is bad because "WiiU" is confusing to a lot of people, not because it sounds stupid. Nintendo could have picked a different but still stupid sounding name which doesn't confuse people. For example, Nintendo could have named it [insert practically any name that doesn't include the word "Wii"] which may sound stupid in a number of ways, but it's not confusing because it's a completely different name. I just used "Nintendo[something]" as the example because, as previously stated, "Nintendo" is a recognizable brand and thus, you'd have a name that is both recognizable and completely different.
Many people think it's a controller for the Wii, not a new console.
But when Wii U – the official name of the new Nintendo machine – made its debut in Los Angeles this morning, the Mario maker left more questions than answers, some of which the company didn’t intend for us to ask:One could argue that Forbes isn't a gaming news outlet, but that's exactly the point. Gamers know the difference, non-gamers may not.
“Is this a new controller for the old Wii?”
“Do I have to purchase a Wii to use Wii U?”
The Wii name doesn't have anything to do with the hardcore crowd ignoring it, it's because the system didn't have the games that they wanted to play. If the Wii U has them, then the hardcore gamers will buy it. They might not ever say the name or come up with ways around it (like saying "I got the new Nintendo system"), but they'll go where the games are. In the end, the name will not matter.
The Wii name doesn't have anything to do with the hardcore crowd ignoring it, it's because the system didn't have the games that they wanted to play. If the Wii U has them, then the hardcore gamers will buy it. They might not ever say the name or come up with ways around it (like saying "I got the new Nintendo system"), but they'll go where the games are. In the end, the name will not matter.
This. If Nintendo releases a console with modern hardware, a (much) better online infrastructure, and strong exclusive software, it really doesn't matter what they call it, people will buy it.
The irony is that those who are crying foul at the Wii U moniker have suggested alternatives that I think are much worse. Super Wii? Ha-ha. Wii Stream? Now you're just being silly.
Do you honestly think the name of the damn thing is prevent sales?
I'm a lot more interested in actual questions being asked by actual consumers, not fake questions being made up by Forbes to represent what they think actual consumers may say.
It will probably be confusing for some for a short time, but I'm not convinced that this is going to cause a long-term problem with long-term effects.
Honestly, yes. It may not be a problem for most people, and it may not be a problem for many people, but it will be a problem for some. I guarantee beyond all doubt that there are some people out there who will refuse to buy this just because of the name alone. I guarantee it. The fact that there are people complaining about it on this very board should be proof enough of that.
C'mon, brotha.(http://i.imgur.com/Jaahx.jpg)