Nintendo is finally set to release a new, much more powerful console with HD graphics, and many are wondering what kind of technology we might find inside the console, and how it will compare with the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. We’ve heard from developers who have access to the console that the Wii U is “50% more powerful (http://wiiudaily.com/2011/06/wii-u-is-50-more-powerful-than-ps3-and-xbox-360/)” than the Xbox 360 and PS3. We now know that those estimates of 50% are based on the fact that the Wii U is around 50% more powerful on paper, according to information Wii U Daily obtained from a Japanese developer who is currently working on porting a PS3 game to the Wii U. According to the source, the Wii U specs are:
Quad Core, 3 GHz PowerPC-based 45nm CPU, very similar to the Xbox 360 chip.
768 MB of DRAM “embedded” with the CPU, and shared between CPU and GPU
Unknown, 40nm ATI-based GPU
The source also mentions that Nintendo has been testing two versions of the console, one with 768 MB of RAM, and one with 1 GB. The RAM is also made by IBM and is embedded with the processor on the same die/silicon, which results in more bandwidth.
If this is true it really sucks. I was hoping for at least 2GB of Ram at a minimum. The PS3 and 360 have 512mb of RAM, so 768mb really isn't a huge leap forward, and when the xbox420 and PS4 roll out in a year or two they will probably just slaughter the Wii U...
The Wii was 50% more powerful than the GC, so is the Wii U being 50% more powerful than PS360 really such a big deal? Its a huge leap over the Wii though, so that's something, but...
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on December 02, 2011, 07:33:51 PM
I just posted about this in the Rumor thread (yes, I know I'm late, but it is a rumor after all).
But that is 768MB of EMBEDDED DRAM not the regular ram a console would use and certainly not that PC ram people like to compare it to. This would make it ridiculously fast and stupidly expensive.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: Chozo Ghost on December 02, 2011, 07:37:32 PM
I posted it first. You are slacking. :P
Can't it be both the embedded Ram and the total RAM at the same time? Maybe Nintendo decided to do things different this time and have it all embedded, which may be a more efficient (possibly cheaper) way of doing it.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: Ceric on December 02, 2011, 07:44:56 PM
Can't it be both the embedded Ram and the total RAM at the same time? Maybe Nintendo decided to do things different this time and have it all embedded, which may be a more efficient (possibly cheaper) way of doing it.
BnM is just pointing out its an order of magnitude faster to have the ram on the chip. Which would make the amount small on paper but performance wise it really could be great. Though the number of 768 is a very odd number for ram in any flavor. I wouldn't be surprised if that is true they end up going with the 1gig worth because it makes some different things simpler.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on December 02, 2011, 07:51:09 PM
if it was cheaper to embed then everyone would have done it.
and 768 is not an odd number for Ram
128 MB or 1 Gigabit 256 384 512 640 768 896 1024 MB or 1 GigaByte
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: Ymeegod on December 02, 2011, 07:57:18 PM
Isn't all current systems eDRAM as well? The 360 had 10 MB of eDram on the GPU so 768 MB is a big step up even if it's shared. And that doesn't mean you won't have system memory as well?
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: Chozo Ghost on December 02, 2011, 07:57:33 PM
Doesn't Moore's Law say stuff like that doubles every year? And since the PS360 came out 5+ years ago and have been doubling year after year for each of those 5 years then maybe the Wii U which doesn't come out until sometime next year isn't really such a quantum leap after all.
So let's say in 2005 the 360 has 32mb of edram or whatever, and if each year it doubles itself then it could become 64mb in 2006 and then 128 in 2007 then 256 in 2008 and 512 in 2009 and 1024 in 2010 and 2048 in 2011....
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: Ian Sane on December 02, 2011, 07:59:31 PM
Being better than the PS3 and Xbox 360 is expected. If they fucked THAT up well, ****, I'm surprised Iwata and Miyamoto can get to work without getting lost. It would be so unbelievably dumb if they didn't top the existing specs.
