Topic: Email Nintendo and tell them you HATE the name!

[Ian Sane]

"Even if competitors throw al that dirt in Nintendo´s face, it will only show one thing: they are afraid of something!"

I don't think that.  In the console business competitors always sh!t on each other if they can.  The only time they don't is if one competitor is so small time that even addressing their existence would be giving them free publicity (ie: Nintendo crapped on Sega but didn't bother with 3DO).  Despite being in last place Nintendo still has a strong enough market share that it's in Microsoft's and Sony's interest to kill them off.  Plus remember that Nintendo is a strong competitor in the portable field.  If Sony can hurt Nintendo's portable success by attacking their console they'll do it.  MS doesn't have a portable but they may want to release one someday.  Plus they'll do better in Japan if Nintendo bites the dust.

I don't think either of them are seriously afraid of Nintendo (maybe Sony in Japan).  I just think they see them as a potential threat that, if it doesn't require much effort, is worth killing off.  If Nintendo is going to pretty much hand you a gun you might as well blow their head off with it to make sure they're not a problem.

[Kairon]

What can I say? I don't share your pessimism on the subject I'm afraid.

In fact, I'm inspired by Nintendo. A willingness to take risks, a courage to challenge conventions, and the uncertainty of a blue ocean market that may or may not receptive to your efforts.

Finally Nintendo is playing anything other than catch-up to its competitors. Finally Nintendo is going to have something better to say than "The PS3 has Jak and Daxter...but uh...we've got Mario!" Finally Nintendo is calling out "Liberty or Death!" and defending their principles, not just for them but for everyone who agrees with that indomitable belief in innate human creative capability.

Nintendo is taking a stand, and so am I. I don't pretend to know how the future will turn out, but I do know this: Nintendo leads me to that precipice of unknown possibilities, and I cannot think of anywhere else I'd rather be headed.

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

[eljefe]

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Originally posted by: Kairon
What can I say? I don't share your pessimism on the subject I'm afraid.

In fact, I'm inspired by Nintendo. A willingness to take risks, a courage to challenge conventions, and the uncertainty of a blue ocean market that may or may not receptive to your efforts.

Finally Nintendo is playing anything other than catch-up to its competitors. Finally Nintendo is going to have something better to say than "The PS3 has Jak and Daxter...but uh...we've got Mario!" Finally Nintendo is calling out "Liberty or Death!" and defending their principles, not just for them but for everyone who agrees with that indomitable belief in innate human creative capability.

Nintendo is taking a stand, and so am I. I don't pretend to know how the future will turn out, but I do know this: Nintendo leads me to that precipice of unknown possibilities, and I cannot think of anywhere else I'd rather be headed.

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

POST OF THE YEAR

seriously well put

Nintendo has always innovated, but recently they kinda lost their spark, the spark of confidence. I don't know all what caused it, but I do know I'm feeling something different coming from them  of late.

Its really quite intangible, but its still quite palpable, and it can be observed and noticed.

Like the wind, you can't see it...but you can observe its effects so you know its there. Its real enough to base decision off of (sailing a boat, hitting a golf ball, etc) but you can't properly explain it to someone else.

 

[Smash_Brother]

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Originally posted by: Kairon In fact, I'm inspired by Nintendo. A willingness to take risks, a courage to challenge conventions, and the uncertainty of a blue ocean market that may or may not receptive to your efforts.

Finally Nintendo is playing anything other than catch-up to its competitors. Finally Nintendo is going to have something better to say than "The PS3 has Jak and Daxter...but uh...we've got Mario!" Finally Nintendo is calling out "Liberty or Death!" and defending their principles, not just for them but for everyone who agrees with that indomitable belief in innate human creative capability.

Nintendo is taking a stand, and so am I. I don't pretend to know how the future will turn out, but I do know this: Nintendo leads me to that precipice of unknown possibilities, and I cannot think of anywhere else I'd rather be headed.

I see them trying to spin their console into something which it's going to take the non-gamer a LOT of convincing to buy.

A weird name which can be dismissed without a second thought by your average non-gamer isn't anything to be excited about. The FHC, yes. The download service, yes, but a marketing gimm!ck name which plays heavily upon puns? That's not exactly challenging conventions. It's more along the lines of pretentious marketing jargon which will likely turn more people off than on.

