What The Hell?? Nintendo Wii!!??

[DiemetriX]

Why is Wii a good name?

You can find a good answer here

http://wiredblogs.tripod.com/games/index.blog?entry_id=1467976

[Teppo Holmqvist]

Seems more likely it'd just be a thoughtless oversight on their part or quite simply a case of the trademark taking a few days to register, but y'neve know. Thoughts? (Apologies if this has already been posted)

 

I checked both US and Japan patent offices yesterday and even posted about results here, but nobody cared. Anyways. It is true that Nintendo hasn't claimed Wii as a trademark in neither Japan or USA. But to be frank, trademark for Xbox 360 was filed same day as MTV representation was.

[pedrocasilva]

Thats taken from Kotaku, I have no idea of their reliability and frankly it sounds far too risky for Nintendo to attempt it - Seems more likely it'd just be a thoughtless oversight on their part or quite simply a case of the trademark taking a few days to register, but y'neve know. Thoughts? (Apologies if this has already been posted)

I dunno, but I really don't care.

 

that sounds like a "conspiracy theory" though. I wouldn't give it too much credit. but hey Nintendo is unpredictable.

[ShadowV7]

That is a good answer.Clear and understandable aswell.I like it now anyway.

[DiemetriX]

 

IF YOU REALLY REALLY HATE THE NAME. JUST PATENT IT!

Then Nintendo can't use it.

[Ashley]

1. You were talking about pronunciation, not context, and appeared to be trying to say that 'we' and 'wee' are pronounced differently, which they are clearly not

 

But the idea (or at least the implimentation of context) is dependant upon pronounciation. Context clears up unclear situations, when words are pronounced the same. We don't need to know the context of saying "Im watching TV", becasue TV does not sound like another word for...say the sky. If it did, then we'd need to know the context to clear it up.

 

Nobody says "Im just popping to the toilet for a weeeeeee" (exagerrated to show pronounciation), in fact most people would just say they're going to the toilet, or for a piss/slash/whizz (whatever takes your fancy). Its rare people would ever say "I'm going for a wee", as people are either crass enough to say piss, or bashful enough to not wish to talk about what exactly they are doing in the toilet. And if they did say "im popping to the loo for a wee" nobody, and I mean nobody would think they are going to go get a Wii.

 

Furthermore, when people say "Im pissed off" nobody believes they enjoy taking part in golden showers, because of the context of the situation and its a widely accepted synonymn.

 

To reitterate - context arises because of pronounciate, so we are not arguing two different aspects here.

 

2. 'Wii', as in the console, is a noun. 'We' is never used as a noun, whereas 'wee' is.

 

Personally I'd say "wee" is used more as a verb. You say im going for a wee, its what you're doing, not what you're making. Im aware its both, but in my opinion it is more regarded as a verb than a noun. But that could be a regional thing.

 

And this ongoing joke about people going into game stores saying "I'd like a Wii" please is, granted just a joke, but one not based in actuality. Nintendo fans will ask for, at least, a "Nintendo Wii" (again, no golden showers involving Reggie), and everyday people will ask for one of those "Wii consoles", or "one of your Wii bundles" etc. People will be self conscience about what they're saying, and chose their wording to make it so they don't feel foolish. And, working in a game store, can I request nobody makes jokes about it when they buy it. People always think they're the first but the amount of times I heard "Make sure its a winner!" when serving the lottery at Woolworths was eye-bleedingly annoying. The same will happen. So don't.

[Ramar]

Thats taken from Kotaku, I have no idea of their reliability and frankly it sounds far too risky for Nintendo to attempt it - Seems more likely it'd just be a thoughtless oversight on their part or quite simply a case of the trademark taking a few days to register, but y'neve know. Thoughts? (Apologies if this has already been posted)

 

I have thought about the whole thing, it has created a lot of hype that may have died. But surely it would be waste of time and resources, but then maybe the money spent on a fake name would be worth it, if the shock and a different name revealed created even more talk and a buzz.

 

But I doubt it. Though I find the patent part very odd.

[Smowza]

thousands of posts everywhere so i cant be arsed to check if this has already been talked about.

 

i love this Wii mix vid. love it http://www.btrproductions.org/~traveller/Wii-QT7.mov (prob cuz i love the song 2)

[Helmsly]

That would actually make a great advert IMO. I wish Nintendo would do something like that for an advert here.

 

However there’s still no getting away from the fact that Wii said out loud sounds like Wee. I've heard on 3 different radio stations today where the Nintendo Wii was mentioned and the host/s make a comment on it sounding like Wee. Immature or not I'm not sure that’s a great way for the buzz for Nintendo's new console to start.

 

Check this out: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7935064058166993925&q=Ayds&pl=true. Even though they are talking about a Diet plan called Ayds and they even have the word 'Ayds' written on the screen several times...don't tell me it doesn’t make it sound like they're talking about acquired immune deficiency syndrome.