The issue is whether or not this will compare favourably to the next systems from Sony and MS. I don't expect them to match it. If the Wii U comes out first it will make sense for it to have the weakest hardware. The issue is on how big the gap is. If it's PS2 to Xbox, that's fine. If it's like, well, the Wii to the Xbox 360, that's a big problem.
Nintendo's strategy should almost be to assume the Xbox 360 was their current system instead of the Wii and to design a logical successor to that. It would help them to better guess what the next gen is going to be like. If they just spruce up the Wii then they could easily get leapfrogged.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on December 02, 2011, 08:07:08 PM
Oh and Chozo, your title is wrong. 768MB of eDRAM
BIG difference. But I pointed out a flaw in this rumor in the Rumor thread.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: the asylum on December 02, 2011, 08:07:44 PM
If the last few years taught us anything it's an incredibly sucessful gimmick can only go so far on its own; especailly one that's easily copied. The Wii U just has to have power comparable to the PS4 or next Xbox, otherwise we're looking at more of the same kind of drought that the Wii's suffering
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: MegaByte on December 02, 2011, 08:16:31 PM
For reference, this is a picture of an 8-core POWER7 supercomputer chip from IBM. See the largest area of memory marked L3? That's only 32MB of eDRAM, so 768 is suspect. (http://static.arstechnica.com/power7_ars.jpg)
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: Enner on December 06, 2011, 06:09:08 PM
It seems highly likely that it's just regular RAM rather embedded RAM.
Unless Nintendo and IBM has concocted some crazy embedded RAM solution.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on December 06, 2011, 06:26:38 PM
You should read the rumor thread posts on this. I think it's explained better in there
This rumor either has typos or is plain wrong. Other sources with access to Dev kits have stated that the Dev kits have atleast 2GB's RAM which would mean the final product has at minimum 1+GB of RAM (50%-75% of dev kit memory).
I also linked directly to IBM PR stating that 768MB (Megabytes)is wrong which would lead to the speculation that they meant 768Mb (Megabits) which equals 96MB (Megabytes) 1Gb (Gigabit) = 128MB (Megabytes)
So if the other sources are to be believed (1-1.5GB RAM in Wii U), then that would mean this rumor has a typo and IBM is setting up to deliver up atleast 96MB of eDRAM in the Wii U which is more than 10x the amount the 360 had.
But I'll just link to it so you can see the links for yourself. http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/forums/index.php?topic=16688.msg708741#msg708741
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: TJ Spyke on December 06, 2011, 06:38:08 PM
Xbox 360 has 10MB of eDRAM, so it would be about 9.4x as much. Either way, it's a good jump over it.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on December 06, 2011, 06:43:54 PM
Well if we are getting technical (the rumor states 768Mb-1Gb / 96MB-128MB)
96MB is actually 9.6X as much as the 10MB in the 360. I was just rounding to make things simpler.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: ThePerm on December 06, 2011, 07:11:09 PM
yeah since this is likely just the embeded memory, I have to say the mother board RAM will probably fluctuate as months go by. I wouldn't expect it to be any less then 2GB. The price of RAM fluctuates so, i'd imagine however much RAM is going to be in the system will be determined by how much RAM costs around July-ish. My shitty 4 year old outdated computer barely runs Minecraft on 2gb of RAM. If I were Nintendo and I thought the bare minimum of 2gb of RAM was most likely I would just tell developers to try to limit first generation games memory allocation to just 1gb. There could end up being more than 2, but that will all depend on the RAM market. RAM is something that can be changed at the very last minute.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: MegaByte on December 06, 2011, 07:18:49 PM
My shitty 4 year old outdated computer barely runs Minecraft on 2gb of RAM.
