Topic: EDITORIALS: Wii Will Get Over It, Won’t Wii?

[NotRimmer]

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Originally posted by: KDR_11k


Wii sounds small. Wii sounds undefined but enough ads will define it. Wii sounds no more idiotic than XBox 360 or Revolution. Revolution is understood almost everywhere except people will look at you like you're nuts if you try to sell them something called Revolution. What does Revolution evoke? Communist revolution. Anarchy. Violence. War. Dictatorship. Wii sounds cute, Revolution sounds brutal. While brutal may work for advertising to the insecure teens what kind of adult would think of that as a good idea? The Wii may have a shining exterior but there's still Nintendo inside and Nintendo delivers only cute.

Because when I think of the American Revolution, I think of communism, anarchy, and dictatorship.

Also, Dance Dance Revolution never reached any sort of mainstream appeal at all because everyone was turned off by the violent, brutal imagery

[Smash_Brother]

Thank you, Rick, for perfectly summarizing the concerns of the Nintendo fans who look at the name and say, "Umm, that ain't gonna sell..."

People, making the system name a joke is going to get publicity, sure, but it's the same publicity as that unfortunate girl in high school someone labeled "queen of the herpes" and the name stuck. It's the type of publicity which means that only the utmost forgiving souls (the Nintendo fans) would allow themselves to be associated with it.

Gamers ARE the most forgiving because they know to expect quality from Nintendo regardless of the name, and even most of them hate it. The non-gamers, the crowd Nintendo wants to market to, DO NOT FEEL THAT WAY. They won't spend the rest of the day trying to get used to the name because they have NO TIES to Nintendo and thus no emotional investment. They'll see the name, laugh, and walk away, probably never touching the controller and certainly not buying one. Who would touch the herpes queen?

This is NOT what Nintendo wants to do for their last chance in the home console market. If Nintendo has any sense at all, they'll change the name before it comes to market, at least in English-speaking countries where the negative connotations are the very worst.

[The Omen]

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   The argument that it will be accepted if they put out a billion ads/sell a billion units. That's true of anything.


Including iPod, as it turns out.

I never had to ask how Ipod was pronounced.  Google either.  Tivo could only be one of two things-T-vo, or Tiv-o.  Wii isn't even pronouncable, meaning I now have to ask how it's pronounced, and why it's pronounced that way, and  what is meant by that.  To the supporters of Wii, they say that's great, more interest.  To the non-supporters, we think why chance it?  They're in no position to assume that everyone asking what the name is will be interested in buying it.  They may be more disinterested than ever when they ask "What is the Wii?"  and the clerk responds, "The new Nintendo console."  That completely obliterates this argument that wii is so simple and different, and that it's a marketing coup-since it will have to be explained ad nauseum, and people will have to be told it's Nintendo anyway, it accomplishes nothing. People who have it in their mind that they think Nintendo is a kids company will be gagging more than ever, and that can't be good for ANY product trying to play down a stereotype.  

AGAIN, this is obviously not set in stone.  My stance has been, and will remain, Nintendo has disrupted peoples vocabularys, but I don't think it's going to gain that crowd which has been missing since the N64 days.  Those who jumped ship to Sony need a reason to come back, and it's hard to find it when they quickly dismiss a product because of the name(and say all you want, they will).  Granted, I am assuming that gamers who are not Nintendo fans are a fickle lot.  I am assuming that they may not want, or have no great need, to change console allegiance.  I am assuming that a lot of casual gamers are graphic whores, and the wii won't measure up there.  I am assuming that people need change forced upon them, especially when they're satrisfied with their current systems, and having to spend 10 minutes explaining a name may be a detriment because everyone under 25 has ADD.  I'm assuming Nintendo are looked upon as handheld giants, but weak with consoles, and that the majority of gamers will be more turned off by the name than turned on.  I am assuming that those who are turned off by the name will give less of a chance to the controller because of it.  I am assuming that because of the prior two decisions, they will miss all of those great games I am assured by defenders will draw them in despite the name.  If any two of these assumptions are true, then it's a big problem.  

