Joystiq

What's in a Name: Toys for Bob

Mike Schramm — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 05:00:00 EST

Toys for Bob's Paul Reiche III, co-creator of the Star Control series and Pandemonium, lets us in on the thinking behind his studio's name.

Whenever you're putting together a studio, right, it's like name, t-shirt, and then let's do the contract. So Fred [Ford] and I had formed a partnership to do Star Control 1. And we had all of these different names laid out, including this Bosco the Bee mascot that didn't work out. And finally my wife -- she's a poet, very interested in psychology -- she said create a name that generates interest, that doesn't distance yourself from people, and that you can reinvent.

I love toys, I always have, and she knows that and Fred knows that. And so it was just a perfect fit. Bob is also a universal name -- everyone knows a Bob, I used to listen to the Bill Cosby and he was always talking about Bob the mechanic. And part of my brain is just permanently Bob.

We have an official rule, which is that everyone gets their own Bob, whoever you want. "Toys for Bob Kotick" is a fairly good analogy for us, since he's paid for everything we've done. But I'm a sort of a Church of the SubGenius guy myself.

Toys for Bob is currently working on Activision's Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure, due out later on this year.

Like this feature? Be sure to check out the What's In A Name Archives.

What's in a Name: Toys for Bob originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 06 Jun 2011 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2K Boston is bringing back Irrational Games name, legacy

Mike Schramm — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:30:00 EST

[Image credit: Game Informer]

Halo: Reach isn't the only story that you'll find in next month's Game Informer -- the magazine's blog has also revealed that the developer known for the past two years as 2K Boston will be returning to its roots as Irrational Games. The change isn't unexpected, as we've seen hints of the old identity coming back to the spotlight for a while. But apparently the company is going full force with the "renewed commitment" to the legacy: it'll be kicking off a new website soon (in about three days and 16 hours as of this writing, according to the countdown now running on IrrationalGames.com) that will contain lots of community features and information about Irrational's past -- including fan favorites like System Shock 2 and Freedom Force, in addition to 2K Boston's BioShock and future titles.

Meanwhile, the company has a new logo -- spiffy! -- and the next Game Informer will have more information about the studios' history and why it made the choice to turn back the clock on its identity. We look forward to reading all about it.

2K Boston is bringing back Irrational Games name, legacy originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'Wii' before Wii

Ross Miller — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 22:40:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Nintendo Wii

It's been well over two years since Nintendo unveiled its "revolutionary" console name (2 years, 3 months and 17 days to be precise). But, much like truthiness, it'd be silly to think it had been the first time the term had been used. Just ask Wii Yatani, a 26-year old New Yorker who experienced all the oh-so clever urine puns decades before the House of Mario. MTV's Stephen Totilo has a profile on Yatani and how the waggle-inducing name has changed his name's perspective.

Additionally, according to Totilo, there were over 1900 pre-Nintendo Wii references in the newspaper and magazine database Nexis. From a Singaporean record-setting stair climber to a Papa New Guinea lieutenant, Wii has traveled the globe. And although Nintendo hasn't attributed an exact definition, Yatani's Wii is derived from two Kanji characters meaning "universe" and "willpower."

'Wii' before Wii originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 13 Aug 2008 22:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Man named Wii shares his tale

Chris Greenhough — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 22:10:00 EST

Filed under: Fan stuff, Interviews

Even though MTV's story about New Yorker Wii Yatani will no doubt illicit numerous "lol, slow news day?" replies from hilarious internet japesters, we found it to be quite novel.

Judging by his interview, Wii endured the same two problems that originally faced Nintendo's console when it was renamed: either people didn't know how to pronounce his name correctly, or they concocted the kind of puns about urine that should carry the death penalty (we're deadly serious).

In the end, though, it all worked out. Nintendo coincidentally named its awesome console after Yatani, who promptly offered to become a spokesperson for the company (an offer that was declined), and who now has to endure a raft of new jokes from his friends. Jokes such as: "Oh, Wii, are you going to go home to play with yourself?"