[Mundi]

I just read what Tim buckley said about the Wii at http://www.ctrlaltdel-online.com and well i think he was one of the few (or the only) webcomics/bloggers that saw through Nintendo´s strategy wih the name

 

Well the internet exploded yesterday on account of the Wii announcement. I don't think anyone expected them to announce the name before E3, but their reason for doing so makes sense. Now we get all of the stupid puns and griping out of the way now, so E3's focus will be on the actual games and system.

 

I had people sending me links to an online petition to get the name changed back to Revolution. Gimme a break. First of all, if you think any actual corporation takes an online petition seriously, I've got a bridge to sell you. Second, it's just a name. Get over it. It sounds silly? Yeah, well what the fuck is a "google"? That's what I thought.

 

(Update: So you can stop emailing me, a "googol" is the term for the very large number. A google is nothing. They are not the same thing.)

 

Like the name or not, every single tech related webpage, blog, or forum was talking about the Wii yesterday. You can't buy that kind of media exposure. And Nintendo got it for free yesterday. The little poem they wrote explaining the meaning of Wii might have been a bit cheesy, but A++ in Business 101 for Nintendo.

 

Personally the name has grown on me. Visually I like it. I haven't actually had to say "Nintendo Wii" out loud in conversation yet, so we'll see how that goes. But when it comes down to it, what the hell do I care what they name their system? I just want to play the video games.

[Aussie]

Look everyone get over it's called Wii & thats it live with it & if you don't then who cares :P also it sounds like you all care more about the name then what games you will be playing on it soon

[Sixfold01]

I wonder how long this crazy rambling will last! Bwahhaha, it's Wii!!! Just leave it be! First the Anger phase, everyone yells at how much they hate the new name. Second the Joke phase, bwhahaha lets make fun of Wii because its a homophone of the word wee which means urine! Third the Acceptance phase (many of you haven't gotten past the first phase...), accept it guys, its what Nintendo wants, I'm sure you'll all love the name by E3!!! Hoooooray E3!!!!!

[Mike]

Its rare people would ever say "I'm going for a wee", as people are either crass enough to say piss, or bashful enough to not wish to talk about what exactly they are doing in the toilet.

 

I say that I'm going for a wee, and so do a lot of other people I know. It doesn't make us immature, as people on here have been suggesting - it's just what we say.

 

Furthermore, when people say "I'm pissed off" nobody believes they enjoy taking part in golden showers, because of the context of the situation and its a widely accepted synonymn.

 

Agreed, but as of yet, Wii is not a widely accepted console name. I'm sure we all will get used to it in the end, but it doesn't change the fact that the first time people hear it, especially British people, they will probably think of 'wee'. The response that the name got on this forum when it was announced proves that.

 

 

Personally I'd say "wee" is used more as a verb. You say im going for a wee, its what you're doing, not what you're making. Im aware its both, but in my opinion it is more regarded as a verb than a noun. But that could be a regional thing.

 

I see what you're saying, but when you say 'I'm going for a wee', you can't escape the fact that, grammatically, you're using it as a noun.

 

 

People will be self conscience about what they're saying, and chose their wording to make it so they don't feel foolish.

 

Exactly. People will feel self-conscious when they go and ask for one at the shop, and that just proves what a mistake naming the console Wii is. If consumers are going to feel embarrassed asking for one, that's hardly a good start, is it?

 

 

*sigh* I'm so tired of this discussion. The jokes aren't funny anymore, but for me, the problem still remains. I've had conversations with my girlfriend about it, and 'Wii' doesn't get any easier to say out loud. Sure, we could refer to it as something else, but the point is, we shouldn't have to.

 

I don't want to think this. I just wish I could see things your way..

[Choze]

GAME staff are pioneers of customer service. They wont make you feel embarassed for buying a wee. The Wee section should be nicely hidden at the back too.

[Sixfold01]

Oh shush, Wii is a brilliant name, you stinky opposers of its greatness just haven't gotten past your silly immature jokes. It was funny for the first 3 seconds, but c'mon its a genious marketing idea. You'll see!!! 3 cheers for Nintendo!

[Mike]

Oh shush, Wii is a brilliant name, you stinky opposers of its greatness just haven't gotten past your silly immature jokes. It was funny for the first 3 seconds, but c'mon its a genious marketing idea. You'll see!!! 3 cheers for Nintendo!

 

Are you not reading what I'm saying? I don't think it's a bad name because it's funny - I'm saying it's a bad name because of its negative connotations, and because it will make consumers think of wee.

[AshMat]

I'm finally used to it, but it'll keep feeling wierd until everyone stops the piss references, i mean come one, they're really old now.

[Owen]

Theres some stupid people on the Gamesradar boards who aren't buying a console because of it's name! What a joke!

