Monday, May 01, 2006

How Wii will grow



On the NSider forums, a great deal of people still don´t understand the genius behind the name ´Wii´. That´s why I have pasted a few comments from posts I wrote there, to summarize my position and, hopefully, convince some critics ahead of E3 next week.

For a start, most people wrongly believe that a console´s name should somehow hint at the system´s ability. Names like PlayStation, Xbox or even Gizmondo might do that (although only to a very limited extent if you think about it). But this kind of name is meaningless to the vast blue ocean of people out there that haven´t followed console gaming for years or even decades. Those people will be totally unimpressed by consoles whose names conjure up connotations of MegaHertz powerhouses. Wii is a great name for a console that is being marketed to those kind of people (as well as to current gamers, of course), because it comes across as unique and as a lifestyle kind of gadget.

Seriously, people, why did Google manage to rise to the top when Altavista was obviously the professional´s weapon of choice (Google allows no and.t searches or even wildcards)? Name and logo went a long way to making this site unique and stand out among the vast array of good search engines out there. Similarly, Wii might become this kind of appealing and unique name that indicates an appealing and unique lifestyle product.

Most critics say the name sounds ridiculous. But what is so ridiculous or silly about the name Wii? And please don´t give me all this talk about it sounding like Wee because by now we should all have risen above that. Phonetically, it sounds like Wee, but do you still use that word? I don´t. I use the word We in almost every other sentence, though. This is the connotation that is being invoked in my head and this is the reason why I love that name now. It took me some time to get to this point, I admit. But you will get there, too.

A great example (albeit from a very different domain) is the childrens book and franchise Winnie the Pooh. When you hear the name, do you get distracted by fecal connotations? I am sure you don´t. I certainly don´t. A lot of the critics here fail to take into account that a brand name soon takes on a life of its own. And if the word Pooh doesn´t make people think of feces, then why in the world should Wii?

Consider that a big marketing campaign has the power to make people remember this console every time they say sentences like "What are we going to do now?" or "Shall we play a game together?" You should realise that it´s pure genius to opt for a name that is graphemically unique but phonetically prolific. This has great marketing potential.

So why shouldn´t Wii be a cool name? I am sure it will be, Nintendo´s marketing campaign will certainly throw its full weight behind this task. And Wii will become as unique a brand name as Google or Napster. Napster is another good example, by the way, because I myself used to be reminded of the words nappies or nap. It certainly didn´t sound cool when I first heard it. But through both marketing and hearsay, product and name symbiotically evolve. And so will Wii.

EDIT There are two other great editorials you may want to read. One is by CrazyOtto and one is by Matt Behrens of N-Sider.com.

Source: NSider forums

77 comments:

Anonymous said...

I agree with you Falafel. It's the immature/insecure people that will make fun of the name. This is a new Nintendo, rising from a blue ocean. The complainers just need to relax, and realize Nintendo's new direction and image. Wii will change everything.

Anonymous said...

We've missed you Falafelkid.
Glad to see you're posting again. You have always been one of the best sources for Revolution/Wii info.

I added a link to your blog from this page.
http://www.fanfrat.com/nintendo.php

You're more than welcome to be a moderator here for as long as you like, or until you get some forums of your own if you like.

Hope I can send more people your way.

Anonymous said...

I just know the day i get a Wii i'll be askin my buddies "Are Wii gonna play? Who knows, somethin like that will prob. be the next nintendo slogan. "Shall Wii play?" What slogans you guys think thay'll come up with.

Oh and point with getting use to names, sorry, but when i first read falafelkid i thot "oh , just another kid tryin to post the latest rumours" but now its grown on me and this guys name now has a new meaning to me.

Anonymous said...

Great example with my beloved Winnie the Pooh Fal. Why didn't I think of that? Score!

Shoxware Games said...

That was defenitaly a good read. I am comfortable with the name "Wii".