You probably had to be there.

[Via Digg]

Man named Wii shares his tale originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 13 Aug 2008 22:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Friday Video: We said we wanted a revolution ....

Alisha Karabinus — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Friday Video

As we discussed this morning, it's been a year since Nintendo announced the new "Wii" moniker for their bold new console concept. We thought the weekly video spotlight might offer a good chance to look back at some of the videos, from the Wii's first ad to some fanmade videos both for and against the name switch.

Continue reading Friday Video: We said we wanted a revolution ....

Friday Video: We said we wanted a revolution .... originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 27 Apr 2007 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wii name celebrates first anniversary

Kyle Orland — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 13:15:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Nintendo Wii, Fashion

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]

Wii name celebrates first anniversary originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 27 Apr 2007 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wii Warm Up: It's been a year

Alisha Karabinus — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Wii Warm Up

A year ago, Nintendo announced that the Revolution had a name, and that name was Wii. And lo did the voices of a million gamers rise in a chorus of, "WTF?! Wii?? OMG, it's so over for Nintendo!"

Obviously, we were wrong. Oh, sure, not everyone thought the name was a bad idea, but it was such an overwhelming majority that the dissenters hardly mattered. A year later, however, it's become apparent that the name that curled so many lips was actually a brilliant move, marketing-wise. But no harm, no foul; we all already admitted that we overreacted. But this strange anniversary still seems a good time to look back at not just the name change, but everything about the Wii. These days, analysts are predicting epic Wii shortages, whereas eight months ago, it was far more popular to predict the Wii to lag behind both the PS3 and the 360. How has your overall attitude changed in the past year? Is there anything you think or predict now that runs counter to your mindset last April?

Wii Warm Up: It's been a year originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 27 Apr 2007 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Spectrobes ain't got no love for Sega

Alisha Karabinus — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fan stuff

We have to thank Spencer Yip of Siliconera for doing an interesting bit of investigative reporting on the subject of what is and isn't acceptable in Spectrobes. So, there are a lot of things you can't name your Spectrobes ... mostly things you probably wouldn't say in front of your mother unless there were major extenuating circumstances. And we all tend to agree on a working list of what those words are, right? Well, apparently, someone at Jupiter has a mother who reaches for the soap for things we wouldn't even consider minor infractions, like "Sega."

Yes, Sega. In Spectrobes, you can't name any of the critters "Sega," though other developers are fair game. We have a theory about this Sega hate. We're guessing it just may be due to those commercials. You know -- pretty much all of them, and particularly the EXTREME!! Sega shout. We're guessing that someone heard that one too many times, and after Blast Processing, it was just the last straw.

The Spectrobes ain't got no love for Sega originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 14 Mar 2007 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wii Warm Up: So how is the name?

Alisha Karabinus — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Features, Wii Warm Up

Once upon a time, the Wii was known as the Revolution, and it was good. Then Nintendo announced that the console's real name would be Wii, and the backlash rocked the media and gaming community.

Also, there were a lot of anatomical jokes.

But here we are, not quite a year later, basking in the success of the new system ... when we can stop playing it, that is. We've had a little time to get used to the new name, but we have to ask -- how is it? Do you like "Wii" now? Does it suit the system? Or has the Wii succeeded thus far in spite of the name?

We also recommend going back and looking at the comments on that old post, as they're certain to make interesting reading alongside what is said here today.

Wii Warm Up: So how is the name? originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 26 Jan 2007 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Darkness renamed Midnight [update 1]

Jason Wishnov — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 17:40:00 EST

Filed under: News

Accordingly to all reputable sources, the game-formerly-known-as-Darkness is, at the very least, still a year off from release. The survival-horror project, one of Crossbeam Studio's trifecta of titles (Orb, Thorn, and Darkness), had to be renamed due to copyright conflicts with The Darkness, a title by 2k Games. Thus, Crossbeam Studios has announced an official name change of Darkness to Midnight. Still awesome. Name changes are fine and dandy, but someone needs to let Sega know that Wildfire is still way cooler than Secret Rings.

