Nintendo shoots themselves in the foot... again

[Shawn]

The Nintendo Revolution has been renamed to 'Wii' (http://money.cnn.com/2006/04/27/commentary/game_over/nintendo/index.htm)

http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/5804/wii0pe.png (http://revolution.nintendo.com/)

My favorite part of the article:
"Here, I'll do it: Worst console name ever," wrote Chris Remo, an editor at Shacknews.com, whose sentiments were immediately echoed by dozens of users. Forum members on Gamespot.com, IGN.com and other gaming sites expressed similar thoughts.

Kaplan said the criticism was not unexpected, given Wii's uniqueness.:rolleyes It's not stupid, it's unique.

I'll skip right past all of the puns and just say this: I don't dislike the name because it's silly and difficult to say with a straight face. I dislike it because it reeks of "me too!" as Nintendo tries to cash in on Apple's 'chic' style.

[Rod Stafford]

Don't know what I think about that name yet. I prefered the name Revolution but regardless, Nintendo wouldn't be Nintendo if they were orthodox.

[Khendon Sevon]

Nintendo is doomed.

Who comes up with this junk? Seriously?

[Dimitri Vojslav]

Nintendo isn't doomed - a name, does not preordain a single thing except initial reaction. Once the games come out and people play them, thats when the console's fate will be decided, or at least influenced. A name means absolutely nothing. The Beatles' chose a bad name for their band - there's nothing special about it, its not clever or meaningful - but they became (probably) the most successful band in the world. The name did nothing to hinder their success. And I'm confident that Nintendo's console will not suffer as a result of choosing a name that sounds silly on first hearing it.

[Khendon Sevon]

Originally posted by Dimitri Vojslav
Nintendo isn't doomed - a name, does not preordain a single thing except initial reaction. Once the games come out and people play them, thats when the console's fate will be decided, or at least influenced. A name means absolutely nothing. The Beatles' chose a bad name for their band - there's nothing special about it, its not clever or meaningful - but they became (probably) the most successful band in the world. The name did nothing to hinder their success. And I'm confident that Nintendo's console will not suffer as a result of choosing a name that sounds silly on first hearing it.

Uh... marketing disagrees.

Initial reaction is key. It decides the opinion that an individual will have when using the product.

I think the only redemption will be if it's a brilliant system. I can't see that being the case. Nintendo is going the way of Atari.

[Ezra Khaine]

I have but one thing to say in regard to the name: "WTF?!"

[Shawn]

nah, now I think we're delving into the realm of overreaction. Nintendo has its niche, and that group will buy whatever they put out, whatever they call it.

I'm actually glad that Nintendo is experimenting with different gameplay concepts. While they may not all pan out, they occasionally strike gold. Despite my initial misgivings about it, the DS has quickly become my favorite videogame system I've ever owned.

I have no idea how the <s>Revolution</s> Wii will pan out, but if it results in more quirky titles like Trauma Center and Ouendan, I very well may pick up my first Nintendo console since the NES.

It's still a monumentally dumb name, though.

[Khendon Sevon]

Nah, I was saying Nintendo was going to go under since before they even declared the Revolution.

It's my portend based on their slipping console sales, etc.

Now, their hand-helds, yeah, they're doing relatively well with those.

I don't really mean they'll disappear. They're going to stop developing consoles, though, I have no doubt. I think Wii is a step towards that failure.

[Ryan Pode]

Wasn't the gamecube called something really cool before gamecube?

[Ezra Khaine]

The Dolphin?

Or was that a different system all together?

[Vega Van-Derveld]

Yeah, I think that was the gamecube.

As for the "Wii", as much as I love me some Nintendo, I'd be more put off by the consoles remote style control.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Nunchucks!

The controller, while being hailed as Revolutionary, or "Wii-tastic," looks so complicated that I'm sure some small child will accidentally wrap it around their neck and chaos will ensue.

[Vega Van-Derveld]

... I'm not sure which controllers you're referring to. I was talking about these:

http://sw-fans.net/forum/attachment.php?s=&postid=756736

[Lilaena De'Ville]

http://news.com.com/i/ne/p/2005/0916nintendopic3_400x447.jpg this one?

It's reportedly fantastic for manuevering through 3-D space within a game. http://www.nintendorks.com/archives/001683.php

[Ryan Pode]

Tim Buckley made a good point:

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.

[Nathanial K'cansce]

I actually think I will really enjoy the controller system that Nintendo will be putting out with the Wii.

Heh, silly name.

[JMK]

Originally posted by Dimitri Vojslav
Nintendo isn't doomed - a name, does not preordain a single thing except initial reaction. Once the games come out and people play them, thats when the console's fate will be decided, or at least influenced. A name means absolutely nothing. The Beatles' chose a bad name for their band - there's nothing special about it, its not clever or meaningful - but they became (probably) the most successful band in the world. The name did nothing to hinder their success. And I'm confident that Nintendo's console will not suffer as a result of choosing a name that sounds silly on first hearing it.

Correct on all points.

People will forgive the odd name if the games are great.

And think of it this way: if there's no such thing as bad publicity, as some believe, this this name and subsequent release is a stroke of genius. If they had stuck with 'revolution', we wouldn't even be talking about it. Now they release a name that had raised more than a few eyebrows and we here alone have a pretty active thread about it. That's great marketing. Get the name out there, get people talking and let the product take care of itself.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Yeah, but is it "Wii" or "the Wii" ? :huh

[Mitch]

The change in name could also have something to do with the new Xbox being called the 360, AKA, a revolution.

