Wii

[Haddas]

I'll be calling it the ENWII

[Obi]

Oh wiiely?

[m0ds]

To me, Wii sounds like a silly name. There's nothing fun about it, nothing sensible - notthing even remotely explanatory of the product. I also like the name "Revolution". A little cheesy, but at least it doesn't sound like it's come straight out of kindergarten. I respect Nintendo, but I think that choice of name is crap - and is targetted at a population of children (fair enough) and people who want to be Japanese (fair enough) - but that's not the "commercial" market. It may be an urban myth but I heard M$ nearly called the new Windows "Longhorn". The first thing that came into my head when I heard that happened to be the first thing a lot of others thought when they first heard it.

Back to Wii - for christs sake didn't they take into consideration in God knows how many countries the word sounds like PISS! WHAT?!

Like ManicMatt predicted, I can see "I need a wee" having a whole new meaning. & I think the name is stupid.

Still, I can say all this because I'll never own one. Period. My NES is still kicking butt, and if I want a console I'll go to Sony. But that's just me!! I wonder how many years before there's 20 different consoles to choose from!!?!11! Still if they put "Wii" out there, it'll sell - blatently!

Slightly off-topic, but it's funny how people are coming round to crapness - the new World Cup song was a flop, to me it sounded more like a ballad to boot cleaning or something.

So in ten years time, saying "Wii" will mean one of either three things:
- Urine
- Yes, in French
- A Nintendo Games console

Rrrrrright.



On a personal note, this kind of thing - where companies give a product the name of something that sounds similar, really gets on my nerves. I think it degrades the original meaning & also shows a real lack of creativity. It almost seems like complete corporate driven bullshit! I for one don't associate "Wii" with any kind of fun, nor would I ever associate it with the act of screaming in fun "Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" either - because thats the LAST noise I'd ever make whilst playing a frigging computer game. Hehehe Anyway, back to point - there was a mobile phone called "Pebl" - pronounced Pebble, which complete destroyed the real meaning of the word "pebble" to me. Younger generations will grow up thinking a "pebble" is a phone & that just doesn't seem right to me. I understand that probably wouldn't happen - but only because "Pebl" wasn't on a global market. A games console reaches millions more & is hyped up in almost every media shape or form to make sure we know about it.

Finally, lets take a look at some of the most recent console names and figure out which one sounds the shittest! LOL!

Playstation - okay, a place I can visit and have some fun perhaps?
Master System - master? must be some kinda daddy
Megadrive - well, my 5 inch floppy drive sucks - so lets try a mega one
GameCube - ooh a cube with lots of games in it!
XBox - Hardcore! its an X, Box!
Wii - what?

Y'know, the funny thing is - when I saw this thread title I thought "Wii" was a shortened version of "Wikipedia".

[Hinders]

My thought on the Wii name is that it was a very good marketing move.

Cos now people is talking about the new nintendo console just because of the name,
what if they had named it the 'Nintendo NG' or some shit, then ppl would not have been
talking so much about it, but just because of the name 'Wii' the console gets so much
attention on the intahnet.

So. Nintendo made a smart move.

//Hinders

[BOYD1981]

Nintendo NG would have opened up a lot more puns not a million miles from the "wee" jokes, if you see what i mean...

[vict0r]

but sony really know how to make their console glow freshly of quality!

that's a joke, right?

No, not really. I agree that the Wii actually looks pretty sexy(dont get me wrong, the ps3 is sexier), but the gc was just a purple plastic box. It's like the "think" car!
I prefer sony when it comes to design. Seriously. Even tho they release too many sequels. Just look at the psp compared to the ds! Dunno why i don't like nintendo actually. Might be the plastic factor. Or the fact that 9/10 games are about mario or samus.

Still, I can say all this because I'll never own one. Period. My NES is still kicking butt, and if I want a console I'll go to Sony. But that's just me!!

Amen brother. Amen. NES and SNES is by far the best consoles. Ever!

And i stumbled across this lately too. Hope you like it more than the hitler one.


No that is not where i got my vibrator joke from! Shut up...

[BOYD1981]

great design you say?
i present to you the PlayStation and the PlayStation 2 in all their angular boxy glory...


if that's great design i'm a barbecue lamp

the only design of Sony's that i really like is the Dual Shock/PS2 controller, it feels more natural than the other consoles with their strangely position analogue sticks.
i found the gamecube controller very uncomfortable to use and too similar to the dreamcast controller (which i guess was similar to the N64 controller), and the xbox controller has too many buttons on the front of it, instead of the black and white buttons they should have added two extra shoulder/trigger buttons...

[ManicMatt]

The PS2's ability to stand both horizontally and vertically meant my console is still alive today.

It always sat horizontally, as it looks better this way, and it's easier to insert the discs. However the laser became old and covered in dust, and eventually the laser lost it's strength and was unable to load up games. Cue putting my PS2 upright. Laser focused! PS2 loads up games again. phew.

[BOYD1981]

hmm, perhaps i should have tried that with my old PS2 instead of thumping it so hard that i rendered it incapable of even realising it had a dvd drive...

