Wii name celebrates first anniversary

by Kyle Orland { Apr 27th 2007 at 1:15PM }

It may seem like we've been talking about it forever, but it was just a year ago today that Nintendo revealed the console formerly known as the Revolution would henceforth be called the Wii. Immediate reactions ranged from derisive and disbelieving to defensive on the part of Nintendo itself, but by the time Nintendo's E3 press conference rolled around the initial furor had already subsided into a gentle buzz of Internet jokes.

At the time, we confidently predicted that, eventually, "this new name will seem as nifty, familiar and as comfortable as that silly controller once it's all said and done." Well, were we right? Are you able to mention the Wii without snickering like a schoolgirl, or do you still feel vaguely uncomfortable talking about Nintendo's latest console. Lend us your opinion in the comments.

[Thanks to vidGuy for the reminder]

Tags: branding, name, nintendo, revolution, wii

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Meloche @ Apr 27th 2007 1:20PM

What.... already? Omg, how the time runs fast...

Crono @ Apr 27th 2007 1:24PM

Still vaguely uncomfortable, here.

If only it had kept Revolution.

samfish @ Apr 27th 2007 1:29PM

I like it.

Now, on to more important matters...
BRING ON THE DICK JOKES!

Ritz @ Apr 27th 2007 1:30PM

It doesn't feel like forever... it feels like a couple months ago. Maybe 3 or 4...

Wow, already a year. I feel fine saying Wii, though.

Easy_G @ Apr 27th 2007 1:30PM

I'm used to it and most people don't snicker when I talk about it.

But I have to say, it's hard not to get at least a few people laughing when we start playing and there is talk of Wii and "put the strap on."

DMZ @ Apr 27th 2007 1:30PM

No, a year later, it's still an awful name, especially compared to "Revolution".

paralipsis @ Apr 27th 2007 1:35PM

At DMZ (#6.) -

Should you perhaps consider that the word "revolution" carries with it complex connotations in a number of cultures?

HotShotX @ Apr 27th 2007 1:43PM

I believe the greatest satisfaction comes from saying that Sony's & Microsoft's consoles were destroyed (or will be in time) by something named after a child's word for a penis.

Truth be told, they've should've seen this coming. Nintendo's name choice made it clear they were poised to bone them in the ass from the get-go.

*End rambling*

~HotShotX

Thad @ Apr 27th 2007 1:44PM

"Should you perhaps consider that the word "revolution" carries with it complex connotations in a number of cultures?"

Of course.

You should also consider the connotations of "Wii" in a number of cultures.

...Anyway. I find that when I bring it up in casual conversation with non-gamers I generally say "Nintendo Wii".

OhJustSomeRandomGuy @ Apr 27th 2007 1:46PM

The name still sucks.

Panadero @ Apr 27th 2007 1:46PM

Other than time and people just getting used to it, the console's success has helped temper a lot of the joking and criticism of the name. Had the console stumbled out of the gate and continued to do poorly, the name would be just one more thing against it, but things didn't work out that way. For instance, I thought (and still kind of do think) that iPod is a stupid name but its success has ensured that its name is heard a lot and it has eventually just become another word.

Jack of No Trades @ Apr 27th 2007 1:48PM

NATIONAL HYPE DAY!

LinkerX @ Apr 27th 2007 1:53PM

It is still a horrible name!

Paul Gale @ Apr 27th 2007 1:55PM

I'm glad that other people out there like vidGuy, remembered the date besides me and it's hard to believe that one year has already past. I just sent you the reminder last night while I was thinking of what happened in this industry between April 27th '06 and '07; good times. Here's to celebrating once more on November 19th.

REUYL @ Apr 27th 2007 1:59PM

One year and the name still sucks.

Revolution > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Wii

mark @ Apr 27th 2007 1:59PM

"You should also consider the connotations of "Wii" in a number of cultures."

LOL. Are you joking? The only time the word wee is used like that is by a British 4 year old. And I hope that isn't who I'm going to be playing on-line against. It isn't Nintendo's fault that people are immature and can't handle saying Wii, which sounds like the word we, which we use all the time and have no problem saying...

Antonio @ Apr 27th 2007 2:03PM

The name still sucks, although I'm mostly used to it. I talk to a lot of non-gamers so when I say what I'm doing the answer is "playing video games" or "playing Nintendo". The fact that I can't say the real name of the console without enduring some tired joke, that seems fresh to the average person, is annoying.

At least most people know what the Wii is (due to hype more than anything). I had to explain what a Gamecube is quite often.

Seedy @ Apr 27th 2007 2:04PM

Wii?

Fucking Awesome.

Kizzle @ Apr 27th 2007 2:05PM

Name is still awful. It's not so much "acceptance" and "comfort" as it is "What can you do? They actually think it's good, and they aren't going to change." The poor, deluded bastards.

Renagade242 @ Apr 27th 2007 2:05PM

Agreed. It isn't the similarity to "wee" that I associate it with, it's "we", which WE are all ok saying. I don't mind it and it has in fact gotten quite comfortable.

Now if I could only find one...

REUYL @ Apr 27th 2007 2:08PM

"We" makes even less sense.

MrTyzik @ Apr 27th 2007 2:15PM

Everything was fine and dandy until yesterday when Alex wrote: "Nintendo says they expect a steady flow of Wii through 2007." That post made me snicker like a school girl. Other than that one lapse, I have no problem with the name now.

jabbertrack @ Apr 27th 2007 2:17PM

Revolution was much better IMO.

The whole stupid double 'i' thing is starting to piss me off actually.

saboola @ Apr 27th 2007 2:24PM

Antonio : Say Wii. Who cares what other people think.

Vidikron @ Apr 27th 2007 2:35PM

It's still a dumb name, but everyone is used to it now.

