We React to "Wii"
By: VGGEN StaffAndrew Joy
I'll be honest with you, I was shocked when I first heard what Nintendo changed their console's name to. The taunts that would now follow Nintendo fans were already becoming apparent and, no matter how universal the name, I'm certain the first time someone mentions it only takes one hand to play with their Wii, they're going to get their ass kicked. But all jokes aside, yesterday marked a sad day for video gamers: there were cries of outrage, a heap of unanswered questions and, though I'd rather not say, even a few tears - and I have no idea how anybody else reacted to all this! But then I remembered something. I remembered how confused I was when I first heard about the Nintendo DS and first laid eyes on the controller-formerly-known-as-Revmote, and how, in time, even those ideas became less appalling and more appealing. And then, just like, everything became clear...
So here's what I think of the name change now: brilliant! Perhaps so brilliant it may be considered the worst mistake in the history of video games. The system's codename, the Revolution, was something that older, perhaps more vain gamer's could rally behind - once they got past the system's, um, unique controller, that is - putting it before such uninspired names as "Xbox 360" and "PlayStation 3." While that may have helped Nintendo shed its kiddie image (if only just a little), children are still an important demographic in a consumer-driven world, and that's hard to ignore. But not many youngsters are going to understand the concept behind Revolution, while everyone understands Wii.
Now that Nintendo finally had gamers looking at the possibilities of its system, and more and more game developers were pledging their support to it everyday, the company had the freedom to make its final move, a coup de grace, if you will, to collectively put each and every last gamer into its pocket. The Nintendo Wii has taken steps to capitalize on its history and loyalty with the "virtual console" and promising new installments to series people have come to know and love over the years. Its controller, however unorthodox and experimental, has proved once again that Nintendo is a master of innovation. And the final name, the Nintendo Wii, was one of their final steps (the last, I'm sure, will be the price). So, while others may be saying, "Start the Revolution without me," I still think "Wii will rock you!"
J. Michael Neal
There is a short list of video game console names that sounded cool upon unveiling, and you know what? None of the greats are on it - 2600, Entertainment System, Game Boy, Dreamcast, Xbox. Your first reaction is always the same - screw up your face, tweak an eyebrow upward, think something like "why'd they pick that?" The Nintendo Wii is no exception. I'll admit, it's definitely up there on the "worst names ever" list, but I'll also admit I honestly laughed out loud when I first heard Sony was getting into the console market and that they were calling their machine the "PlayStation." Look how that little endeavor turned out. What I'm trying to say is yes Wii is a horrible name, and yes every message board clogging fanboy and self-proclaimed game humorist on the planet's tripping over themselves to take shots and Monday morning quarterback, but a good damn console can transform the lamest of names into something respectable. As soon as Zelda comes out for it, you'll be wearing Wii hats along with the rest of them.
Nick Arvites
If you haven't read my editorial yet, it pretty much explains my position. I feel that Wii is the worst possible name they could have chosen, and I think there was ultimately nothing wrong with Revolution. Nintendo's attempt to justify it by saying "Many names sound silly when you first hear them" doesn't hold water because those products weren't called something else for a year and didn't have a year's worth of branding built into them. The universal name also doesn't justify the change. An Xbox is an Xbox anywhere in the world, just like a Playstation is a Playstation anywhere in the world. Their final justification, that the others are simply building on existing brands while they create new brands, does not make sense. Revolution was a new brand. The project wasn't called the Gamecube II, it was the Revolution. Perhaps the biggest worry is the image Nintendo is abandoning. Revolution brought in imagry of change, a new look, and generally a new direction for the Big N. Wii looks to be more of the same: a sterile, more of the same, preaching to the choir system from a company that becomes more and more niche with every passing generation.
Cameron Morris
Out of all the things that have been blown out of proportion about the Revolution - or Wii, now - this is probably the most recent.
I'm not going to defend the Wii as a name, because I've only managed to get used to it only a very little. It doesn't resonate like "Revolution", doesn't have the same weight, and it will never carry the same air of carefully measured pretension and potential for greatness. But in time, at least, the jokes will stop (except on the playground) and "wii" will come to be defined by the product it's meant to label instead of the words it sounds so much like. That's the way this kind of thing happens, you know; eventually the word will be identified with the product instead of the other way around.
And if you're a nut for Nintendo and have to weather through the jokes, don't worry about it too much. You might not be able to tell from Nick's little reactionary article, but the fact of the matter is that every part of the Revolution has been ridiculed in nearly the same way, every single time somethign new has been revealed. In fact, the furor over the name isn't nearly as bad as the absolute hysterical laughter that was the first reaction to the controller. I remember being far more stunned by that remote control-looking gizmo than I was by the name "Wii".
...I will admit, though, that Nintendo better have some games to show off at E3 to either compliment or draw attention away from the new moniker. The sooner we move on the better.
Jared Black
I know what Nintendo is trying to do, and I even appreciate it on some levels...but "Wii?" Nintendo's audience has traditionally skewed younger than Sony or Microsoft's, and I can imagine those younger Nintendo fans having to endure taunt after taunt on school playgrounds across North America. They still care, right? I mean, I was in the NES/SNES camp growing up, and I know I had many arguments with Sega nuts. Seriously, would you want to be a youngster defending a system where the name alone makes it so easy to make so many juvenile jokes about it?
That being said, I think it was very smart for Nintendo to go ahead and announce the name now. Everyone will be used to it by the time E3 rolls around, where the company can once again put the focus on an already impressive lineup of 1st and 3rd party titles (and there are many we don't know about!). And who knows, maybe by the time the thing launches Nintendo will have successfully built a brand out if it. Like Cameron said, in almost all situations the product eventually comes to define the name. And, at some point the "wee wee" jokes are bound to get old...even for 11 year olds.
Still, I'll miss Revolution. That name had power behind it, and showed that Nintendo meant business. Wii just doesn't have the same punch.
Siou Choy
Wow. What a stupid corporate decision this was. "Nintendo Revolution" didn't exactly leave me breathless, but "Wii?" You've got to be kidding me. What were they shooting for, urination jokes (wee wee)? 70's porn mag memories (Oui)? Some sort of statement of solidarity with the French in comment against the "good ol'boy" "freedom fries" xenophobia that's been so repulsively ubiquitous over the past few years (Mais oui!!!)?
Whatever the thought (or lack thereof) that went into this, the end result is a disaster of New Coke proportions (anybody else here remember 1985?). Nintendo has officially shot themselves in the foot, big-time. The bizarre and unprecedented name change, alongside the asinine decision to make the system’s controller akin to a TV remote, will probably find them in Sega territory very soon (history repeats itself, sooner than expected).
What a boneheaded maneuver. It looks like we’ll be talking about Nintendo the developer vs. Nintendo the competitor very soon…so, which will it be, PS3 or Xbox 360?