I am sure that most here defending Wii are idealists, and Nintendo fans, and I can't fault you for being positive in a deluge of negativity, but sometimes there's something to the opposing side in a debate, and you may want to leave a little wiggle room in your assessments.  The wii naysayers have been far less 'disruptive' to the forums than the defenders and I find it disheartening that when a valid point(which doen't mean it's a correct one, mind you) is brought to the forefront, it is sh*t upon because of the backlash of the built in defense mechanism of everything Nintendo.  Please keep in mind we all want the same thing in the end, and healthy debate is good, not bad.    And those who complain about whining...MARIO...read your own damn posts.  THAT is whining.  Venting over a name I dislike and sparking debate over it is not.  Leaving the forums in a huff over the ditorial, and opposing opinions is a move only a ten year old would pull.

But hey, this editorial must be right up your alley-it sparks conversation about wii, so how could it be bad, right?  Right?  

[Ian Sane]

To me the ultimate reason why the name is horrible is because Nintendo themselves know it is.  I've never heard of a company immediately going into damage control after announcing a name.  Now I don't follow other industries so I that could have happened before but it just seems very weird.  If they know that everyone who follows games is going to hate it why do they think those that don't will like it?

Plus those of us who hate it, hated it immediately and we could instantly give some reason why we did.  Those that liked it had to think about it for a few days or they didn't have any defense until Nintendo themselves gave them one with their "Tivo and Google" canned responses.  If the name requires someone to think about it for a few days and intentionally want to like it in order to not be turned off then the name sucks.

Now hypothetically lets assume that non-gamers do like the name.  I don't think they will but that's an arguement being used so I'll go with to make my point.  Why does Nintendo have to turn gamers off in order to have a name that attracts non-gamers?  I thought the whole plan was to expand beyond gamers, not turn gamers away for the new audience.  All those Playstation and Xbox gamers that think "Wii" is a childish baby name and will continue to assume Nintendo is for kids?  Why should Nintendo INTENTIONALLY drive them away?  Would it not make the most sense for Nintendo to go with a name that their fans like, that gamers that don't really like Nintendo would accept, and that non-gamers would like?

All those people who were turned off by Nintendo's purple lunchbox are going to be turned off again.  Nintendo is limiting themselves to the Nintendo fanbase and non-gamers and nothing else.  If anything they are RELYING on non-gamers entirely with this name.  If the blue ocean strategy doesn't work they can't fall back to just being a gamer's console because they're stupidly turning those people away.  It's a shame because they've got the innovation and the virtual console and even have a pretty cool looking console (which looked pretty sharp with the "Revolution" name attached to it) but all those Madden and Halo gamers aren't going to give them a second look because of "Wii".

And personally I don't think the American public will be interested in a name that sounds so wimpy and childish.  You can talk about Google or iPod but none of those sound like a Fisher Price product.  

[Smash_Brother]

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Originally posted by: Ian Sane
Now hypothetically lets assume that non-gamers do like the name.  I don't think they will but that's an arguement being used so I'll go with to make my point.  Why does Nintendo have to turn gamers off in order to have a name that attracts non-gamers?  I thought the whole plan was to expand beyond gamers, not turn gamers away for the new audience.  All those Playstation and Xbox gamers that think "Wii" is a childish baby name and will continue to assume Nintendo is for kids?  Why should Nintendo INTENTIONALLY drive them away?  Would it not make the most sense for Nintendo to go with a name that their fans like, that gamers that don't really like Nintendo would accept, and that non-gamers would like?

It's almost like arrogance on the part of Nintendo. They think that non-gamers will like the console SO much that they don't even NEED gamers anymore. Anyone with even a smattering of market understanding can tell you that Nintendo CANNOT afford to be making those kinds of gambles.

Maybe they have a big head because of the DS's success, but I just can't help but think that I'm being an idiot when I say, "Maybe the name could work out after all..." It's going to be dismissed, ridiculed and/or laughed at by the very people Nintendo is claiming they intend to market to in the first place.

The US public is not like the Japanese public. They're nowhere near as gadget-happy as the Japanese and they won't buy a gaming console because it's "trendy". The iPod replaced walkmans and discmans, a market which had already been established for years prior and even the iPod took 2-3 years to reach its current popularity. Nintendo aims to get people who have never bought a console before to buy THEIRS, even though Sony and MS outpower them in marketing tenfold and anyone who remembers Nintendo likely remember them as a console for children, and the "wee" name just reaffirms that. When they hear it's pronounced "wee", they'll likely expect the system to be flooded with games like "Dora the Explorer" and edutainment games, assume that, since they're older, they shouldn't bother with it, and won't buy the thing.

