Goodbye Revolution, hello Nintendo GO?

by James Ransom-Wiley { Mar 23rd 2006 at 11:07AM }

If this logo is to be believed, then the Nintendo Revolution may have just become the 'Nintendo GO.' The image was featured on a (reportedly) leaked presentation slide originating from Japan. Engadget has posted a larger segment of the slide, which contains some fragments of Japanese text, but lacks crucial information.

'Go' doesn't exactly resonate like 'Revolution,' but as several Engadget commenters have pointed out, this could actually be go as in the Japanese word for 'five.' Technically, this will be Nintendo's fifth console. 'Nintendo 5,' eh? What say you, Iwata-san?

Tags: Nintendo GO, NintendoGo

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

unreal mccoy @ Mar 23rd 2006 11:12AM

I don't know... maybe GO is the name of the Nintendo download service, or some other online feature.

Or maybe a new handheld.

It just doesn't strike me as a good console brand. But neither did N64 at first...

mike @ Mar 23rd 2006 11:14AM

I thought that was for the online VC

Nintendo Gaming Online?

Ben @ Mar 23rd 2006 11:14AM

Although the cube like logo would keep in theme with the two previous consoles, I don't think they would have naything to do with the number 5 as it would seem to try and be better than the PS3, hence why there is an xbox 360 and not xbox 2.

Plus, there has already been a 64 so whay drop down to 5. I think they should just keep revolution to be honest.

RP @ Mar 23rd 2006 11:14AM

It could quite well be real, but given that Go is a popular Japanese game, i doubt they'd use that for a console name. It's most likely connected with one of their non-console ventures (like that card game thing), or is going to be a little game for the Revolution (possibly download only?).

Sense @ Mar 23rd 2006 11:15AM

I think someone floated the idea of calling it the NES 5 a few months ago. I always thought that would be a cool name, as I have many fond memories of my NES. Until my dog peed on it anyway.

I'd be happy with Nintendo 5. I'm not sure what to think about the plus sign cube thing though.

BallzDeep @ Mar 23rd 2006 11:15AM

Whats up with that blocky-logo thing?

the Gamecube "cube" logo was far more aesthetically pleasing...

eh, whatever, I don't really care what this system is called. I'm still doing whatever I can to pick one up on launch day.

Stu L Tissimus @ Mar 23rd 2006 11:20AM

I hate to admit it, but this looks very professional. Also, it fits with the 3D logos they've been using since N64.

Woah! @ Mar 23rd 2006 11:20AM

I blame shiggy for this.

turken @ Mar 23rd 2006 11:24AM

I'll second the thought that it doesn't resonate very well as a console name, but would work quite well as a name for the network services. GO - Gaming Online, GO - Get Online, etc. Lot's of marketing options for a network.

deer @ Mar 23rd 2006 11:25AM

I'm used to the name "Revolution" mainly cause it's been around for a while now. But I do like the name "GO". Rolls off the tongue better and it makes sense with the whole GO meaning 5 in Japanese. I always thought Revolution was too generic and unorginal. I say change it to GO! haha!

tetsuo @ Mar 23rd 2006 11:25AM

Go is japanese for 5, and go can also stand for ogaming online. Looks like a dumb name with many meanings. It probably also alludes to the fact that you can download games, put them on your ds (or next portable system), and go play them wherever and whenever you want.

Prof-KOS @ Mar 23rd 2006 11:25AM

I buy that this could be real. Marketing wise there is a ton that you could do with it. That and given the average person's attention span and recall rates two letters is about right.

I love the logo. That cube thing is really gonns be there forever now. N64, GC, now this? But with D-pads. awesome

Kamalot @ Mar 23rd 2006 11:25AM

I care very little for what they call the system as long it it shakes up the sale market we have today. They could call it the Nintendo Automatic Retroactive Freaking System (NARFS) for all I care.

Marc @ Mar 23rd 2006 11:26AM

I don't believe its real yet, but the middle of the logo does contain the middle of the GameCube logo...which would make sense since its GameCube compatible.