Blame Java. It eats RAM. That's not a good comparison to what would normally run on a console.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: Chozo Ghost on December 06, 2011, 09:04:44 PM
Yeah, Java runs as slow as molasses. Its meant to run on any and all architectures so its not optimized in any way.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: ThePerm on December 07, 2011, 12:24:23 AM
oh i do blame Java for Minecraft, but Minecraft isn't really a high end game, there are better games that use more ram and use it efficiently. My shitty computer with its only 2gb of ram may ore may not run Starcraft 2.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: SixthAngel on December 07, 2011, 12:34:34 AM
I blame Minecraft for Minecraft. For ages I could barely even run the game because he messed things up with an update. I don't know much about coding but I've played plenty of other stuff that uses Java and none of it had problems that bad or overheated my freaking computer.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: MegaByte on December 07, 2011, 12:43:23 AM
Notch handed the Minecraft project over to Jen, so it should get better.
Considering that Nintendo is re-revealing the Wii U next E3, who knows what awesomeness lies in store?
If we dont see new F-Zero next year you'll be reading a news story of a man who drowned in his own tears
And SpikeTV will have to rename it's hit series to 1001 Ways to Die.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: ThePerm on December 08, 2011, 04:19:50 AM
whats always weird is Nintendo's code names are always better names then the systems themselves Ultra 64/project Reality Dolphin Revolution Cafe
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: Enner on December 08, 2011, 04:46:30 AM
Nintendo Ultra 64/Nintendo Reality Nintendo Dolphin Nintendo Revolution Nintendo Cafe
Eh, other than Ultra 64 (from super to ultra!), the other names sound pretty goofy or haughty. Then again, that might be preferable to what we got in the end. Also, a lot of people like dolphins and cafes and revolutions.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: ThePerm on December 08, 2011, 06:13:49 AM
Nintendo Ultra 64/Nintendo Reality Nintendo Dolphin Nintendo Revolution Nintendo Cafe
Eh, other than Ultra 64 (from super to ultra!), the other names sound pretty goofy or haughty. Then again, that might be preferable to what we got in the end. Also, a lot of people like dolphins and cafes and revolutions.
yeah dolphins are inspiration for freedom, and cafes are where you plot revolutions
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: Sarail on December 08, 2011, 10:23:04 AM
Nintendo Ultra 64/Nintendo Reality Nintendo Dolphin Nintendo Revolution Nintendo Cafe
Eh, other than Ultra 64 (from super to ultra!), the other names sound pretty goofy or haughty. Then again, that might be preferable to what we got in the end. Also, a lot of people like dolphins and cafes and revolutions.
yeah dolphins are inspiration for freedom, and cafes are where you plot revolutions
Are you suggesting that the next console is gonna be called the Nintendo Freedom? :/
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: ThePerm on December 08, 2011, 10:24:25 AM
no.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: TJ Spyke on December 08, 2011, 01:46:44 PM
Wii U's codename was Project Cafe, not Nintendo Cafe (same with Project Dolphin, not Nintendo Dolphin).
The only codename I thought was better than the real one was Nintendo Revolution.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: Ceric on December 08, 2011, 01:52:20 PM
Come on, Wouldn't you rather be playing with Nitro?
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: ThePerm on December 08, 2011, 10:28:20 PM
Wii U's codename was Project Cafe, not Nintendo Cafe (same with Project Dolphin, not Nintendo Dolphin).
The only codename I thought was better than the real one was Nintendo Revolution.
I had project on all of them, and edited them out before i posted, i thought putting project before every code name would be redundant. The post would have looked like:
whats always weird is Nintendo's code names are always better names then the systems themselves Ultra 64/project Reality Project Dolphin Project Revolution Project Cafe
im sure at any point people commonly used Nintendo as a prenomination in place of Project
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: TJ Spyke on December 08, 2011, 11:13:15 PM
The Revolution one was weird because that time the codename did use the Nintendo name. Doesn't matter anyways, your point was made.
I think the Cafe one was the only one Nintendo themselves didn't publically use (meaning mention it in a press release or interview or something).
