Nintendo "Revolution" now called "Wii" [update 6]

Well, we can't say Nintendo hasn't had name screwups before. This should come as little surprise to fanboys after horrific console names like N64 and Gamecube. I personally think they get lots of console names written by six year olds and run a tombola to decide what name to use. Shame, because their project names (Dolphin for one) tend to be much better.

It almost sounds like Nintendo are trying to shoot themselves in the foot, or perhaps test their market presence by annoying gamers.

I can already see the puns flowing in...

"Can I have a Wii please?"
"Toilet's just down the hall on your right."

Oh God please make them change the name before its release.

It's obvious Nintendo aren't serious about the next gen colsole race or they wouldn't have given it such a stupid name! Revolution was cool. WHAT THE HELL IS WII? Nintendo should do a sega and just make games for sony. That way everybody's happy. Zelda on PS3!

I used to call the console 'Nintendo rev'. That's one abrev they'd like to avoid. But for some reason, 'rev' and 'Wii' is just an awkward association. I guess this HAS to be one of those $1,- bets amongst CEO's: 'think of an awkward name and get away with it.' Think they didn't embarass themselves enough with names like Mitsubishi Puta or something like that.

OK guys. Time to shut up. Do you guys think of penis and urine everytime someone says "we"? You hypersexual gay!

Hey people... One fo the release titles for the Wii is gonna be Super Monkey Ball, Banana Blitz. And heres a little artical piece from the creators!

The motion-sensing capabilities of the Wii's wand-like controller would seem a good fit for a new game in the beloved Super Monkey Ball franchise, but the real selling point comes from Sega creative director Matt Woodley, as reported by GamesIndustry.biz: "The new controller, in particular, gives the gamer unique control over their monkey's balls."


Now THATS what "wii" call entertainment :P

OMG! they HAVE to be outta their minds. i understand the heartache they went through with the flop of gamecube. (BTW i loved it myself.) but lets not go uber crazy. when my friend told me the news, i was like WTF mate? thats not funny. you dont tease nintendo. and he goes and pulls this site up. i am now losing money. and know i have to deal with these jokes. i am a girl. i dont have a wii, god. i am going to and play with my SONY system now.

Wii. The first time I saw this in a huge headline I thought that Nintendo came up with some new wi-fi shit, but the name of their next gen console!?!?!!? Dear God! Supposedly the name is'nt what counts right? Not neasesarilly true, this act of Nintendo has probally scared away a few costumers. Nice job Nintendo, good going, bravo, bravo.

Earth. Fire. Wii. Water. Go Planet!

-.-
Nintendo just flushed themselves down the Wii-place yet again...

Good for all ages my ass! with a name like Wii, parents wont let their children buy them

Little Girl: "Daddy, can you buy me a Wii"

That's just WRONG!

Hardy Har har

Wii ok wii weeeellllll WTF nintendo you are all idiots do you see the acrymony this will bring? WTF!??!?!?!?!? i mean WII? now that that is out of my system i just want to say that most of u are VERY IMMATURE. if you like me and agree visit my site about SAMUS :-)

Keign McBeth: Craziness.
Keign McBeth: But, people will buy it.
crystal_dragon648: Well duh.
crystal_dragon648: gotta have fun with they're Wii before something bigger comes out........

Nuff said.

If a name like "wii" can scare customers away, there is no hope for the future. Give me a break.

I am in agreement with those who believe that this name will become normal eventually. Someday it will be normal to us all and maybe even our parents will start saying it.

But it will always be funny, and we shall never stop making fun of it. Ever.

What's Wii? It is nor case, nor drive,
Nor power source, nor game, nor any other part
Belonging to a console. O, be some other name!
What's in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;
So Wii would, were it not Wii call'd,
Retain that dear perfection which it owes
Without that title:--Wii, doff thy name;
And for that name, which is no part of thee,
Take all myself.

Seriously guys, it's just a name. If you're seriously bothered by it, feel free to give it a different name. I'm sure many people will name their Wii.

Good Lord, you have got to be kidding me. Nintendo is making a very bad move. Reminds me a of car someone tried to sell in Mexico. They called it the "Nova" which in spanish means "No go". I would expect better culture skills than Nintendo is showing right now.

Cool. I expect no less from Nintendo!

wwwwwwwiiiiiiiiiiiii

revolution sounded much more kick-ass

I favor the title only because it is the only next-gen console to do away with numbers in its name.

