Developers React To 'Wii' 499
Gamasutra has reactions from game developers to the announcement of the Revolution's new commercial name, 'Wii'. From the article: "It doesn't change my personal opinions of the console in the slightest. It changes my opinion of the Nintendo marketing department considerably. Did they even bother to research this? Why do they do these things? What was wrong with 'Revolution'? It's bad enough that the Japanese have a drink called "Sweat," but at least they don't try to export it to the English-speaking world with that name. Am I supposed to be happy about having to go down to the game store to purchase the 'Nintendo Wee'? For God's sake, where was Miyamoto? I can't believe he would have let this get by. - Ernest Adams"
Story title misspelled (Score:5, Funny)
Collective developer reaction... (Score:5, Funny)
Slashdotters react to Wii... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:What a Constructive Mentality! (Score:5, Funny)
I think they changed the name in order to avoid a miscconception that users wouldn't be able to plug it into their TVs -- after all, The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.
Geez... (Score:3, Funny)
can't believe I havent seen this yet... (Score:4, Funny)
(Shameless threebrain reference, but I know a bunch of you get it...)
On a more serious note, what I really see this as is a big gamble on the part of Nintendo. They are hoping to create a catchy enough name that the name gets a life of it's own on some level. It's a big gamble, and one I would not have put the remaining reputation of the company on myself.
From a development standpoint, the thing to note here is that I would be willing to bet they're going to target marketing on this more at the child audience and much less at the young adult/adult audience (which is basically how the gamecube worked out for them.) At that level then you can target what kind of game development you are going to do on this platform. Don't expect a bunch of high concept fantasy rpg's and gory blood drenched FPS's on this one. Expect a lot of -Kart , generic sports game, generic mario franchise extension, and stuff your 6 year old niece/nephew won't be able to get enough of. All packaged in a name easy enough for a 3 year old to chant.
Disney (Score:5, Funny)
Would you make the same argument if they called it Nintendo Poo?
Only Disney would release a video game product called Poo [amazon.com]h.
Re:What a Constructive Mentality! (Score:2, Funny)
Dick Butkus is different. Nintendo doesn't expect the masses to buy Dick Butkus and use his body to play video games with. I expect, however, that more people would actually like the Nintendo Dick Butkus more than the Nintendo Wii. At least it sounds like the name of some badass, future-noir cyborg detective.
You're right, of course. (Score:5, Funny)
2006: After over a hundred years in business and only one unprofitable quarter, Nintendo is finally forced to shutter its doors for good. In spite of its lower price, innovative technology, built-in back catalog emulation, strong first-party licenses and third-party support from industry giants such as Electronic Arts and Ubisoft, the Wii's chances are destroyed by an endless barrage of trenchant insults from brilliant internet punsmiths who refuse to 'play with Nintendo's Wii.' Microsoft and Sony duel over the gradually diminishing population of hardcore gamers.
2007: Videogame industry continues to shrink. Internet punsmiths realize that 'PS3' sounds kind of like 'piss three,' sort of. Sony is subjected to ridicule from hardcore gamers and Microsoft leaps ahead in market share.
2010: Microsoft releases new console, the Microsoft Penetrator. Ads featuring a man whipping women in the face with his erect penis (tag line: The Penetrator. Is it in you?) are met with enthusiastic approval by the hardcore crowd.
2011: The release of Sony's new console, the Sony Overcompensator, is too little and too late. The consumer electronics giant shutters its doors for the last time.
2012: The Phantom is released. A console so masculine that it actually impregnates women who've never even laid eyes on one, the Phantom quickly dominates the now-anemic videogames industry.
2013-2099: The Phantom precipitates a population boom. Resource wars trigger a new global dark age.
2100: The end of videogaming, forever. A new era of social, civic and intellectual engagement dawns.
Re:Stupid Nintendo (Score:3, Funny)
What in the world do you mean by "disaster"? Do you really think that the system will tank because of the name "Wii"?
Re:We'll call it the WiiNES! (Score:4, Funny)
However, I'm fairly confident that Revolution was just the codename (much like how Dolphin became Gamecube), but people just liked it and assumed it would be the final name. I liked it too, but having the name Wii won't stop me getting one if I do indeed end up wanting one (of the upcoming three, it's the only one in which I have a vague interest, unless an FF7 remake comes out for the PS3 which was vaguely hinted at by that tech demo a while back).
Burning Karma... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:There is no such thing as bad publicity (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Burning Karma... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:We'll call it the WiiNES! (Score:4, Funny)
Wii my ass!(*). I can't wait to get my hands on a NES FOKR
*No, actually, on second thoughts please don't "wii my ass.". It sounds highly unsanitary.
Japanese drinks (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Exactly (Score:2, Funny)
I've yet to see a slashdotter deny that they like playing with their penis, regardless of how diminutive and urine producing it may be.