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: Chozo Ghost on December 09, 2011, 04:16:30 AM
I hope Wii U is the project name, and Cafe was just something they made up as a decoy to throw people off track. I hope the REAL name of the new console is still yet to be announced.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: Sarail on December 09, 2011, 09:20:43 AM
I still really hope the name ends up becoming Nintendo Stream. Makes a LOT of sense.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: NWR_insanolord on December 09, 2011, 01:34:49 PM
Stream, to me, is a worse name than Wii U.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: TJ Spyke on December 09, 2011, 01:40:16 PM
Yep, I have to agree with insano on that.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: Adrock on December 09, 2011, 02:10:53 PM
I like Stream more than Wii U. It's easier to say. In the interest of simplicity, Nintendo should adopt a numbering system for naming their consoles. Nintendo 6 is generic and boring but it gets the point across. It's so plain that it begs to be ignored in favor of what the console actually does and is capable of. I find it sad that the name generates far more discussion that the controller. I've accepted Wii U. Sure, it sounds silly but it's hardly an issue to me because in conversation, I refer to playing a specific game rather than the console the game is on. I just think the naming "controversy" could have been avoided if Nintendo picked something that simply got out of the way so that the really important thing about their new hardware would be the focus.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: Ceric on December 09, 2011, 02:43:01 PM
A good console name is something that can be used to refer to the medium. Like Kleenex is interchange with Hanky. I Googled it, even though Google hates being turned into a generic term.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: Ian Sane on December 09, 2011, 05:28:39 PM
"Stream" is like playing into the hands of everyone who made pee jokes about the Wii (ie: everybody). It is an incredibly stupid name. Wii U is at least a somewhat logical follow-up name to the Wii. I don't like "Wii U" because it is somewhat awkward to say in English but also because it associates too much with the Wii. Maybe Nintendo wants to do that (the Wii was extremely successful) but I think associating the new system with the Wii is going to turn off every core gamer that got turned off by the Wii. If Nintendo just wants to be the casual system, fine, go with the Wii U name. But if their talk about winning back the core isn't all bullshit, then that name is a poor choice.
A good console name is somewhat neutral. It should sound like a piece of electronics and likely give some indication that it is related to videogames (ie: the "Play" in "Playstation"). It should not suggest a focus on any particular demographic ("Xbox" sounds TOO edgy; like it isn't suitable for kids) as the ideal goal is to have a system that everyone will want to own and will identify with. That's doesn't mean playing to the lowest common denominator and assuming that something the attracts non-gamers and children is going to fly with teens and young adults. Think of really generic invention names like "television" or brand names like "iPod" or "Windows". None of these are names that suggest a specific focus on a current demographic or the exclusion of another one. As a result these products are really seen as for everyone, Nintendo's very goal. "Nintendo Entertainment System" is probably the best name Nintendo ever had because it really does not pigeonhole the product in any way. It's a system for "Entertainment". You can release ANYTHING on that!
And don't pick a name that people can easily make jokes about. Don't think that the fact that the constant Wii name jokes didn't sink the system as indication that naming your system the "Dik" or "Puu" is a good idea. It's a fallacy to assume that because the Wii was so successful that everything about it was done right.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: MegaByte on December 09, 2011, 06:04:24 PM
I'm just wondering which random letter appendix Nintendo will choose next.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on December 09, 2011, 06:21:29 PM
Wii D WiiD
Get high on gaming erreyday [rip Nate Dog]
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: Adrock on December 09, 2011, 07:37:54 PM
"Stream" is like playing into the hands of everyone who made pee jokes about the Wii (ie: everybody). It is an incredibly stupid name.
The pee jokes were just sophomoric. That doesn't represent everybody. That's like saying the idiots who said "Gaycube" represented everyone. The problem with Wii is that using it in a sentence makes you sound like a re-tard. Nintendo just invented a homophone and modern language was far worse for it.