[Update 1: Silly us ... we confused Sadness with Darkness. Fixed.]

Darkness renamed Midnight [update 1] originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 16 Jan 2007 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What's in the name "video game"

Kyle Orland — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Business, Fashion

Stephen Totilo's recent hour-long interview with Sony Computer Entertainment Studio Head Phil Harrison focused mainly on the past, present and future of the PlayStation systems and brand. But possibly the most interesting quote in the whole piece came at a point where Harrison waxed philosophical about the branding of the industry as a whole.

"I fervently believe that the biggest challenge we face is that our industry is referred to as 'video games,'" Harrison told Totilo, echoing concerns aired last month by former ESA head Doug Lowenstein about the image of the term. With two industry luminaries bringing up the same issue in such a short time, we had to wonder: Is our industry being held back by its name?

It's true that the word "game" in video game automatically makes some people think that our industry is devoted to nothing more than child's play, a claim that is pretty demonstrably false. Still, terms like "interactive entertainment" and "entertainment software" always struck us as a little too clunky and snobby-sounding for everyday use. Then again, terms like "graphic novel" and "cinema" probably sounded a little clunky before they came into common usage to describe the serious side of comics and movies, respectively.

So we put the question to you, dear readers. Do video games need to be re-branded to erase their childish image? If so, what new term would you use to describe the industry?

What's in the name "video game" originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 20 Dec 2006 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wii anticipation: preparing for launch

Alisha Karabinus — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 15:13:00 EST

Filed under: Fan stuff

So here we are -- just a few days until the heralded launch of the Wii. We've been waiting so long that it hardly seems real, but there's no time to waste. We have to make plans for the penultimate event: the act of obtaining the Wii. The ultimate event is, of course, getting it home safely and plugging it all in. But first ... parties! Camping! Meteor showers! The popping of champagne bottles (if you're doing this, can we come over?)! Where will you be come midnight, November 19? We want to know.

The Wii Fanboy staff will be positioned hither and yon, jockeying for our own sainted items, and will we provide as much live and almost-live coverage as we can cram onto the site from various wifi hotspots. At least one of our minions (don't you wish you knew who?) will be on the ground in Times Square. But enough about us. We want to know about you, dear reader. Where will you be at the moment of truth? Tell us, tell each other, network and plan to meet up. Remember: it's harder to trample new friends, so make nice and try not to stampede when the clock slides on over to midnight on Sunday.

It's been fun, anticipating the Wii with everyone. We've talked about our homes, ourselves, and our plans for games. Now that we're on the brink of fulfilling our motion-sensing dreams, we feel a little ... empty. It's been a long road from the beginning until now, and yet it all feels somehow like a rehearsal. The real show doesn't begin until Sunday, and what a show it's going to be.

But before we look ahead, let's recap where we've been.

Continue reading Wii anticipation: preparing for launch

Wii anticipation: preparing for launch originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 16 Nov 2006 15:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PS3 pad loses DualShock name and vibration but picks up Wii-esque motion detection and wireless connectivity

Dan Choi — Tue, 09 May 2006 00:58:00 EST

Filed under: News

In a shocking turn of events, the PS3 controller has gone from banamerang to wireless DualShock 3, except without the DualShock name and vibration.

If you take a good look at the back of the new control pad (see the close-up above), you'll notice that the DualShock 2 brand name imprinted on the old controller has now been supplanted by a row of LED lights to show which input has been set, either wirelessly or via the wired USB recharge port. Sony's now the only name in-line for PS3 controllers either on the pad or in the press releases (see "the new PS3 controller").

Continue reading PS3 pad loses DualShock name and vibration but picks up Wii-esque motion detection and wireless connectivity

PS3 pad loses DualShock name and vibration but picks up Wii-esque motion detection and wireless connectivity originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 09 May 2006 00:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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