Kamalot @ Mar 23rd 2006 11:27AM

I meant the STALE market, not the sale market. :D

R.U.Sirius @ Mar 23rd 2006 11:27AM

The logo is bad. Very bad.

The name is okay. Could be better though.

-R.U.Sirius

Momus @ Mar 23rd 2006 11:28AM

Go = 5 in Japanese. As in, the 5th Nintendo system.

I really like the logo, anyways. Haha "loGO."

embassy @ Mar 23rd 2006 11:28AM

nintendo GO..??..um...nintendo..NO..

js5981 @ Mar 23rd 2006 11:36AM

The Nintendo-5? Is that like Johnny-5? Don't tell me Steve Guttenburg is gonna endorse this thing.

RP @ Mar 23rd 2006 11:41AM

Another thing to note is that it's still purple. You would have thought that, if it is the new console (personally, i don't think it is), that Nintendo would have learned from that particular mistake by now.

dru @ Mar 23rd 2006 11:43AM

I think the logo is pretty appropriate. Better really than anything that they might do incorporating the word Revolution into a logotype. It represents taking the D-pad into the 3-D world and it follows the trend of the N64/GC look from the previous two marks.

Some reasons why I think it's a fake. 1) The word Nintendo is in a rather generic typeface. Why wouldn't they use the Nintendo logo for the word Nintendo? 2) The colors of the logo are the exact same as the Gamecube. It think Ninendo would want to get away from that and brand this system with a new color scheme, perhaps something like the light blue light that comes from the disk slot. 3) If this is a slide for today's presentation why isn't the text in english?

RP @ Mar 23rd 2006 11:47AM

dru: Nintendo used the same typeface for the 'Nintendo' in the GameCube logo

White Rose Duelist @ Mar 23rd 2006 11:49AM

Number five is alive!

Momus @ Mar 23rd 2006 11:52AM

RP: It's not purple� it's indiGO!

Muu @ Mar 23rd 2006 11:52AM

The naming would be more believable if it was a handheld; I seriously doubt this is a renaming of Revolution itself, as I'm sure others can lead up to the same conclusion and be confused.

What if it WAS a new handheld by Nintendo, though?
The same argument stands here: Gameboy -> GB Color -> GBA -> DS -> GO (five). And with the DS selling so well in Japan, it might not be a bad time for them to launch a successor which can utilize the Revolution's online capabilities for 'on the go.'

That, or it's a hoax.

jV @ Mar 23rd 2006 11:57AM

I like it, and I've been working in advertising as both a writer and designer for the past 8 years. Anyway, design is, for the most part, subjective.

For the nitpickers, it's actually a different font/typeface than the "Nintendo" used in the Gamecube logo. The most glaring difference is the "e". Companies like Nintendo will almost always utilize custom fonts in their branding.

Sure it could be fake... I still don't understand the satisfaction people get from creating false mock-ups (and subsequently attempting to pass them off as real) of logos, controllers, etc...

Short Circuit... dude, some of you are as old as me =(

Steve Noga @ Mar 23rd 2006 11:57AM

Theres a cube in the center formed by the angles. Also, theres the plus signs. Maybe it means that it's the Gamecube and more?

dru @ Mar 23rd 2006 12:00PM

RP: You're wrong. Look at the Gamecube logo again. The typeface in this picture is different. Look at the 'E' and the 'O'. They are not the same typefaces, which is why I believe it's someone's attempt to mimic it.

ShadowrunneR @ Mar 23rd 2006 12:03PM

Nintendo GO.

Game On.

it certainly is.

Nintendo GO.

G O (pronounced geo)

very marketable and that logo has so many meanings about nintendos past it is genius.

Go.

Play.

Nintendo.

Justin @ Mar 23rd 2006 12:06PM

It'd be awesome if they did a commercial with the Speed Racer theme song. Instead of Mach 5, Nintendo 5. Go Nintendo, Go Nintendo, Go Nintendo GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Yeah!!!