Stream is a real word. It would just be a proper noun if Nintendo used it. How many people associate media streaming with urine? We use the word "stream" without even thinking about it these days because we stream data over the internet everyday. It's just part of our vernacular. I don't think that ever sounded as awkward in conversation as Wii did and still does. Making pee jokes with "stream" is even more of a stretch than "wee/Wii." When I hear the word "stream", I first think of Netflix, then a body of water with a current, then Ghostbusters. I think Nintendo Stream is a better name than Wii U because it describes the really unique thing the console does and you can use it in a sentence without feeling like you said something wrong. Unless the console came in yellow, I think Nintendo would be just fine with that name.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: Chozo Ghost on December 09, 2011, 07:39:28 PM
"Nintendo Entertainment System" was the best brand name they ever had (Gameboy was also good), yet Nintendo threw it away for some reason. I guess its because they were so determined to shove 64 into the name somehow to illustrate that the N64 was a 64 bit system and therefore twice as powerful as the competition. They could have went with NES64 though. Then when the Gamecube rolled out it could have been called the NESCube or something.
That may have helped sales of those systems somewhat, because millions of people knew and loved the NES brand. Gamecube was a complete unknown.
As for Wii U, I agree 100% with Ian. The name is both stupid, and it also retains the Wii brand name which is my least favorite Nintendo system by far. Nintendo said they were going to make an effort to bring back the core gamers they lost, but with a name like Wii U they have already put the system on thin ice before it has even launched. I'm not saying it isn't impossible to win back core gamers, but with a name like Wii U it is now going to be an even more uphill battle than it was going to be anyway.
Nintendo somehow has to convince gamers that this new console is going to be badass and cool. Its like some kid with a funny name that's easy to make fun of moving to a new school and trying to make friends. Sure he can do it, but with his silly name its going to be much harder than it would be for a kid whose parents assigned a more dignified name.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: Ian Sane on December 09, 2011, 07:52:06 PM
"Stream" is like playing into the hands of everyone who made pee jokes about the Wii (ie: everybody). It is an incredibly stupid name.
The pee jokes were just sophomoric. That doesn't represent everybody. That's like saying the idiots who said "Gaycube" represented everyone. The problem with Wii is that using it in a sentence makes you sound like a re-tard. Nintendo just invented a homophone and modern language was far worse for it.
Stream is a real word. It would just be a proper noun if Nintendo used it. How many people associate media streaming with urine? We use the word "stream" without even thinking about it these days because we stream data over the internet everyday. It's just part of our vernacular. I don't think that ever sounded as awkward in conversation as Wii did and still does. Making pee jokes with "stream" is even more of a stretch than "wee/Wii." When I hear the word "stream", I first think of Netflix, then a body of water with a current, then Ghostbusters. I think Nintendo Stream is a better name than Wii U because it describes the really unique thing the console does and you can use it in a sentence without feeling like you said something wrong. Unless the console came in yellow, I think Nintendo would be just fine with that name.
Under normal circumstance "Stream" wouldn't necessarily be associated with urine. However as the follow up to the "Wii"? Yeah I think the jokes write themselves and damn near everyone I know regardless of age made fun of the name, even as they were loving the **** out of Wii Sports.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: nickmitch on December 09, 2011, 07:54:49 PM
Gamecube was a great name for a cube that played games.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: Adrock on December 09, 2011, 08:12:17 PM
Under normal circumstance "Stream" wouldn't necessarily be associated with urine. However as the follow up to the "Wii"? Yeah I think the jokes write themselves and damn near everyone I know regardless of age made fun of the name, even as they were loving the **** out of Wii Sports.