But, instead of designing a system that ends up EXACTLY BACK WHERE IT STARTED like Microsoft did, Nintendo is making something radically new. It looks fun, the controller will take getting used to, but I'm glad Nintendo is making new things. Even though that means I play my Playstation a lot more than my Gamecube because while there are some cool things on the GC, there aren't THAT many.

[Morgan Evanar]

They certainly could have picked a better name.

[Mandy with an I]

Wii makes me think of the french word for "yes" ^_^;

The "remote" controllers would be awesome if they were sideways (longways?). I agree though, if the games are fun, no-one will care what the name is.


but if it results in more quirky titles like Trauma Center and Ouendan, I very well may pick up my first Nintendo console since the NES.

Trauma Center = :thumbup

[Nathanial K'cansce]

All I have to say about the controllers: future Star Wars games with lightsabers.

[Shawn]

Originally posted by Mandy with an I
Trauma Center = :thumbup I read that a Trauma Center game is confirmed for the Wii. This is going to be one expensive hardware generation, for me. :(

edit: http://revolution.ign.com/objects/815/815016.html

[Pierce Tondry]

When I heard this was the result, I just laughed and dismissed Nintendo's ability to market to American audiences as inept and weak.

[Zasz Grimm]

That controller is going to be horrible for gameplay.

I hate having to buy this piece of crap just to be able to play the zelda game thats going to be on it.

[Shawn]

Personally, I'm pretty tired of Nintendo's big franchises. While I wouldn't say they're bad games, I just don't understand why everyone frothes at the mouth at the prospect of a new Mario or Zelda game. Then again, I haven't really felt their recent iterations where anything to write home about, either.

There's absolutely no way there won't be a Star Wars game for the Wii. You heard it here first. :D

[Pierce Tondry]

That prospect isn't as appealing as it once was. I really don't know what else they could do in a SW game that they haven't already, except update the usual characteristics of graphics, controls, etc.

I guess I am looking for a really cool blockbuster of a title to get me interested in console games again.

[Fiona Devlin]

and here I am still wishing I had a gamecube.

[Shawn]

Originally posted by Pierce Tondry
That prospect isn't as appealing as it once was. I really don't know what else they could do in a SW game that they haven't already...http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/9810/revforce5yv.gif

[Nathanial K'cansce]

So long as it's played better than those silly arcade games with the motion detector with the rubber sword thing, then drool city is only 100 miles away. :smokin

[Oriadin]

Personally I think the name is a grower. The name may sound really silly if said outloud, by the symbol just looks cool.

The controlers Im intregued to see working. Until you have had a go and a play I think it will be difficult to judge just how good it is. The prospect of using the controler for a lightsaber quite simply rocks! FPS should be pretty awsome too. I read some time ago that there would be an adapter so you could plug in your gamecube controlers. Not sure if thats true or not but could be good for conventional some games. This would also make sense since Wii is suposed to allow you to play old games on the system through some kinda download service.

The controller is supposed to work long way round too, so again for the old nes classics, it will be like using the original controller.

Of all the next gen consoles, this one has my attention the most. Id love to have a go and see how exactly its going to work. Sure, the name sounds kinda dumb but who knows what the possibilites are with this kind of device?

[Pierce Tondry]

Originally posted by Shawn
lightsabers zomg


Alright, I'll grant you that functional lightsaber battles would perk my interest, but it'd have to be pretty damn good. I've played a few of the, shall we say, less-functional variants so the novelty factor isn't there to excite me anymore.

[Nathanial K'cansce]

I heard some stuff on Madden games with controls... let's just say it seems like a lot of fun to be able to throw the football with a hand and be able to control its velocity with said motion. As well as other options in game, such as runing, juke and jiving, stiff arming...

I dunno, just the whole newness of the controls, *if* they can implement them well, will be a huge selling point for this system, weakn name or not.

[Nathanial K'cansce]

Nintendo gave TIME the first look at its new controller–but before I pick it up, Miyamoto suggests that I remove my jacket. That turns out to be a good idea. The first game I try–Miyamoto walks me through it, which to a gamer is the rough equivalent of getting to trade bons mots with Jerry Seinfeld–is a Warioware title (Wario being Mario’s shorter, fatter evil twin). It consists of dozens of manic five-second mini games in a row. They’re geared to the Japanese gaming sensibility, which has a zany, cartoonish, game-show bent. In one hot minute, I use the controller to swat a fly, do squat-thrusts as a weight lifter, turn a key in a lock, catch a fish, drive a car, sauté some vegetables, balance a broom on my outstretched hand, color in a circle and fence with a foil. And yes, dance the hula. Since very few people outside Nintendo have seen the new hardware, the room is watching me closely.

It’s a remarkable experience. Instead of passively playing the games, with the new controller you physically perform them. You act them out. It’s almost like theater: the fourth wall between game and player dissolves. The sense of immersion–the illusion that you, personally, are projected into the game world–is powerful. And there’s an instant party atmosphere in the room. One advantage of the new controller is that it not only is fun, it looks fun. When you play with an old-style controller, you look like a loser, a blank-eyed joystick fondler. But when you’re jumping around and shaking your hulamaker, everybody’s having a good time.

After Warioware, we play scenes from the upcoming Legend of Zelda title, Twilight Princess, a moody, dark (by Nintendo’s Disneyesque standards) fantasy adventure. Now I’m Errol Flynn, sword fighting with the controller, then aiming a bow and arrow, then using it as a fishing rod, reeling in a stubborn virtual fish. The third game, and probably the most fun, is also the simplest: tennis. The controller becomes a racket, and I’m smacking forehands and stroking backhands. The sensors are fine enough that you can scoop under the ball to lob it, or slice it for spin. At the end, I don’t so much put the controller down as have it pried from my hands.

http://www.shacknews.com/ja.zz?comments=42037