The name "Wii" may or may not say, "Maybe I should learn more." to people. How many spam messages with off the wall weird names have you deleted from your email today alone? When I see strange advertising, the first thing I think is, "Apparently, it can't sell itself without resorting to bizarre noveau-marketing tactics."

It's the same as throwing paid models into advertisements: if the product isn't good enough to sell on its own, they'll sell it with sex.

Again, I think a straight forward name was the way to go here.

[eljefe]

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Originally posted by: Smash_Brother
I see them trying to spin their console into something which it's going to take the non-gamer a LOT of convincing to buy.

STOP RIGHT THERE.. Will YOU enjoy it? Then maybye others will too...try being optimistic.  Even if noone else does, at least you'll be having loads of fun.

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Again, I think a straight forward name was the way to go here.

Like what?

[Kairon]

Smash, you are meant to play with the Wii name.

Play with it high-brow if you like, play with it low-brow if you like, but just play with it. Be curious and explore it.
It's not a literal name, so it immediately evokes curiousity, and to figure out what it is you need to investigate it and play with it.

Play. As far as bizarre niveau-marketting tactics go, that's a hell of a lot more than a simple pun.

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

[Smash_Brother]

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Originally posted by: eljefe Even if noone else does, at least you'll be having loads of fun.

I will, but I fear that, like the cube, the Wii will experience a software drought later in its life, leaving me to play PC games or go buy another console if I want to play games.

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Like what?

Well, like Revolution: the console which promises a Revolution in gaming. What's wrong with calling it as such?

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Originally posted by: Kairon
Smash, you are meant to play with the Wii name.

Play with it high-brow if you like, play with it low-brow if you like, but just play with it. Be curious and explore it.
It's not a literal name, so it immediately evokes curiousity, and to figure out what it is you need to investigate it and play with it.

Play. As far as bizarre niveau-marketting tactics go, that's a hell of a lot more than a simple pun.

God willing, Nintendo can devise an ad campaign that will make "Wii" hip.

I hate to say it, but ALL of the marbles are riding on what Nintendo can do with advertising here.

[eljefe]

smash:

Revolution, as a name, is NOT as staightforward as people think. And contrary to popular thought, IT TOO needs an explanation.

To someone with no prior knowledge of  videogames, Revolution could be derived from "revolve" (as in RPM) OR from "revolt". Nintendo obviously wanted people to take the latter as its meaning. But, revolt against what? The videogame industry (everything negative at least, the stagnation, excessive focus on niche 'hardcore', excessive focus on graphical updates...) Casual gamers who see a white box at Best Buy with NINTENDO REVOLUTION printed on it, having never heard of it, are not going to instantly know all of that.

So to understand the full meaning of any product you have to have SOME sort of explanation. I think most people just like the explanation of the Rev better than Wii.

[Smash_Brother]

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Originally posted by: eljefe So to understand the full meaning of any product you have to have SOME sort of explanation. I think most people just like the explanation of the Rev better than Wii.

I think that's probably the bottom line, there.

Ideally, Nintendo should be advertising so much that people should know what "Wii" is before they go to the store.

Let's hope they didn't pick the name under the belief that it would allow them to skimp on advertising in favor of word of mouth.

[eljefe]

good points

very true


That's what Kaplan is missing from her comparison to Google, Amazon, iPod. By the time people heard those names they needed their services.

If you needed to find something on the net and someone recommended Google the name wouldn't matter at that moment, and if you were satisfied with service, the name now equaled "search engine".  

If they can make people equate what they see in Ads or play at a friends house as "fun/ easy/ affordable" then Wii, despite its piss-humour baggage, will be a sucess.  

[Smash_Brother]

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Originally posted by: eljefe If they can make people equate what they see in Ads or play at a friends house as "fun/ easy/ affordable" then Wii, despite its piss-humour baggage, will be a sucess.

Exactly.

If they can establish the brand, they'll be fine.

The commercials should just be Reggie screaming at the camera at the top of his lungs, so loud and so intimidating that people won't go for their remotes because they'll be afraid Reggie will be waiting for them on the next channel.

[31 Flavas]

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Originally posted by: Smash_Brother

I agree with Pap that I want it to be a success, but I think that, if the system becomes at all successful in the US, Sony and MS will probably make ads mocking and tearing it down, and I hate to say it, but in the US media, mudslinging works.