Karmakin @ Apr 27th 2007 2:44PM

Last year my opinion was that it was a pretty bad name for a game console but a great name for the next piece of pop culture technology. (Meaning technology that truly hits the mainstream. Like the iPod, for example.)

Now? I think it needed the different name. Calling it the GameStation 360 just wouldn't work for what it is.

Erik Novak @ Apr 27th 2007 2:56PM

My friends and I still make fun of it. When you read "Nintendo predicts a steady flow of Wii for 2007," you can't help but to laugh.

Sam G. @ Apr 27th 2007 2:56PM

Im much more comfortable talking about my wii than the Nintendo Wii. HA-CHAAA!!!!!!!!

hvnlysoldr @ Apr 27th 2007 3:01PM

Miyamoto is now number one on the Time 100. Help us keep the Wii's creator at the top.
http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/time100walkup/article/0,28804,1611030_1610841_1609873,00.html

NeverSage @ Apr 27th 2007 3:04PM

I'm surprised how many people still hate the name. I got used to it and now really like it. The name is silly and fun, like the system. Revolution is too serious a name for a console like this. Even if it is cool. They might as well have called it the nintendo deathstar. It sounds cool, but doesn't fit.

vidGuy @ Apr 27th 2007 3:04PM

I can't take the credit, I saw it over on NintendoWiiFanboy and I think GoNintendo brought it up first.

Then, I was "cautiously optimistic", now I'm glad that it's Wii rather than Revolution. I doubt I would hear 50 year old businessmen, grandparents, parents, teenagers, college students, and grade schoolers all talk about the Revolution. Wii is just so much more mass-market friendly.

Here's my comment from one year ago:
"Love the logo. I'll have to get used to saying it, though. I think it'll work out in the end. It's a more media-friendly name than NES5 would be, and I think it significantly sets it apart from the competition, which is Nintendo's goal, for good or bad.

I'd rather keep Revolution, but I think Nintendo wanted to shy away from that name being used anymore. After all, it is pretty bold.

Shock value is high for this... I'm pretty sure no one expected it. Overall, I'd give it a 6.5 out of 10. Plenty of room for improvement (Revolution was about a 9/10 for me) but still decent. Just to get an idea of my arbitrary scale, I'd say PS3 ranks at 2/10 because of its lack of change (ok, there's name-recognition value in PlayStation, but you can probably afford to take a risk with the name since you are taking so many other risks with this console) and XBOX 360 lands a 4/10 because it's something different but keeps the horrible XBOX name, and lands them back where they started (360* right? I know that's been overused.)

So, I'm probably what they say "cautiously optimistic"."

Zeromaru @ Apr 27th 2007 3:38PM

I never laughed at the name to begin with, but it's definitely being taken more seriously. I worked out my budget for this summer, and realized that I don't have to wait to buy one, I told my parents (my money is my own but when I spend $300 on something I prefer my parents knowing) and they asked if they could play it. You see, they're the outdoorsy types. They have a couple friends, also outdoorsy. These friends are childless, in their forties. And they own a Wii. Them, along with my parents, play Wii Sports all the time. My dad created his own Mii. Nintendo gets a standing ovation on the Wii from me for this one.

Mr Khan @ Apr 27th 2007 4:11PM

They claimed Revolution was too confrontational, but i think it worked

Its a revolution not so much because of the Wiimote (which is revolutionary enough, but not so much that it would merit such a name) but in the fact that they're not participating in the GPU arms race and sending costs sky-high

Hopefully next generation they can retain this concept of an economic console without such a severe lack of power, though, considering HD tech will be more commonplace, and the costs of multicore processors are beginning to really come down.

Velops @ Apr 27th 2007 4:22PM

I still don't understand why some still believe the name Revolution is such a good choice. You can't have brand recognition without a unique name. People could use the word revolution in conversation without referring to the console.

The name Wii is so unusual and unique that it grabs attention and fosters discussion about the console. It's a key component of word-of-mouth advertising.

hoagie @ Apr 27th 2007 4:53PM

'Wii' is a good name. Unique and attention getting which Nintendo needed at the time.

That and all the puns we got to go with the name were priceless.

Wii are sold out.
Wii have a problem.
Here Wii go!
Wii told you so.
Is that Wii on the floor?

Rubang B @ Apr 27th 2007 5:13PM

In some countries if you try to sell a Revolution you could get drawn and quartered, whereas Wii either means urine, us, wheeee!, or yes!

I haven't seen anybody laugh at the name, except for you fuckers here.

Booxatron @ Apr 27th 2007 5:15PM

or

It's a-Wii, a-Wario!!!

calthaer @ Apr 27th 2007 5:28PM

Still one of the worst names for a system I can imagine. Revolution was much better - and, at this point, probably a far more accurate descriptor.

Liraco @ Apr 27th 2007 5:40PM

My friends laugh at the mention of the Wii... but not because of what you think.

We always do the "gangster" wii sign when we say the word and constantly use it as if we were going "wheeeeeee!"

It's a good thing now, it's a great word and one which evokes no jokes, just fun.

vidGuy @ Apr 27th 2007 5:57PM

Hahaha, Liraco, I'm surprised I haven't seen the photo of Miyamoto's Wii gang-sign with the caption "Wii-Tang Clan"!

kickee @ Apr 27th 2007 6:05PM

how about the people that claimed they would still call it 'revolution', despite the name change?

....well are you?

serotoninzero @ Apr 27th 2007 7:00PM

I used to think Revolution was so much better than Wii, but now I associate Wii perfectly fine with the system. I think the name Revolution wouldn't fit. The new controller idea is great, but it's hardly a revolution. The lack of HD and a decent online community also prevents the name from making any sense in my opinion.