You're acting like that would sully the word forever. I really don't see it becoming an internet meme. And the most important thing about your post is that damn near everyone you know was "loving the ****" out of Wii Sports. So, even if they mocked the name, someone spent money on a Wii to buy it. That's like going to a restaurant and enjoying a meal, all the while saying, "This is ****." It just makes those people look like assholes. But, hey, it's free publicity and Nintendo made their money and probably didn't get their feelings hurt from the insults.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: NWR_insanolord on December 09, 2011, 09:41:44 PM
As I've said, the name is irrelevant, especially to gamers. If the system has a competent online system, enough power and strong third party support gamers will buy it, regardless of the name.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: Chozo Ghost on December 09, 2011, 10:07:09 PM
Internet Memes come and go. I remember back when I first explored the internet back in 1998 there was a meme about "___ ate my balls". Apparently that fell out of favor, because you don't see that anymore. I don't keep up to date on that **** because to me its just bullshit, but the last I remember was the chuck norris stuff, and even that is probably outdated now. Stuff like that comes and goes because people are sheep/lemmings and they follow that bullshit, but I don't.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: ThePerm on December 10, 2011, 12:23:13 AM
They should call it Nintendo Player
"don't be a player hater"
"don't hate the player, hate the game"
"that plays DVDs, this plays Nintendo"
"I nintendo'd all day long yesterday"
"You play Nintendo? in Russia Nintendo Plays You"
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: Stogi on December 10, 2011, 08:57:33 PM
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: bustin98 on December 10, 2011, 11:59:20 PM
Hate to say it, but Ian stated exactly my thoughts about the name 'Stream' and the connection to Wii. Juvenille or not, there is that loud mouth 10% which over-rides the silent 90%. I do not like Stream as a name. And the name should not be so descriptive of what the system does, it should be descriptive of what it is.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: nickmitch on December 11, 2011, 02:17:35 AM
Wii jokes died eventually, Stream jokes would die too. Wii was a great name. Short, simple and easy to remember. Not particularly arguing for the name, just pointing that out.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: Spak-Spang on December 11, 2011, 05:49:40 PM
True...and the Wii jokes were a type of publicity. It wasn't even really that negative. It made people curious.
Also, in the end the Wii was a great name. WiiU is little lame. But maybe they can do something with it.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: Chozo Ghost on December 11, 2011, 10:56:41 PM
Only because the Wii stopped being talked about (or played).
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: nickmitch on December 12, 2011, 03:19:40 AM
Actually we frequently talked about how we weren't playing the Wii (LOLZ SOUNDZ LIEK FAPPING!!!!!111) and are now pretty all playing or have played Zelda and to a lessor extent Kirby.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: Ymeegod on December 12, 2011, 04:49:36 AM
Why not just drop the WII part and call it Nintendo U?
If you don't like my idea then you can just NU yourself :0.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: Chozo Ghost on December 12, 2011, 09:05:50 AM
They should drop the Wii part and call it YOO. Yoo is a funny and weird way of spelling "you" just like Wii was a funny and weird way of spelling "we".
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: yosh on December 12, 2011, 10:25:09 AM
i kinda like the name nintendo reptar
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: Stogi on December 12, 2011, 03:16:41 PM
Just call it Nintendo Bitches and be done with it.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: nickmitch on December 12, 2011, 06:45:44 PM
Just call it Nintendo Bitches and be done with it.
+1
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: Ian Sane on December 12, 2011, 07:14:55 PM
I'm simply of the idea that if you can come up with a name that doesn't allow for easy juvenile jokes, why not? Why go with the pee joke name if you don't have to? It probably won't matter but it COULD. The Wii name COULD have been a PR disaster so why not cover your butt and play it safe? You certainly have nothing to gain from a stupid name so why risk it? Doesn't Nintendo do a good enough job making things harder for themselves for no reason?
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: Mop it up on December 12, 2011, 07:29:34 PM
They should just forget fancy names. Movie players don't have fancy names. They should call it the Gamie. Movies move, and the Gamie games. Simple enough.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: Adrock on December 12, 2011, 07:50:07 PM
I'm simply of the idea that if you can come up with a name that doesn't allow for easy juvenile jokes, why not? Why go with the pee joke name if you don't have to? It probably won't matter but it COULD. The Wii name COULD have been a PR disaster so why not cover your butt and play it safe? You certainly have nothing to gain from a stupid name so why risk it? Doesn't Nintendo do a good enough job making things harder for themselves for no reason?