[modgeulator]

It all boils down to this: at some point in the next year or so I'm going to go into a games store and ask the clerk "can I have a wee?" When I bought my GameCube the total bonehead at the store actually asked if I realised this was a bit of a kiddie console, I can hardly imagine what the reaction will be like next time around.  :


As for the name "growing on you".... OK, I realise there are weird names, even ugly names that grow on you through positive association. But can anyone name any successful products that sound like a term for bodily functions? Or anything similarly bad?

[Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens]

I'm not particularly impressed by the tv remote design.  Scotch tried to convince me it was good but I still don't see it.  The button placement is unwieldy at best, so the only way I could see me using it is if a 3rd party controller came out with a more l-shaped design that would fit in the palm and have a trigger or something.  Also, if you're going to make something wireless then go all the way.  Having a cable run to the analog extension is just silly.


I'm still waiting for a console called the MCP, complete with ai voice synthesis and neon blue highlights.  The slogan will be:  "You don't play the MCP, it plays you!"

[MrColossal]

you can plug the remote controller like thing into a standard game controller like shell, apparently.

[Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens]

I realize that but the remote is rather long and based on where the analog extension locks in it would be sticking out the top of the controller.  I'd much rather just see another company make a decent remote design for it then have to buy a shell anyway.

[bspeers]

I realize that but the remote is rather long and based on where the analog extension locks in it would be sticking out the top of the controller.  I'd much rather just see another company make a decent remote design for it then have to buy a shell anyway.

Uh, you do know the controller is designed with unique functionality that the shape is specifically built for and that all the early testers were almost instantly won over?

(and also This industry insider)

I guess you probably do know this, since I can't imagine someone commenting on the Wii otherwise--I just think commenting on the poor design of the controller when that is the system's prime feature (and one that has blown away every tester) is a little silly.

Plus, the attachment clearly doesn't come out of the top of the controller, but the bottom (unless I misread you, which wouldn't be the first time).

I mean, it's another plastic consumer item that is going to help kill off our future generations or at least lend to 3rd world kids living in landfills, but at least they'll have some good games to play.

[ManicMatt]

*Reads "instantly won over"*

Oh I see, so you have to wave the remote around at the screen? Now I foresee something else...

LIGHTGUN USER:

"Pow! Take that time crisis generic bad guy! Ooh! My arm aches from holding my gun up too long! Good thing the whole game only lasts an hour! I'll just play something else but with a controller."

WEE USER: (I'm spelling it that way from now on)

"Bounce! Take that generic Mario bad guy! Ooh! My arm aches from holding my remote up too long! Guess I'll have to stop playing and fiddle with my thumbs instead for a while."

[Las Naranjas]

* Las Naranjas is saddened to hear that the sedentary nature of modern youth has enfeebled Matt to such an extent.

[voh]

If you're not open to new experiences, you're limiting yourself.

The Wii offers something new, therefore I am intruiged by it. I don't limit myself, therefore I shall get it, and probably enjoy it, as regular consoles have become fucking boring to me. The PS3 is just the PS2 with better hardware. The 360 is an XBOX with better hardware. The Wii is the Gamecube with better hardware (somewhat) and in addition is offering something new.

The choice is obvious to me, and I was a Nintendo hater up until Sega stopped making consoles. *fondles his megadrive and dreamcast*

[ManicMatt]

No I'm sorry, but if you have to hold your arm up at the screen and wave it around for hours on end to play a game you WILL get arm ache.

Although you might develop really strong arms eventually.

I just enjoy taking the piss (No wee-pun intended), even if the nintendo controller was the best controller in the world ever I'd still not be interested.

Hey m0ds, you forgot the fourth meaning:

Hello my wee boy! (As said by the Irish, meaning small)

[BOYD1981]

well it's not as if you're going to be standing up while playing the games, it's perfectly possible to sit down and rest your arm on your lap while using the controller much like most people do with a normal controller. personally i usually sit leaning forward with my legs open, an elbow on each just above my knee to support my arms, or sometimes i'll sit back and rest the controller on my chest, it depends on how comfortable i am with the controls.
the one good thing about the controller design is that it means the console will most likely have more exclusive games due to the way they are controlled, whereas many games will get both 360 and PS3 releases (aswell as PC) as there isn't any real radically different design in the pads so the controls don't have to be adjusted that much.
and although the pictures of that FPS being controlled with that controller, the movement of which is replicated on the screen, is very impressive i can't help but feel that it could just become a fad and people will eventually want a more traditional controller.
basically i'm for AND against the controller.

[Layabout]

I think the name is a brilliant marketing move by nintendo. I bet right now, and for a while, the internet media, and other websites are going to be absolutly saturated with wii coverage, just because of the name. Ohh XBox 360. Sounds to me that microsoft were looking for something interesting to do, looked around 360 degrees then decided to make exactly the same console (with slightly improved performance). Playstation 3... Um.. sounds like a stupid movie sequel. Maybe they should give it a subtitle...

Marketing is expensive usually. Nintendo saved themselves millions of £'s in one stroke. Genius I say. Sure the name is a bit naff, but when it gets closer to the release, the media will use it for silly taglines to articles.

Best move ever.

At least they are creative, unlike sony or m$.