Wii.

The name has been resonating around the Internet for the past two days, and reaction to the name has been varied. To some, Wii is symbolic of Nintendo’s ritualistic suicide on the blade of their own sword due to failure in battle with the “poorly selling” Gamecube system. Others are of the opinion that Wii symbolises a brighter future, not only for Nintendo, but for gaming as a whole.

The question is, why did they do it? What marketing genius (or bonehead) devised a name like Wii? Was it truly successful in focus testing? Is Nintendo pulling our collective leg with such a name?

In order to know the truth, wii will just have to take a look at the pros and cons of the name.

And - for the record - I apologise for that awful wordplay.

After unveiling the new name in a short video, Nintendo went to work on explaining the symbolism of the name. Pronounced “we”, the new name is intended to signify the all-inclusiveness Nintendo is striving for in their revolution of the video game market. The repeating “i“‘s in the name represent the two components of the innovative controller (the wand and nanchaku controls) as well as symbolising the gamer as an individual.

The name - however - is an extremely risky venture. There are positive points to be made in its defense, however, there is also a lot of backlash that could result.

On The One Hand

Wii seems so ludicrous. Many have doubted the marketability of the name. Some have pointed out that Nintendo’s justification and explanation of the name was a sign of failure. A name should speak for itself (as the name is required to speak for the product). Too many speakers, and the message is lost. So, why layer a new name with meaning if it is so unintuitive to your casual purchaser of a game?

More than that, gamers are wondering why Nintendo would - nay, how they could - abandon a name such as the Revolution. The Revolution was forceful, descriptive, edgy, and it made Nintendo sound like a force to be reckoned with. However, Wii - many feel - sounds foolish, immature, and - perhaps - even childish. As a result, most feel it is a terrible step for Nintendo to take.

On The Other Hand Wii is a name that transcends language barriers. Whether you are in Europe, North America, or somewhere in the Orient, Wii is a simple name that fits. In many ways, it is already becoming iconic. The name has burned itself into the minds of the gaming hardcore, and will surely become more and more favourable amongst them as time goes by.

Moreover, the name is almost half picture, half text. The name serves as its own logo without aesthetic dressings, and it is a standalone testament to the future of gaming with Nintendo.

Proving that they mean business when they aim for mass appeal, Nintendo has branded their new console with a name that will be easy to remember, and will stick in the mind of the consumer. As someone who works in the retail sector, I have witnessed countless people looking for XBox’s with Mario on it, and a Gameboy Advance DS and all sorts of hybrid names. It is a result of modern systems having brand names that are too difficult to remember. Current-gen consoles all follow the generic name descriptors of [Game word]+[Shape or Unit]+[Numerical Descriptor]. XBox 360? Playstation 3? In the mind of the consumer, it is all jumbled up.

But Wii? It is monosyllabic. It is simple. It is elegant. It favours the consumer.

In a world of e-cultures, Wii almost has a trendy ring to it. Thanks - in no small part - to Apple Computers, “i” has quickly become one of the trendiest letters ever. iPod, iMac, iTunes - even now, I’m typing this post on my iBook G4. The “i” is edgy, and makes the system sound cool. Even those who find it repulsive now will grow accustomed to it. Wii will somehow work its way into the consciousness of gamers and become a natural name, just as Gameboy, Playstation, Dreamcast and XBox did before it.

The Announcement It seems that Nintendo is truly a strategic master. The announcement of the renamed Revoluton becoming Wii arrives two weeks before the dawn of E3 2006. As a result from this, Nintendo has given the online community, and the gaming community at large, substantial time to vent and rant about the name of the system before it eventually settles in and becomes commonplace.

By not making the announcement at E3, Nintendo can ensure that the focus of E3 remains solely on the gameplay mechanics of the Wii system, and not on the name. It was a clever ploy, and when the name Wii begins to appear on everything Nintendo related at E3, it will not be a shock. Instead, it will act as positive reinforcement of the brand name.

Take it or leave it, the Revolution is now Wii.

Personally, I am not a fan of the name. However, I can see what Nintendo is aiming for. They are - essentially - working towards a reinvention of the companies image. How? I will explain it in my next “Wii-related” post.