But you can turn anything into a juvenile joke. That's what makes them juvenile and ultimately, not funny since it appeals to the lowest common denominator. We're not talking sharp humor here. We're talking about dick and fart jokes and bad ones at that.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: Ian Sane on December 12, 2011, 08:00:43 PM
Something like GayCube or SexBox requires one to change the name. But Wii and Stream don't need to even be changed to make the joke.
It's like if you name your son "Bart" bullies will call him "Fart". But that's not as bad as naming him "Gaylord" where the name itself is the butt of the joke. See the difference?
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on December 12, 2011, 08:30:09 PM
Stogi: Who wants to play Nintendo Bitches!?
Group of girls: We Do!!! but what games do you got?
Stogi: I got Super Mario Bitches. I got Mario Kart Bitches. I got StarFox Bitches.... I got everything ___Bitches!?
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: Adrock on December 12, 2011, 08:43:23 PM
Yeah, I got it. What I don't get is why it matters or more specifically, why you think it makes a difference. They're still just dick and fart jokes. One simply requires a pinch more effort to pull off.
There's barely even a joke with Stream. You would have to say pee stream for there to even be a punchline. Otherwise, you're just explaining the joke and it's not one at that point. And since that's the case, you can just do that with anything. You can add a modifier to any word to turn it into something else. You say Stream to people and they'll most likely think of music first. In fact, that might be the most problematic thing about naming a console "Stream." It'd sound like Nintendo is trying to make an iTunes-killer.
In any case, people got over Wii pretty quickly. It still sounds silly but it's there. It's a part of pop culture and vernacular. No one even really thinks about it unless it's brought up on a message board and even then, it's between people who accept that exists and people who are still railing against it even after 5 years.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on December 12, 2011, 09:58:44 PM
Nintendo is not gonna drop the Wii name after the huge success it was.
If they did incorporate Stream in to the name in place of U, then it would just be Wii Stream or Wii Striim and now we are back to the same discussion we were having moments after the name was revealed back in June @ E3.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: Adrock on December 12, 2011, 10:13:30 PM
Nintendo dropped "Gameboy." I know why they did but the point is that there's precedence for letting go of a popular brand. A truly great product can stand on its own even if being attached to a brand helps. Nintendo made Wii popular. They made a lot of brands popular. I see no reason why thy couldn't do so again.
And I don't think Nintendo will actually change the name. I just don't think there's anything inherently wrong with Stream. As I've said before, I think the best name is the most boring one, just so everyone would stop talking about it.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on December 13, 2011, 12:44:52 AM
Gameboy had run it's course and they shelved it for reasons they explained.
The term "boy" being in the title seem to limit it's appeal, so they went something much more neutral. With DS and Wii being their mist successful hardware in both portable and console, it would only make sense that they would want to ride out the brand recognition while it's still hot.
Now Assuming Wii U doesn't sell 100million in it's 5-6year cycle, I wouldn't be surprised if Nintendo dropped the Wii name in favor of something new next next gen.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: Chozo Ghost on December 13, 2011, 01:02:24 AM
I'm simply of the idea that if you can come up with a name that doesn't allow for easy juvenile jokes, why not? Why go with the pee joke name if you don't have to? It probably won't matter but it COULD. The Wii name COULD have been a PR disaster so why not cover your butt and play it safe? You certainly have nothing to gain from a stupid name so why risk it? Doesn't Nintendo do a good enough job making things harder for themselves for no reason?
The problem is these decisions are made in Japan and the people involved in these decisions either speak English only as a second language, or don't even speak it at all. They did not grow up with English speaking juveniles, so they don't understand how they will react to these names they come up with. What Nintendo should have done is listened to some input from American consumers and see what they like and want it to be named.