Rare Hare @ Mar 23rd 2006 12:13PM

the logo is odd, and not extremely recognizable. it does fit with past themes, however.. and while i'm not so sure that the d-pad resemblance was intended, that could work too.

i actually kind of like the name though.. i could totally GO for 'Nintendo GO'. :D

Noid @ Mar 23rd 2006 12:26PM

I think revolution sounded way better then GO. I sure hope this is a hoax. At least we should learn more about it sometime today. Right now All I can thing of is the power ranger. GO GO Power NINTENDO. Hmm maybe it istn that bad. Still hope its not true though.

Kenofthedead @ Mar 23rd 2006 12:30PM

Personaly I don't mind it.

As it means there is a better chance of it being called the NE5

I'll give everyone a moment to look at the visual pun that is NE5.

Momus @ Mar 23rd 2006 12:48PM

Good one, Ken. *hi5*

gjd @ Mar 23rd 2006 12:53PM

Hm, not bad. I wouldn't mind it, I like the idea of "Nintendo 5." "Hey, let's *go* play some Nintendo." Ahh... those were the days.

And mad props to whoever said "Number 5 is alive!"!! :-D

Rare Hare @ Mar 23rd 2006 1:02PM

i think no matter what the name turns out to be, i will still abbreviate it 'NE5'.

Adam Blinkinsop @ Mar 23rd 2006 1:19PM

Eh, I'll still call it the Revolution (much cooler code name than "Dolphin," and still somewhat cooler than "Go").

This rates a 6/10 on the fake-o-meter, anyway. Can't wait for the keynote to find out! (got my tickets to Russia all ready to go)

Hiro Protagonist @ Mar 23rd 2006 1:39PM

Game Over?
Anyways, Go is a a nice name. I would use it. Though they might make a different name in America/Europe (Like Famicom to NES)

Anyone noticed that the logo has 3 pluses as in 3 pillars?

Jimmy @ Mar 23rd 2006 2:03PM

The logo's interesting since it's got elements of the d-pad and a cube inside. I've forgotten most of my math, but isn't the overall shape a (tesseract) 4-d hypercube? Something like where you take a 3-d cube and extend it into another dimension of space?

Maybe I'm reading too much into it.

Vgamer47 @ Mar 23rd 2006 2:12PM

They've used the same name and design of console since the N64, so I highly doubt different names in different regions.

Everyone thought the early leaked GameCube logos were fake, and they turned out to be real... who knows?

JR @ Mar 23rd 2006 2:20PM

For some reason, the logo here seems like it might be better for Nintendo's 10th system, since the Japanese for 10 looks like a cross. (though, the Nintendo Juu would be a bit controversial)

john doe @ Mar 23rd 2006 5:10PM

hey it might be renamed i was looking around the net and the latest hardware pics say "nintendo" on the front insstead of "revolution". GO PS3.

Drew @ Mar 23rd 2006 6:38PM

Anyone notice the "GO-gurt" ads on Nintendo.com?

Deozaan @ Mar 23rd 2006 6:39PM

Wow. That's like, the opposite of the Nintendo Nova!

(Think of the car in Mexico.)

Ryuukuro @ Mar 24th 2006 12:33AM

The Nintendo Go @!#$ yourself? Er...It's not a bad name. Very catchy. But it's so easy to make bad jokes with it.

Thomas Crymes @ Mar 24th 2006 8:34AM

If history tells us anything, the name matters very little. If the console is popular and has the games people want to play, then it will be looked on favorably. If it fails, then people will cite the crappy name (but probably not).

Dreamcast anyone?

Mr Neo Matrix @ Mar 24th 2006 8:50PM

Could this be a twist with the word Atari? Nintendo GO = Atari.... as in new beginning?

ngo @ Mar 25th 2006 3:45AM

So it was NES - SNES - N64 - NGC and now NGO. Sounds OK to me. Just that NGO = Non-Governmental Organizations are democratic entities generally formed around a focussed set of goals, and having no affiliation with governments (or the business establishment)