Topic: Revolution no more-Nintendo Wii

[Ian Sane]

"I'm sure people felt the same way when Google was named – or the iPod. Napster. Yahoo. There's a whole host of unusual names that have become a part of everyday conversation and I think they're viewed now as unique."

The difference is Google, iPod, Napster and Yahoo are not words with immature potty talk associated with them.  It's not just that it's an "unusual" name.  The problem is that is a name directly associated with a childish slang term for urine.

Some of you are spin doctoring and making excuses for it.  How did that help the Cube?  It didn't.  Whenever something borderline disasterous happened with the Cube making up an excuse didn't help things worth crap.  If I have to explain a name to prevent people from making fun of it then it's a crappy name.  With marketing you can't assume people will stop and listen and understand your long explanation on why the potty mouth name is actually brilliant.  If the name immediately triggers a negative response then it's a horrible name period.  Making people think of piss is a negative response.

It's like the Super Mario Sunshine commercial.  All the typical Nintendo apologists were all "it's a brilliant commerical because it makes fun of Nintendo's k!ddy image."  That didn't stop the general negative reaction to it and Nintendo quickly dropped it.  Oh and the Gamecube was overtaken by the Xbox later that year but I'm sure the fact that the supposed killer app had the worst commercial ever made for it was just a coincedence.  So it doesn't matter if this is a joke name and thus is brilliant.  The "joke" is too subtle and isn't even that funny.  No one is going to get it so it's a crappy joke and a crappy name.

[MaryJane]

actually i thought yahoo was a pretty stupid name, but for what it is, it kind of works, i have an account with them and have it as my home page on one of my browsers. i'm still going to buy wii, maybe it will grow on me but i'd prefer a different name.

[Mario]

Wii wont grow on you, it'll run down your leg and you wont be able to do anything about it until it sticks.

[jasonditz]

Kid 1: Guys, Guys, wii just got a Wii
Kid 2: Cool... can wii all go see it?
Kid 1: Sure... Wii got the Family Bundle with extra controllers, so wii can all play.
Kid 3 (smart-allecky kid): Hey loser... what color is your wii?
Kid 1 (thinking it over for a second): It's yellow of course... why... what color is your wii?!

[Hostile Creation]

"No one will be able to take this console seriously."

God forbid.

I must reiterate my hatred for humanity, particularly gamers.  Too busy being cool to have fun.

[ABlueflameA]

Yea for immaturity!

[PaLaDiN]

Quote
If I have to explain a name to prevent people from making fun of it then it's a crappy name.

The point is that you don't have to explain the name because you want people to make fun of it.

[vudu]

This is from like 90 posts ago, but whatever; I'm late, sue me.

Quote
Originally posted by: eljefe
I realized ... Though its completely off the wall, their reasoning is sound (no abbreviation, made for all languages, unique among videogame names)

I can think of another system that could boast those same features:  the Nokia NGage QD.

[Mario]

Can we make this thread a sticky?

Oh my god this is lame pun HEAVEN, i'm lovin it

[Athrun Zala]

I agree with mantidor, Wii sounds stupid in every language :S

[jasonditz]

Idea: what if the external of the Wii is clear plastic with some sort of color changing dye on the inside... maybe something where you could insert a dye pill and change the system's color at will.

Kid: Grampa Grampa, guess what? I got a pill and it turned my Wii orange
Grandfather (thoughtfully): Don't worry lad, I had that happen to me once when I had bacterial meningitis... it goes away in a few weeks.

{just dying to squeeze bacterial meningitis into a video game commercial}

[Ceric]

I noticed no one took up my challenge.  (Much earlier in the conversation)

Way I could live with.
Why I could also live with. (Actually thats what it has already mentally slipped to)
Wiim That's actually pretty good.
Wee I just can't.  It's a word I just can't say.  After 23 years of avoiding bad words I have lost my ability to actually say most.  I find that what happens is I leave a blank and most people fill it in on there own.  I just can't do it without feeling like I'm forcing myself to cut myself or some otherwise self-preserving instinct would prevent action against but I'm overriding it.  The only reason it even makes it to that level is because it is an immature word plus fouled mouth together it gets bumped up with the higher forms of profanity.

Oh I'll bet the Nintendo site is down due to the slam for the video and the slam to complain.

[Smash_Brother]

Quote
Originally posted by: Ian Sane The difference is Google, iPod, Napster and Yahoo are not words with immature potty talk associated with them.  It's not just that it's an "unusual" name.  The problem is that is a name directly associated with a childish slang term for urine.