Not that I assosicate Nintendo as a cripple, but if you mudsling a cripple you're just seen as a jerk. Even back in the day when Nintendo was #1 with no "kiddy" image, Sega's mudslinging and ridiculing ads against Nintendo and the Gameboy were just seen as offensive, insulting, and patronising.

Blatant attack ads against Wii, if its about it's name. It won't do them any good. They'd just harm them instead. Stick to the numbers (polygons/triangles/whatnot), the advanced silicon, and multimedia. Is a political leader going to win more votes by making an attack ad, that attacks his opponets name? The opponet is Harry P. Johnson, by the way... Or by attacking his credibity to do the job well?  

[Smash_Brother]

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Originally posted by: 31 Flavas Blatant attack ads against Wii, if its about it's name. It won't do them any good. They'd just harm them instead. Stick to the numbers (polygons/triangles/whatnot), the advanced silicon, and multimedia. Is a political leader going to win more votes by making an attack ad, that attacks his opponets name? The opponet is Harry P. Johnson, by the way... Or by attacking his credibity to do the job well?

Easy. You just call everyone who wants Harry Johnson g ay and they won't vote for him out of insecurity.

[The Omen]

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To someone with no prior knowledge of videogames, Revolution could be derived from "revolve" (as in RPM) OR from "revolt". Nintendo obviously wanted people to take the latter as its meaning. But, revolt against what? The videogame industry (everything negative at least, the stagnation, excessive focus on niche 'hardcore', excessive focus on graphical updates...) Casual gamers who see a white box at Best Buy with NINTENDO REVOLUTION printed on it, having never heard of it, are not going to instantly know all of that.

Anyone with a grasp of the english language can pretty much gather what it means, contrary to all of your over analyzing, and circular logic.  

[Artimus]

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Originally posted by: The Omen

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To someone with no prior knowledge of videogames, Revolution could be derived from "revolve" (as in RPM) OR from "revolt". Nintendo obviously wanted people to take the latter as its meaning. But, revolt against what? The videogame industry (everything negative at least, the stagnation, excessive focus on niche 'hardcore', excessive focus on graphical updates...) Casual gamers who see a white box at Best Buy with NINTENDO REVOLUTION printed on it, having never heard of it, are not going to instantly know all of that.

Anyone with a grasp of the english language can pretty much gather what it means, contrary to all of your over analyzing, and circular logic.

Not really. I'd say revolving would be the most likely interpretation. Normal people have no clue there is any need for a revolution, let alone that Nintendo wants one.

[31 Flavas]

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Originally posted by: Smash_Brother

Easy. You just call everyone who wants Harry Johnson ga y and they won't vote for him out of insecurity.

Oh really? Who would you get to air this "YOU ARE HOMOSEXUAL if you vote so and so. Vote Macho Manly Man to prove you are a hetrosexual!" commercial? You won't get it aired on any clear channel radio station, top network TV channel, or in any non-conservative Christian print magazine.

Blatent bigotry/intolerance just doesn't fly with adverstisers these days.

[BiLdItUp1]

I actually did e-mail them about it, got the standard rep response...honestly, I'm used to the name already, I'm just worried about the rxns it'll get. wtvr...this is boring, that's why I wanted to restart speculation on what the systems hidden feature is...

[wandering]

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Oh really? Who would you get to air this "YOU ARE HOMOSEXUAL if you vote so and so. Vote Macho Manly Man to prove you are a hetrosexual!" commercial? You won't get it aired on any clear channel radio station, top network TV channel, or in any non-conservative Christian print magazine.

Blatent bigotry/intolerance just doesn't fly with adverstisers these days.

That's what talk show hosts and shadow organizations and flyers passed around chruches are for. Of course, trying to convince people that they'd be seen as gay if they voted for a certain canidate would be pointless since voting is an anonymous activity, but whatever.

[Smash_Brother]

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Originally posted by: 31 Flavas Oh really? Who would you get to air this "YOU ARE HOMOSEXUAL if you vote so and so. Vote Macho Manly Man to prove you are a hetrosexual!" commercial? You won't get it aired on any clear channel radio station, top network TV channel, or in any non-conservative Christian print magazine.

Blatent bigotry/intolerance just doesn't fly with adverstisers these days.

Who said anything about "blatant"?

If you make a comparison ad with your games being dark and mature and showing your competitor's alleged games as being colorful and immensely fruity, then yeah, you can get away with suggesting that your competition is for homosexuals via means of suggestive advertising.