Playstation 3? Xbox 360? Those names tell me that I'll get more of the same old stuff instead of something new and next-gen.

Wii, however amusing it may sound, is more unique and new compared to adding a number to a familiar word.

Wii all love the wii. Even if you have to wii you can pause your wii to go wii. Does the wii have an optional joystick to play with? Maybe the wii will have balls for it's mount. It may even have the option to buy its adapter the shat. Jiminy Cricket what have you done Nintendo?

I thought you say it "double u double i"

I like it. With all the hardcore x-treme names like Playstation and X-Box, it's just... Wii. Simple. And yet, genius.

It's bad enough that people know that I don't have a girlfriend. Now I'll have to admit to them that I'm going home to play with my Wii. Thanks, Nintendo, for killing what little dignity I have left.

Microsoft took over your living room with the XBOX 360.

Nintendo is now moving to the next logical and innovative step in home entertainment, your Water Closet.

DARE! To keep Wiiskey and Wiid out of the hands of Nintendo marketing.

What..? They fcked up the name already... The Nintendo Revolution was already a bad-ass (ish?) name, but now they screw it up with Wii. Watch as all of Nintendo's customers turn into little 5 year old kids that go

"Lets play my wii!"

I was going to buy it too... Guess not anymore.

Several of you people confound me with your arrogance and blindness. I am actually pretty upset by this name announcement, but not by the name itself which I happen to appreciate, but by the sadly obtuse reactions of so many of my fellow "gamers". How can you people be so blind and so insecure? You are worried about people making fun of you for using a product with an unusual name... those aren't your real friends Beaver. The new name is remarkably good for the following reasons.

1) It does not pigeon hole itself as a continuation of what people perceive as video game systems. It would appear almost no-one can grasp this idea, but the truth is that calling Wii a video game system will become very like calling your p.c. a video game system as you grow to understand the range of functions this machine is capable of.

2) It is easily accessible for anyone of any gender of any age. XBOX is accessible to the exact market it currently serves and nothing more, period. In fact, the truth that so many hard-core gamers have reacted negatively to how "cool" the name Wii is in contrast to revolution illustrates my point completely. My father cares nothing of being cool; being cool is something you are concerned with for only a very short and confused phase of your life (of course it lasts longer for some... Charlie Sheen rushes to mind. And sure, hard-core gamers are some of the most socially confused people around but that only further proves my point). When you were young you were not concerned with being cool, in fact you thought people who thought they were cool were jerks. As you age, this reverts to thinking that people who try to be cool are a little pathetic in their attempts to constantly impress everyone. My father would be embarrassed to be put into a position that made it appear he was trying to be cool... get it?

3) It looks fantastic. I will agree that the verbal connotations of the new name are off putting at first (although I will not agree that that is a bad thing). Visually however, it is simply fantastic, I defy anyone on earth to see this word and not wonder what it is.

4) Even if it seems a bit contrived, the truth is the name does house all of the ideals Nintendo has said it does. It does look like two people standing side by each, and to me the very first thing I thought when I saw it was "Oh, it looks like the controller", simple as that. Most importantly it does indeed make you feel like you are part of it, especially if you have taken the time to write anything that uses the word Wii in place of we. It immediately gives you the sense that you are one team with everyone else who wants to be a part of Wii. .

Once you are playing laser tag or bomb squad in your living room while the TV keeps score, once you are surfing the net on your television, once you are learning human anatomy via virtual scalpel... Then you will understand what Wii are talking about. The name needed to help separate this new machine from the current perception of what a video game machine is, it has done that, no question about it. Well done Nintendo, I simply cannot wait.

Im still going to call it the Revolution

If there is any1 who thinks this is not THE most stupidist thing in video games(i mean it beats Barbies horse adventure in stupidty) type it in somewhere so wii know you r on drugs.

Wii are not amused.

Hey people ever heard of an anime called Bleach a stupid name isnt it? yet that didnt prevent the anime from being a kickass series.

My simple point is even if the name is stupid it doesnt change the function of the console therefore bitching about the name is actually quite immature and stupid.

But then again as expected of americans they are same ones who re-elected Bush so i may be at fault to expect better from them.

Peace Generaldane.