It was also a good task from nintendo to reveal the name now, it would have over-shadowed the great (?) presentation of games! I really look forward to see what nintendo has up its sleeve.

And to all "Wii" haters and / or immature kiddies: NO petition in the world will change the name, and it is absolutely NOT a smokescreen set up by nintendo.

Metaldave said...

Good points Fala. Check out the Wii logo art on my page, it makes big difference to those who doubt if the name can be "cool" or not. Nintendo just has to be smart in its adverts and the Wii will do fine if not extremely good.

I can see people going into Fry's electronics and seeing the Wii kiosks and being like "what the heck is that?" then Nintendo has their attention and they would have to try it out because their curiosity got to them.

It will take time for us to used to(I'm pretty much there) but all is good in the land of Nintendo.

game on said...

Simply perfect. Wii has grown on me these past few days and I dont want it to go away. At first I was skeptical but the point is it's going to be a great system. Well Put Falafel. GAME ON!

Anonymous said...

winnie the pooh; what a fantastic example, falafelkid. bravo. why didn't i think of that?
no offense, but i hate falafel's. i've tried them twice, and from the "best" falafel place in the bay area, "falafel drive-in". it's the oldest restaraunt in San Jose. My point is, when i first saw your name, i thought it was ridiculous ;)
HOWEVER. you have proven, time and time again, that you are genuine, witty, intelligent, and humble, and for me, the word "falafel" no longer represents deep-fried junk wrapped in a thick tortilla; it represents the best god damn nintendo blog on the face of the earth!
excellent insight in this post, falafelkid. you've been a constant inspiration, and you never fail to impress. GREAT JOB!

-"superfan" tactics.

btw, i'm getting used to "Wii" too.

Anonymous said...

ugh... nothing annoys me more than people who put an apostrophe where it doesn't belong, and i am guilty of this in my last post. sorry everyone!

it should read *i hate falafels.

;)

-"superfan" tactics.

Anonymous said...

Good to see you back for at least mildly.

I have to agree, there's no way that the name will have half the impact these guys are claiming. "Wee" didn't even come to mind until half these things..

To be honest, the first thing I thought of was "Wii will wii will rock you, wii will.."

Anonymous said...

Awesome read...it is helping my adaptation to the collective Nintendo Mind. :) Thank you.

Anonymous said...

if you liked fal's write up, check out this one.

http://blog.wired.com/games/
index.blog?entry_id=1467976

i really like this article.

Anonymous said...

Not to mention, Pooh HAS been tested on the adult market. The 1982 book "The Tao of Pooh" uses the characters to introduce Taoist philosophy. It was CLEARLY not kid's stuff and it was a New York Time's Best Seller that garnered a sequel: The Te of Piglet.

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

Geof said...

A few points:

I still hate the name. I'll still buy the system, I'll get used to the name, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. It'll just enter the hallowed realms of Dreamcast, Gizmondo, and N-Gage as Yet Another Stupid Name.

I think the name change was a stupid idea. They had so much branding, energy, and recognition behind Revolution, and a lot of that's been squandered with the name change. I'm sure they'll earn it back, but I doubt it will reach the same heights any time soon, and it does nothing but knock them back a number of steps marketing-wise.

This has done one thing though - it's separated the community clearly between fairweather fans, rational fans, and rabid fanboys. The fairweathers are the fanatical haters who despise the name and foam at the mouth at its very mention. The petitioners and the like. The rationals either hate the name but will accept it, or love the name but acknowledge the impact/potential weakness. The fanboys are the ones raving about what an awesome, totally flawless name it is, and kissing Nintendo's ass.

And to those underplaying the "wee" thing - remember, this is meant to play to the lowest common demoninator. And we all know what that means: a dick-and-fart-joke mentality. Then again, anyone who wouldn't buy a system because its name sounds like "wee" is a tard to begin with.

Finally, anyone who claims they're above grade-school humor is either humorless, deluded, or lying. It's just a matter of whether you can laugh and get over it, or not get over it.