I only recall MS doing this on their website, not in television advertising.

Suggestively berating your competition is an age old tactic and will pass cleanly under the noses of any censor.

[31 Flavas]

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Originally posted by: wandering

That's what talk show hosts and shadow organizations and flyers passed around chruches are for. Of course, trying to convince people that they'd be seen as gay if they voted for a certain canidate would be pointless since voting is an anonymous activity, but whatever.

Ok, so lets bring this full circle... Smash bro, or you, or whoever is saying Sony and/or Microsoft are going to allow themselves to be labeled as intolerant bigots for the purpose of burying Wii and Nintendo? You're joking, right?

The name calling or "Ga y" labeling just isn't an viable weapon for adverstiments at all.

[wandering]

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Ok, so lets bring this full circle... Smash bro, or you, or whoever is saying Sony and/or Microsoft are going to allow themselves to be labeled as intolerant bigots for the purpose of burying Wii and Nintendo? You're joking, right?

The name calling or "Ga y" labeling just isn't an viable weapon for adverstiments at all.

Of course they wouldn't make a commercial with a tagline like "So go ahead, buy a Wii. If you want everyone to think you're homosexual. Are you homosexual? Didn't think so. Xbox 360. Jump in."

What smash is saying is that they might try to subtly imply the Wii is less...masculine than the competition.

I don't think the Wii opens the door for negative ads or even much ridicule, personally. I don't think there's much of anything objectively wrong with the name, and I think all this wild speculation about the various ways it'll help bring down Nintendo will turn out to be wildly false. But I could be wrong.

[31 Flavas]

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Originally posted by: wandering

Of course they wouldn't make a commercial with a tagline like "So go ahead, buy a Wii. If you want everyone to think you're homosexual. Are you homosexual? Didn't think so. Xbox 360. Jump in."

What smash is saying is that they might try to subtly imply the Wii is less...masculine than the competition.

Suggesting that your competiton's product is less masculine then your product is one thing. And done all the time. 'My beer is more Manly then your Beer', 'My coffee is more exotic then yours', 'Blast Processing', etc....

Implying even ever so subtly that the competing product is inferior by means of being Queer, or Black, or Jewish, is a completely different thing. It may not be illegal and/or something the censors can't prohibit, but you don't want that association following you unless you ARE the KKK or an ultra-conservative christian ministry. It would severly impact all of Sony and Microsoft's other bussiness sales if the court of public opinion judged them guilty of bigotry or anti-semitism.    

[mantidor]

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Originally posted by: Artimus

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Originally posted by: The Omen

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To someone with no prior knowledge of videogames, Revolution could be derived from "revolve" (as in RPM) OR from "revolt". Nintendo obviously wanted people to take the latter as its meaning. But, revolt against what? The videogame industry (everything negative at least, the stagnation, excessive focus on niche 'hardcore', excessive focus on graphical updates...) Casual gamers who see a white box at Best Buy with NINTENDO REVOLUTION printed on it, having never heard of it, are not going to instantly know all of that.

Anyone with a grasp of the english language can pretty much gather what it means, contrary to all of your over analyzing, and circular logic.

Not really. I'd say revolving would be the most likely interpretation. Normal people have no clue there is any need for a revolution, let alone that Nintendo wants one.

I disagree, revolution's first and most usual association is with rebel movements and such, the "revolve around something" is a more technical or scientific meaning, not mainstream. When the beatles sang "you want a revolution" Im pretty sure people didnt think about going in circles.

[The Omen]

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I disagree, revolution's first and most usual association is with rebel movements and such, the "revolve around something" is a more technical or scientific meaning, not mainstream. When the beatles sang "you want a revolution" Im pretty sure people didnt think about going in circles.

Exactly.  There's no need to know a revolution is needed.   You think when Rage Against the Machine named their band, they were worried people would think they were talking about raging against Zerox copiers?  I mean, come on....

[IceCold]

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Is a political leader going to win more votes by making an attack ad, that attacks his opponets name?

I remember a Conservative ad over here putting a picture of Jean Chretien on screen and asking "Do you really want this man to be your leader?" or something like that. Chretien has a condition that disfigures his face. There was immense backlash from this, and it was pulled.

Also, watch the NiGHTS commercial.

Yeah, anecdotes without opinions don't really work