Wii is an awesome name. Every mofo is talking about the name and as we all know; any publicity is good publicity. Nintendo have always been the main business for strange and new approaches to the way we game and the whole gaming experience as we see with the DS, N64 controller and the new Wii. Even the Commodore64 was an incredible piece of machine in it's day.

Things change and change definately isn't bad for business in the gaming industry.

Personally I love the name Wii for the sole fact that it's a little silly and childish. I don't want a hard-ass approach to gaming. I want something playful and teasing. And I can't wait to tease and play with my Wii.

Everyone is talking about the system and game and I swear, everyone will know someone with a Wii come next fall.

Wii will not stand for this outrage. Wii are sure that there are millions of people portesting RIGHT NOW! I mean, sure, little kids might like the name, but I DON'T GIVE A FLYING FLIP IN SPACE ABOUT THAT! I'm callin it the Revolution. Whatcha gonna do? Call the System Name Police on me?

To add to Comment 13,

Maybe Prince should sponsor this product.

wii (whee) is a really bad name, but its beter than revolution (too long). im guessing wii in japanese is revolution or something. in my opinion wii is beter and ill just go ahead and call it wii (why).

OK, who the hell came up with this gay slang anyway? wee sounds liket he wrod we, as in "us". so we are wee now? when did a group of people including you trun into pee?

theres a name dick. so a person names a penis dick. and everybody uses it? cmon guys most slang is gay to start with, maybe this system can actually put an end to fucked-up slang.

first reaction of mine when i heard: i thought it was funny and an OK name

10 mins later: with the theme, people playing together, resembling the controller, wifi, getting older games and coming together, the whoole them, two is, i thought it was great

15 mins: i loved the name

i introduced this to my friends. first 5 mins i cracked jokes with htme, and then they are used to it. me and my friend yell "i wana buy a wii soooooo badly" everyday in public and thats the truth. i talkt o my school friends they allt ake it seriosuly. on forums only idiots make the puns. this name is easy tog et used to.

and i say kill the fucking slang!!!!!!!!!

Wii will rock you, and Wii are the champions, simple.

and whoever is making puns about this is soooo imature they shouldnt be playing rated T games

Cool, I like it.Its Original and rememberable.

Umm, when you have to actually explain the pronunciation of a gaming consoles name to a literate gaming audience: YOU HAVE OVER COMPLICATED IT!! When did Nintendo hire Elmer Fudd to be their PR spokesman?
"Be vewy vewy qwuiet, I'm hunting for the Wemote" LoL, I mean WtF...

To the people saying they are feeling shame or embarased - Are you seriously saying, that your decision on what games console you buy, will be based on what someone else thinks? At least have the backbone to say you'll wait to see the games. Otherwise just go play outside i the dirt untill youre old enough to understand what thinking for yourself actually means.

I think my position as a long-standing loyal Nintendo fan just became untenable.

(Just imagine being back at school and trying to defend the name of this console in the playground. No chance! If your parents buy you this for Christmas then they have wii'd all over you.)

You're about a month too late, Christian. You must be a time traveller to still be alive and complaining.

Everything you had, everyone you knew… is gone.

Boy, a month later, and the potty jokes have all but dried up. Come on, guys. You can do better than that! Have you all grown up or something?

At first I thought it was W2 as in Wii (Roman Numerals). After all PSOne was originally PSX - i.e. PlayStation (internal) version 10. Then Sony actually released a thing called PSX - very confusing for us developer types!

Anyhow, Wii pronounced "We". Yes, all I think is my son aged 4 saying "Daddy, can we stop the car - I need a wee!". Maybe that'll be the advertising in the UK?

Calling your console PISS for the UK market is just not good research IMHO.

In reply to the guy who says that we need to grow up if the name of a console affects our buying decision...

Would you buy a car called a "tiny prick 2000"?
Would you by a console called "RAP1 ST"?
OK, so the examples are harsh... but yes, having a console called PISS is not my idea of good thinking.

For further examples, look to kitchen appliances called "SMEG". I'm sorry, but regardless of the quality, I won't buy a cooker that has a brand name that is the shortened form of "SMEGMA" meaning the stuff found under foreskins.

dude i love the name idc about all you other people the wii will be one of the best systems out it has all the good games it has a revolutionary controller

the name doesnt bother me its just a name its new name now makes it more interesting and funny it brings attention to the system