Nintendo Revolution officially named "Wii"

[Darksaviour69]

<blockquote>Nintendo’s next gen console will be known as Wii.
The console, previously known as the codename revolution, has been officially named ahead of further announcements at E3.

A statement from the Japanese games giants today explained: “While the code-name “Revolution” expressed our direction, Wii represents the answer. Wii will break down that wall that separates video game players from everybody else.

"Wii will put people more in touch with their games … and each other. But you’re probably asking: What does the name mean? Wii sounds like “we,” which emphasizes this console is for everyone.

"Wii can easily be remembered by people around the world, no matter what language they speak. No confusion. No need to abbreviate. Just Wii. Wii has a distinctive “ii” spelling that symbolizes both the unique controllers and the image of people gathering to play.

And Wii, as a name and a console, brings something revolutionary to the world of video games that sets it apart from the crowd. So that’s Wii. But now Nintendo needs you. Because, it’s really not about you or me. It’s about Wii."
</blockquote>

btw its pronounced "wee", just in case you were wondering.

Nintendo have made a webpage for the Wii
here

What do you think of the name?

Source: MCVuk.com

[Phlickerjr]

At first I didn't think it fit but after going to the web page I must say it's awsome. The only sad part is that wii will have to say good-bye to Revolution. Also to point out that now every next gen console has a "EE" sound including the portables. Ds PsP 360 Ps3 and now Wii.

[vettacossx]

lol that funny"ee" sound....the code name was a MILLION times better....sounds like a drunken slur....lmao....or something you say on a roller coaster!!!
"wii better go home and play wii ! have you tried the new wii ..roflmao....
nintendo....wii never thought the name would kill the system??? lol
wii would take it all back....if wii could!!!lmao i could burn this title all day.......but i wanna leave some room for the rest of you to make fun of the name!!!well wii sholud be moving on...so ill leave the rest of the wiiING to you guys...lol" WII THE PEOPLE"...

[Cooe14]

Wii.....Revolution....Wii...Revoultion..Wii..Revol ution. Revolution is a much better name the guy who came up with "Wii" should be fired.

[GagaMan]

Wii sure is an odd title for a console to say the least, and it's just ripe for people to dig at, but it might just work, even though I also preferred, and was getting used to, the name Revolution.

[b8a]

How can a major company love to play Russian Roulette so much?????

Nintendo's insane. There's no other conclusion. So very few of their other gambles have ever payed off, that you'd think they'd limit their lunacy to the decisions they've already made that left a lot of people scratching their heads.

Anyway, that whole line about the name being palattable in every language is hogwash. There is no native sound for "wi" in Japanese, the closest approximation would sound somewhere between "ui" and the intended "we". Young Japanese won't have a problem with it, but older ones will probably give up trying to pronounce it after a few months. Here's hoping that the Japanese market comes up with an easier-on-the-stomach moniker for it.

...Ugg ...Seriously, "Wii"? Just when I was thinking that Nintendo's next-gen console was going to be my favorite, they had to go and give it a bloody rediculous name. I think I'm going to vomit... And then I'm going to forget any enthusiasim I ever had about buying it.

[GaMeR_2000]

How can a major company love to play Russian Roulette so much?????

Nice analogy. I heard of Wii a bit prior to reading this and it is...is.......a little strange. I loved the Revolution as a name. I heard this on another site (Digg i think) and would like to tell this to you guys:
Revolution. Sweet. A game console that fights the system. Rock on!!!!!!!!!!

[Kaiser]

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet"

[Adrenalin]

i'm thinking of covering up any part of the box that has "wii" written on it

but more probably, thinking up a nickname for it that doesn't sound $#@!ty

[b8a]

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet"

Not to be overly shallow, but, unfortunately, this rose certainly won't. It'd be like (for a guy) meeting a cute girl with a nice personality, and then finding out that "her" name was David. Doesn't change the important things about who she is, but how many guys do you know who WOULDN'T think twice about going out with "her"?

Unfortunately, the name does matter. Only time will tell if it will have any impact on the console's success/failure, but I don't think that I'm in any sort of minority by saying that this name is a pretty big drawback for an otherwise solid sounding console. Until now, there were no aspects of the Revolution (just can't bring myself to use the other name!), that were a clear detriment to it's outlook (Well, there's the controller issue, but I think the jury's still out on that one, half the people seem to love it, the other half, hate it). Now, they've gone and given it a name that's going to not only make it the butt of many, many jokes, (check out <a href="http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=109981#post109981" target="_blank">this thread</a> for some good ones already cropping up), but is also going to make it the source of a lot of confusion. Walk into a store: "Yes, I'm looking for the Wii" ...sounds like a bad asian-english impersonation. To friends: "Yeah, I'm gonna head home and play Wii" ...how is this not going to generate some weird looks? Oh! And let's not forget about the inevitable references to "weed"! I'm sure the pot-heads out there will love those, but for those of us who don't live in a mary-j cloud, they're going to get old quick.

Personally, being a very visual person, the asthetics of the name just rub me the wrong way. And, I'm not just talking about "kind of" rubbing me the wrong way, I'm talking about a very gut-level, negative reaction to the name. I wasn't kidding when I said it makes me sick. And, on top of the asthetic issues, it also just sounds wrong. Everything about the name just strikes me as a bad decision. I still think the (ugg...) "Wii", will be the most innovative, funnest of the next gen consoles with the most potential, but this name is going to make it 1) hard to buy, 2) hard to get exctied about, and 3) hard to promote to friends/family.

The only plus side I can see to this name is that it does sound like it will strike a chord with females. And getting more girls involved in serious gaming is deffinately a good thing. If this is the main motivation behind the name though, I just wish they'd tried harder to find something with more of an appeal to <b><i>both</i></b> genders.