A week later: Joystiq reacts to Wii naming
by Blake Snow 
on May 8th 2006 3:00AM
One week after
Nintendo changed the Revolution code-name to Wii, the Joystiq staff sounds off:
- James Ransom-Wiley: "Not sure if anyone else has made the connection ... but the name brings to mind the disposal of urine from the body - an action that's often referred to as 'Number 1.' Is this Nintendo's clever way of joining the next-gen pissing contest?"
- Ross Miller: "Speaking of Apple, my theory is that Nintendo marketing executives were suffering from some form of dyslexia (oraphasia) and were trying to copy Apple's style. One person said "why not?," to which another replied "I'll tell you why... iWhy," which was later changed to "iWi" since palindromes are catchy. Then the dyslexia kicked in and someone wrote down "Wii," which was sent to the Nintendo executives who had been enjoying a party honoring the DS sales with some high-grade cannabis and Hennessey. A drunk Miyamoto, looking at the word, laughed and shouting "wiiiiii!" as he danced off. Everyone in the room thought this was an approval, and so they ran with it that very morning. Miyamoto is still recovering from his hangover, which should last until E3."
- Christopher Grant: "One would have to assume that a small army of marketing and branding experts sat on this egg for months, giving it all the love and warmth it needed, taking all this extra time to focus-test the name to death. Undoubtedly, it's already been kid-tested, mother-approved. I'd like to think we'll all get used to it, like the iPod, or that dog whose name you thought would never stick; however, my fear is that despite replacing the lunchbox design with something iSexy, Nintendo may have just sat itself at the kid's table again."
- Vladimir Cole: "This name will be in marketing textbooks for years to come as a case study on what not to do. Never has there been so much negative publicity surrounding a name. Nintendo's DS did hasten Gizmondo's departure from this world, but Nintendo shouldn't have looted the Gizmondo corpse of the Most Awful CE Product Name of All Time" championship belt."
- Blake Snow: "Really taken back at first, but since being announced last Thursday, it's grown on me. Too crazy not to take it seriously."
- Jennie Lees: "I'm still giggling. I think that's a good thing."
- Conrad Quilty-Harper: "First thing worth saying is that I'm over Wii, as a tool for making funny sentences that is (e.g. I'm bursting for a Wii!). However, I'm still not entirely sure about how effective the brand name will be for Nintendo. They've certainly generated a lot of -- some say negative -- press, but that's only because the people reporting on Wii are tech/games journalists. I think the fact that the name annoys these type of people is a good thing, even if it does mean that Nintendo has to sacrifice hardcore sales (isn't this what they wanted to do all along?). In summary: a good way to target the casual/non-gaming audience but goddamn alienating for the hardcore gaming demographic."
- Dan Choi: "Actually, the first thing I thought of when I heard the name was a certain promising young female golfer by the name of Michelle Wie. So I guess Nintendo's riding on the coattails of the next golfing phenom?"