Some of you are spin doctoring and making excuses for it.  How did that help the Cube?  It didn't.  Whenever something borderline disasterous happened with the Cube making up an excuse didn't help things worth crap.  If I have to explain a name to prevent people from making fun of it then it's a crappy name.  With marketing you can't assume people will stop and listen and understand your long explanation on why the potty mouth name is actually brilliant.  If the name immediately triggers a negative response then it's a horrible name period.  Making people think of piss is a negative response.

It's like the Super Mario Sunshine commercial.  All the typical Nintendo apologists were all "it's a brilliant commerical because it makes fun of Nintendo's k!ddy image."  That didn't stop the general negative reaction to it and Nintendo quickly dropped it.  Oh and the Gamecube was overtaken by the Xbox later that year but I'm sure the fact that the supposed killer app had the worst commercial ever made for it was just a coincedence.  So it doesn't matter if this is a joke name and thus is brilliant.  The "joke" is too subtle and isn't even that funny.  No one is going to get it so it's a crappy joke and a crappy name.

I've never agreed with Ian more.

Nintendo was so, SO close to being able to recapture segments of the market which had long since abandoned them for being too childish. Red Steel was a colossal step in the right direction, but now THIS?

People who were on the fence would have taken a chance with a "Rev". They're NOT going to take a chance with a "wee". "Let's play some wee games!" "I can't way to go home and play with my wee!"

Reggie will sound like a laughing joke when he tries to make this sound serious...

[Hostile Creation]

"I can think of another system that could boast those same features: the Nokia NGage QD."

What kind of reasoning is this?  It can be abbreviated, it sounds just as generic as any other console that's ever existed, and it's not made for all languages.
If you're going to mock Nintendo's decisions, come on, you can at least do better than that.  What a pitiful attempt.

[Ian Sane]

"The point is that you don't have to explain the name because you want people to make fun of it."

And this is going to get people to buy a Rev how?  How, in image concious America, is having a name people are making fun of going to attract sales?

"Huh huh.  That videogame console is named after pee.  I MUST BUY IT."  The Rev is supposed to sell because it innovates and it breaks down barriers that have scared people away from gaming.  It's not supposed to sell because it has such a goofy stupid name.  I think you're giving Nintendo WAY too much credit here.  It's called Wii because Iwata and/or Miyamoto like the name and the two of them are completely oblivious to anything outside of Japan.  It ain't a joke.

[jasonditz]

Reggie: For the past two years, I have been kicking your ass. But starting today, Wii will be kicking your ass.

[Smash_Brother]

Quote
Originally posted by: Ceric
I noticed no one took up my challenge.  (Much earlier in the conversation)

Way I could live with.

I like Way.

That's the Nintendo Way.

I can live with that.

But wee?

"Mom, Timmy's gonna bring his wee and over and we're gonna hook our wees together and play all night long!"

[KnowsNothing]

As you can see in the talkback thread I went from hating it to loving it in three posts.  Wii is awesome.

That is, IF Nintendo does the right thing with it.  I think it'd be hilarious to see a serious Wii poster directly outside the door to the bathrooms, for instance.  You'd walk by and be like "ahaha I wonder if they did that on purpose?"  And then you walk into the bathroom and see a Metroid urinal-puck.

After that experience you'll be thinking about Wii all day.  You'll tell your friends about Wii.  It's brilliant.  

[Ceric]

Oh, the more that I think about the more that I think the slogan should be..

"Wii:  Looks soo good, sounds soo bad"

The name Wii is very visually apealling and orally appalling.  I mean even Wifi Intergrated Instrument sounds a little better.  Bad thing oral is the main use of a name.

Edit:  Just what everyone wants.  People peeing on a beloved Icon.  But then here in the States the flag is getting disrespected as much too so, why let Nintendo slide.  But thats a long story this forums not built for. *waves hands*

[GregLee]

It's an insult to us.  I'm not going to use this new name.  It's still "Revolution".

[joedick]

Wow. It's only been a few hours and I'm already sick of wee jokes.

[jasonditz]

Nintendo would like to remind you that, young and old, everybody Wiis

[Ceric]

And this topic has more posts then almost every other topic in this whole part of the forum.  If we Crack 350 we'll make the record. (At least as far back as I can go in the history though I though last years E3 thread had more.)

[PaLaDiN]

"The Rev is supposed to sell because it innovates and it breaks down barriers that have scared people away from gaming. It's not supposed to sell because it has such a goofy stupid name"

Well, don't you think the current overseriousness and arrogant elitism of videogames might be one of the barriers that have scared people away from gaming?

[vudu]

I wondering if they're try to relate this to Roman numerals at all.  M is 1000.  Turn it upside down and you have a W.  V is 5.  Put two of them next to eachother and you have a W.  I think we all know that I is 1.

Who needs a PS3 or an Xbox 360 when I have a Nintendo 1002?!?