The console could have a different name in Japan and a different name elsewhere. That's how it was with the NES and SNES which were named Famicom and Super Famicom respectively in Japan. So Nintendo could go with the Wii U name in Japan, but in America it might be better to give it a cool name like Grizzly or whatever so that people won't feel ashamed owning and playing it, or be afraid they will get their asses kicked at school by bullies because of being a fan of it.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: TJ Spyke on December 13, 2011, 01:08:26 AM
People got used to "PlayStation" (which sounds like something you might buy to keep you might buy from Hasbro to keep your 2 year old busy), so I don't see why that would be hard for Wii U.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: Chozo Ghost on December 13, 2011, 01:34:34 AM
People got used to "PlayStation" (which sounds like something you might buy to keep you might buy from Hasbro to keep your 2 year old busy), so I don't see why that would be hard for Wii U.
The difference is Sony has always had that edgy content from day one. They never had a problem convincing Rockstar to bring games like GTA to its systems. Nintendo on the other hand does have this problem. Continuing on with the Wii brand name makes convincing hardcore/mature gamers to come over a much more uphill battle than it would otherwise be. I'm not saying its impossible to make the Wii brand cool, but it would take a lot of effort and a lot of edgy content which I don't think Nintendo is going to invest in. But if they named the console after some large carnivorous animal like a Lion or Grizzly Bear then it immediately has that cool factor going for it. It then becomes a much easier task to get hardcore gamers to come back.
Nintendo shouldn't be content with just merely winning over the gamers they lost with the Wii. They should be more ambitious and aim for winning back all the gamers they lost as far back as 1995 when the SNES was on its last legs and the majority of the hardcore crowd went over to the Playstation instead of waiting another year for the N64. This was a turning point year for Nintendo, and that's the moment when they started being classified as "kiddie". This is the wrong they need to address, but the stupid Wii brand name sure isn't helping. It needs to be ditched.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: ThePerm on December 13, 2011, 02:17:13 AM
I'm simply of the idea that if you can come up with a name that doesn't allow for easy juvenile jokes, why not? Why go with the pee joke name if you don't have to? It probably won't matter but it COULD. The Wii name COULD have been a PR disaster so why not cover your butt and play it safe? You certainly have nothing to gain from a stupid name so why risk it? Doesn't Nintendo do a good enough job making things harder for themselves for no reason?
The problem is these decisions are made in Japan and the people involved in these decisions either speak English only as a second language, or don't even speak it at all. They did not grow up with English speaking juveniles, so they don't understand how they will react to these names they come up with. What Nintendo should have done is listened to some input from American consumers and see what they like and want it to be named.
The console could have a different name in Japan and a different name elsewhere. That's how it was with the NES and SNES which were named Famicom and Super Famicom respectively in Japan. So Nintendo could go with the Wii U name in Japan, but in America it might be better to give it a cool name like Grizzly or whatever so that people won't feel ashamed owning and playing it, or be afraid they will get their asses kicked at school by bullies because of being a fan of it.
years ago they had Arakawa to tell them if it was a bad idea, and explain why. He may have been Japanese, but he lived in the U.S. for a long time. It probably would be better if the system had a different name in the U.S. than Japan, it makes sense. If that will happen...we'll have to see.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: Chozo Ghost on December 13, 2011, 04:04:40 AM
What is considered cool and trendy in Japan might be considered lame and stupid in the west, or vice versa.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: Adrock on December 13, 2011, 07:33:12 AM
I recall reading that quite a few executives hated the name Wii and voted against it. Still, the reasoning behind the name (one syllable, easy to remember) and having a worldwide brand makes sense.
Title: Re: Wii U has quad core 3GHz CPU, 768 MB of RAM
Post by: Ceric on December 13, 2011, 09:47:03 AM
I recall reading that quite a few executives hated the name Wii and voted against it. Still, the reasoning behind the name (one syllable, easy to remember) and having a worldwide brand makes sense.
Being able to fit your whole name in those three letter charts. The name has things go far it from a design perspective. Its just the original street meaning of it makes you think they could have made up another word with those good design features.