And on the subject of Fisher Price toys...

[KDR_11k]

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Originally posted by: The Omen
Wii isn't even pronouncable

W, long I. Where's the problem with that? It's pronounced just the way it's written.

[RickPowers]

Holy crap ... when did Ian Sane start making so much sense?  Maybe I need to take another long nap and wait for things to normalize again.  

[Smash_Brother]

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Originally posted by: KDR_11k
W, long I. Where's the problem with that? It's pronounced just the way it's written.

Actually, a short "i" is the "i" used in words like "it" and "is". A long "i" is the "i" in words like "wire" "fire" and "liar".

So, no, it's not pronounced how it's written, not in most English words anyway. The "i" sound is pronounced like "ee" in Japanese, though.

The only people who will know how to pronounce it are those who recall the word "skiing", which has the distinct "ee" sound. Those people will be few and far between, however.

[KDR_11k]

German pronounciation is very close to Japanese pronounciation (except for the L/R). "ii" is defined in German, double vocals are always long vocals. "Wie" means "how" or "like" (as in "A is like B"), it cannot be used as a noun.

By the way, I think you should rename the girl in your sig to "Brian". Unless that stands for Brianrietta.

[The Omen]

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   Quote
   Originally posted by: The Omen
   Wii isn't even pronouncable



W, long I. Where's the problem with that? It's pronounced just the way it's written.

It sounds just the way it's written only after you're told how it sounds(and barely at that), not upon first encountering Wii.  Most newbies won't be working from hindsight like you.

[Smash_Brother]

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Originally posted by: The Omen Most newbies won't be working from hindsight like you.

This is the biggest issue the Wii has going against it. Getting people to accept the name will be nigh-impossible unless they have piles of information on it beforehand and have a reason to forgive it.

If the name turns them off right at the start, the chance of them finding a reason to care is nil.

[Arbok]

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Originally posted by: RickPowers
Holy crap ... when did Ian Sane start making so much sense?  Maybe I need to take another long nap and wait for things to normalize again.  

I noticed that as well, it's like that whole non-gamer crap he was spewing before that didn't make much sense, considering that Nintendo still was going to make "epic games"... yet it all seems to be falling into place with this name. How it's being aimed at the non-gamers while also has the chance to chase away some of those who already actively buy video games.

Also, awesome sig Smash_Brother

[Kairon]

Yeah, I'd have to throw my hat in on the pronounciation criticism. If Wii breaks spelling rules and people are constantly confused as to how to pronounce it, then that would be a definite minus in my estimation.

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

[mantidor]

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Originally posted by: Smash_Brother

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Originally posted by: Ian Sane
And on the subject of Fisher Price toys...

OMG! Wii is such a perfect name for diapers that I cant concieve any other name who better fits, maybe the "wee" jokes got me subconsciously, maybe the baby talk part makes sound "wii" like a perfect choice, whatever it is, the name is simply perfect!

wait, Wawa is better! I hadnt noticed wandering's avatar but Im seen it right beneath the create post window, so it caught my attention, I unmistakenly (word? Icecold will let me know ) see the bird as a stork, the ones who bring babies from Paris. whats that about? a succesful eleectronic company? I havent seen that before in my life.

[Smash_Brother]

I'm almost ashamed to admit this, but the name actually killed my enthusiasm for E3.

I know that quite possibly some of the best games I will see in my life might be revealed there, but the name just hangs over it all like a pall of darkness, one which I fear will doom the console to horrendous NA sales.

I'd like to believe that people would grow up, be mature, etc. about the whole thing, but the grim reality of the situation is that the vast majority of people still have what most reasonable folks would consider the intellect of a child. These people will pick up a PS2 for image alone, and they are the same people who will avoid a product named "wee" like the plague because they falsely believe that their purchasing decisions reflect back upon them.

The ONE thing Nintendo needed to do was pick a name which wouldn't frighten these people: the controller WOULD have sold Revs and sold them fine, but the NAME will actually make these people think twice about owning it, regardless of how good the games are.

Thanks, in regards to the sig, and I changed it to Brian for the HSR reference, but I don't want to borrow too much so I didn't add the "Brianrietta" bit.