 

If Nintendo have lost sales because they called there console Wii (which i'm totally loving now) then i don't know what to think of people in the world now.

 

In the Madden interview (which was really positive) he kept using the name wii and it looked so right! It's cool and unique, get used to it people PLEASE!

 

[Phube]

Are you not reading what I'm saying? I don't think it's a bad name because it's funny - I'm saying it's a bad name because of its negative connotations, and because it will make consumers think of wee.

 

So this has stopped people buying Disney merchandise with the word Pooh (yes it sound just like poo *snigger*) all over it has it??? Maybe if you're 12 or 13 you'd have a problem but anyone with an ounce of maturity won't!!

 

But I mean who actullay goes into a shop to but stuff anyway, GAME and the like are a complete rip-off compared with Amazon and the like!!!

[Pestneb]

Are you not reading what I'm saying? I don't think it's a bad name because it's funny - I'm saying it's a bad name because of its negative connotations, and because it will make consumers think of wee.

 

is wee negative though? not having a wee is negative, having a wee (especially if you're bursting) is a good thing, that everyone does.

I think most people will split the name into two syllables, or call it a wi if they're too embarassed to say we.

or, just buy it online, and never have to say the name

[K-project]

I spoke with branding company Igor International yesterday about Nintendo’s choice of Wii as the new name for their next-gen console.

 

During the interview Steve Manning became convinced that Nintendo had deliberately picked a bad name for the console and that it was, in fact, fake. Manning thinks that Nintendo is creating an enormous viral campaign by releasing a fake name and then coming back during E3 and announcing the real one.

 

It looks like he’s not the only one who thinks this. Site Snark Hunting is also convinced, here’s why:

 

Crazy? Here is the first clue, “By letting the gaming community vent now about the name, they will be less distracted as launch titles for the system are announced and initial reports about what it’s like to play the games begin to come in.†Allowing your audience time to vent is not SOP in a name announcement, and also telegraphs that Nintendo knows what a stinker this name would be.

 

Second, it’s not possible to engineer a worse name for this product.

 

Third, and this is a big one, there are no trademarks registered by Nintendo nor by any dummy corp in the U.S or over there for Wii. This is unprecedented for Nintendo and it is not possible that his is an oversight. If Wii were the name, they would have registered it. In fact, no new trademarks have been registered by Nintendo at all. This leads us to conclude that Nintendo has in fact registered the real name under a dummy corp, which is SOP when trying to keep a name a secret prior to launch.

 

I’ve asked Nintendo reps straight out if this was the case, several times, and they deny it through and through. They also say they don’t know why the name isn’t yet trademarked.

 

Manning is now calling this the “most savvy name announcement we have seen in many years.â€

 

We think Nintendo is setting you all up to be Punk’d at E3, generating a massive amount of positive buzz when the scam and the real new name are announced.

 

Given that their video game audience is the same demographic as Punk’d, the whole campaign is perversely elegant. Except of course for failing to make the illusion complete by registering a TM for Wii.

 

Personally, I think this would run too many risks and could far too easily backfire for Nintendo to attempt it. I’m thinking Nintendo just thinks the shock is going to create an instant and lasting impression.

 

I don't think that any of this is as amazing as it sounds, and is actually quite easily feasible surely. The only issue here is the idea that it could quite easily backfire. While I really don't mind the new name at all, I do reckon it could be a very very clever marketing ploy that they will expose at E3 with another new name. At the end of the day, the entire world's forums were talking about Wii yesterday. You can't buy that kind of consumer focus on any one product.

 

The new Nintendo console could be absolutely huge indeed.

[Jay]

To be honest I'm perfectly happy if the name remains 'Wii' its really growing on me and I'm really hyped about playing it

[AshMat]

Don't think this ahs been posted yet:

Piss jokes ahoy inside

http://www.pressstartonline.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=340&Itemid=70

[volvis]

Not being an English native speaker has it perks. I keep thinking it as "Nintendo Wheee!", and we joked about them renaming their next console "Nintendo Wo-hoo!"...

 

For Nintendo to go and expand the market, they need to expand their image. People don't think about "Apple music player": it's just iPod. Just like the new market won't think of it "Nintendo game machine": it's just Wii.

 

Problem with Revolution is that it connotates power and strength, things that it is not. Wii connotates, among other things, fun and simplicity.

 

Wii is a fun name. And that animation at Nintendo.com would make a killer power-screen! XD

[Ashley]

But I mean who actullay goes into a shop to but stuff anyway, GAME and the like are a complete rip-off compared with Amazon and the like!!!

 

A lot of everyday people, its only the "hardcore" who shop online. Oh and impatient people shop instore too. Looking at Amazon theres only a £7 difference between the PS2 in store and online, and £2 on the DS. I'd say Amazon are ripping you off considering they don't have as big outgoings (electric, rent, water, employees etc).