Okay, as all of you are no doubt aware, Nintendo announced the official name of the Revolution. If by some miracle you don’t know, the name…is Wii. Pronounced simply “we.” As in “wheeeeeee!” I really saw no point in posting this yesterday, thinking it was better to wait a little bit and let the concept settle in my brain. Some of you probably feel anger. Others feel hate. Still others feel fear. Of course, all of you should know that any one of these emotions eventually leads to suffering.
Whether or not it’s a good name I’m not sure. Discussing it with Thomas last night I made an observation that went something like this:
Real gamers will buy this thing no matter what it’s called. Nintendo knows this. Random and casual folk who don’t care about video games—or perhaps even dislike them—won’t be threatened by something called Wii.
Seriously, who could be threatened by Wii? Anybody? Thomas made the observation that Nintendo was trying to create something that would not be considered a game console, but rather something else entirely. In much the same way the iPod is not called the Apple MP3 Player, Nintendo doesn’t want the Wii referred to as the Nintendo Game Player. Wii suggests something altogether outside of the traditional console wars. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying it’s a great name. I’m merely stating that I understand why Nintendo chose it. It’s not like I’m dying to tell my fiance that I’m up for some multiplayer Wii.
In the end it doesn’t really matter, as people will call it whatever they want. I don’t remember anybody calling the NES by its given name, it was just “Nintendo.” I wouldn’t be surpised if that exact phenomenon repeats itself with the…ahem…Wii.
…God it’s still hard to say.