[PaLaDiN]

Okay, look. If you care more about how many people will buy the Wii than how much fun you'll have with it, something is wrong with you.

I understand doubting how well it'll sell. You have your reasons for suspecting low sales, even if I don't agree with them. But to let that lessen your enjoyment of "some of the best games you will see in your life"... well, there are no words.

[GoldenPhoenix]

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Originally posted by: Arbok

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Originally posted by: RickPowers
Holy crap ... when did Ian Sane start making so much sense?  Maybe I need to take another long nap and wait for things to normalize again.  

I noticed that as well, it's like that whole non-gamer crap he was spewing before that didn't make much sense, considering that Nintendo still was going to make "epic games"... yet it all seems to be falling into place with this name. How it's being aimed at the non-gamers while also has the chance to chase away some of those who already actively buy video games.

Also, awesome sig Smash_Brother

Actually I would be a bit worried if I was Ian's side on this thing, but that is just me. That would indicate to me that perhaps I am not interpreting things right (which isn't too far fetched for many here)

[NWR_pap64]

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Originally posted by: PaLaDiN
Okay, look. If you care more about how many people will buy the Wii than how much fun you'll have with it, something is wrong with you.

I understand doubting how well it'll sell. You have your reasons for suspecting low sales, even if I don't agree with them. But to let that lessen your enjoyment of "some of the best games you will see in your life"... well, there are no words.

The reason S_B, as well as many of us, are concerned over this is that the console won't sell because of the name.

Do you know what happens when games and consoles don't sell? The companies that produces them lose money. And what happens when they lose money? They lose third party support and go bankrupt. And what happens if Nintendo fails? We won't be able to play their games ever again.

It may sound overly dramatic, sure, but this is basically Nintendo's last chance to establish itself as a major game brand. The Nintendo name, save for the handheld market, has been losing strenght thanks to stiff competition and stubborn company decisions. If they keep losing that strenght Nintendo might go the way of Sega; selling out their franchises to other companies in order to stay afloat.

I'm not saying that this is what will surely happen. As I said before, no matter how much analyzing we do the only one that can control Nintendo's fate is destiny. Who knows, the Wii idea might be so stupid it could actually work! Or it's so stupid, it could destroy Nintendo forever!  We will have to wait and see what Nintendo has planned...

I agree that S_B might be a little passionate about this, but this is Nintendo we are talking about. Can you imagine a future in which no Nintendo games exist because one of their consoles didn't sell as well as expected?

I just don't want the Wii to become the next Dreamcast: Lots of great games, amazing services, lots of potential but no support equals no games equals no more Sega...

And S_B, Nintendo IS being stubborn about this. After all, Kaplan DID say in an interview that the reason they unveiled the name now instead of E3 is because they KNEW that this would cause a backlash and they figured that we would get over it by and accept it by now...

The thing is that it's been a week already and many are still left unconvinced and as we can see in this thread people get into heated arguments over it.

So in a sense, Nintendo's plan backfired...

Spekaing of which, what if Nintendo realizes that the negative reaction is so overwhelming that they decided to change the name before the release. Could that create a backlash by those who defended the Wii name?

[PaLaDiN]

No, you're not just being overly dramatic, you're also being unrealistic.

Sorry, it would take a lot more than the Wii failing to bankrupt Nintendo. Especially with the DS selling as well as it is.

[Smash_Brother]

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Originally posted by: PaLaDiN I understand doubting how well it'll sell. You have your reasons for suspecting low sales, even if I don't agree with them. But to let that lessen your enjoyment of "some of the best games you will see in your life"... well, there are no words.

Simply put, I'm worried that it'll be Nintendo's last hurrah instead of their rebirth. It doesn't matter how great I think the games are: if the general populace disagrees, the wii will fail. I've loved things my whole life which have died out, not receiving the mainstream attention they need to remain afloat.

The Rev is the last chance they have in the home console market. It's not even a question of money, it's a question of the MOST money. If the DS pulls in such incredible numbers and cash, I'm certain there are execs at Nintendo who are pulling for Nintendo to abandon the home market and go handheld all the way. After all, focusing your efforts on your most profitable ventures is just common sense.

I don't think Pap is being overdramatic. He's saying that the wii can make or break Nintendo and he's absolutely right.

I hope they change the name in the US and Europe to something else. Let Japan have Wii and let us have something which won't make Nintendo's coveted non-gamer turn up their nose in disgust.

[mantidor]

I personally wont make any predictions about Nintendo's financial future, although Im concerned about the nongamer multiplayer focus that Im not liking one bit, but Im digressing... The problem is that I find myself in the scenario when I actually want this console to fail because of the name, because Ive never been so disgusted in my life. I don't know if it will happen, given the console's features I actually doubt it will happen, but I want it to happen, that makes my stomach revolt.

[PaLaDiN]

Okay SB, now you're pulling doomsday predictions out of thin air for a worst-case scenario you're treating as fact. Worse, you're basing your actions and judgment on it.

I can't argue with blatant irrationality, man; give me something to work with.

Regardless, I maintain that if that's enough to nullify your enjoyment of the games... if you can't handle the concept of paying money to play games that you think are fun, because of the off chance that, in a parallel universe where Nintendo did what you wanted, there might have been more games... well, I don't know what to say. It hurts just to type out logic that convoluted.  

[wandering]

Whee, hyperbole.

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Originally posted by: Ian Sane
If anything they are RELYING on non-gamers entirely with this name.  If the blue ocean strategy doesn't work they can't fall back to just being a gamer's console because they're stupidly turning those people away.  It's a shame because they've got the innovation and the virtual console and even have a pretty cool looking console (which looked pretty sharp with the "Revolution" name attached to it) but all those Madden and Halo gamers aren't going to give them a second look because of "Wii".

Yes, the Wii will only sell to non-gamers because gamers, in spite of all the positives of the system, won't buy it because of three letters. Gamers will be forced to stick to games named after overweight former football coaches and things that float above angel's heads, because Wii is too much for them to handle. </sarcasm>

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Originally posted by: The Omen
Granted, I am assuming that gamers who are not Nintendo fans are a fickle lot.

I am assuming the ability to control a gun with the freehand controller will outweigh any misgivings casual gamers might have about a potentially homosexual name, but we'll see!

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Originally posted by: The Omen
I never had to ask how Ipod was pronounced.

Yeah, this is a valid point. But everyone will know how to pronounce 'Wii' by the end of the year.

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Originally posted by: Smash_Brother
They won't spend the rest of the day trying to get used to the name because they have NO TIES to Nintendo and thus no emotional investment. They'll see the name, laugh, and walk away, probably never touching the controller and certainly not buying one.

I know what you mean. I almost asked this gorgeous girl out on a date, but when I heard her name, I shook my head, laughed, and walked away...never touching her and certainly never buying her dinner. </sarcasm>

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Originally posted by: pap64
Do you know what happens when games and consoles don't sell? The companies that produces them lose money. And what happens when they lose money? They lose third party support and go bankrupt. And what happens if Nintendo fails? We won't be able to play their games ever again.

When historian's look back on the great fall of Nitnendo, they'll shake their heads and sigh. "If only they had named their fifth console Revolution instead of Wii!" </sarcasm>

...

I think both Wii supporters and Wii detractors agree that it all comes down to marketing. 'Wii' needs context. I think providing that context won't be that hard - you've got your playful i's, you've got your ready-made taglines. But until Nintendo actually shows us how they plan to market the name...which will hopefully happen, as they say, at E3...it's even more impossible than normal to predict how the general public will react to the name.

Personally, I doubt it will have much of a negative effect (having a short, quirky name idoesn't strike me as being as bad as coloring your console purple.) In fact, there's a faint chance that it may become cool, just for being so ridiculous (wishful thinking). But we'll see!

edit: sarcasm tags.

[wandering]

Oh, also, sorry. I have to ask:

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Originally posted by: Mantidor
The problem is that I find myself in the scenario when I actually want this console to fail because of the name, because Ive never been so disgusted in my life. I don't know if it will happen, given the console's features I actually doubt it will happen, but I want it to happen, that makes my stomach revolt.

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Originally posted by: Smash_Brother
I'm almost ashamed to admit this, but the name actually killed my enthusiasm for E3.

What the hell is wrong with you people?  

[Strell]

I stand by my offer.

If you are a big enough whiner that you want the Wii to fail or are no longer interested in it, I will send you ten bucks if you swear to never buy or play one.

It would be money well spent.