Anonymous said...

This name "Work". it's not like or dislike. it's "Work".

Just have name Wii.

Make non-gamemer attention.
Make a topic on CNN.
Make everyone remember.

... It's attention of non-gamemer for e3.

After that it's will as sample name as ... yes winnie the pooh.

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry, but I still don't think Wii is a good name. It's clever, but that doesn't mean it's good. I can't imagine turning to my friends and saying, "Hey, you guys wanna go back to my place and play some Wii?" I think of "we" everytime I hear it. That's probably exactly what Nintendo was shooting for with getting people together to play games, but it doesn't feel right to me.

I guess it's throwing me off because "we" isn't used as an actual object... it's more of an idea than anything else. "We will do something" sounds right but "have you seen the we" doesn't. I'll get over it sooner or later, but I just figured I'd let you guys know that people aren't just upset because it sounds like "wee".

Anonymous said...

The name Google actually comes from the word googol, except that they spelled it wrong.

if they did it on purpose I don't know, but still it actually means something. For some reason most people don't know that and they keep using google as an exaple of a brand name that gave the word meaning.

Oh and I have already gotten used to the name Wii, it's an okay name.

Falafelkid said...

Hi Geof.

This is meant to play to the lowest common demoninator. And we all know what that means: a dick-and-fart-joke mentality. (...)

Anyone who claims they're above grade-school humor is either humorless, deluded, or lying.


You´re not being serious, are you? Just in case you really are: What on earth has Nintendo´s Blue Ocean strategy of capitalizing on new market demographics has to do with ´dick-and-fart-joke mentality´? You are making no sense at all there.

And about ´grade-school humor´: do you seriously still laugh when someone mentions the word fart? I sure don´t.

Anonymous said...

good article

Anonymous said...

falafelkid your arrogance annoys me. Honestly. Because you are German you dont understand. Get yourself an American or English counterpart and he will tell you all the problems with the word Wii. Therefore you need to be an open minded person.

Furthermore after E3 there will be no reason to come this blog. Not that it was bad but it was just here for news leading up the Revolution being released. Once the console is released people will be going to IGN and Gamespy for reviews and so forth.

Falafelkid said...

Hi Anonym.

falafelkid your arrogance annoys me. Honestly. Because you are German you dont understand. Get yourself an American or English counterpart

You are in fact being arrogant, I believe. I lived in England for six years, have English high school, Bachelor and Master degrees and I also have an English girlfriend. There are native speakers who don´t have my vocabulary, which is evident from this article. So please don´t tell me I need a native to tell me what associations the name Wii might or might not conjure up in people´s minds. I know. I am native, for all intents and purposes (and that is not being arrogant, that is a sober assessment).

Anonymous said...

All I know, wether you hate it or not. Nintendo has done the smartest thing possible. You say it has thrown some people off the console? I'd say nintendo has even more ppl talkin about it than before. And wether or not u want the next nintendo console ur still gonna check it out even if your expecting piss to come out of the system 'cause everyone, now and more than before, are going to want to see what the Wii is about.

More ppl talking is gonna mean more ppl checking what the fuss is about. Nintendo got themselves a huge audience for this e3 and all they had to do was throw a quirky name at you. Stupid nintendo? I think not :D

Falafelkid said...

Hi 910do. It´s funny you should mention porsche. Because over here in Germany, at least, lots of people debated the name Cayenne. Such an SUV was a novelty model for the manufacturer. And what did they do? They gave it a novel name. Didn´t you at first think Cayenne is a weird name for a car, especially for a Porsche? I mean it´s a placename that´s mainly associated with a type of pepper.

Anonymous said...

Tom ... Try imagine you say.

Hey, you guys wanna go back to my place and play some Nintendo We ?

... and soon after name Wii as common as "winnie the pooh" or "ipod". Say it as you like.

Anonymous said...

BIG UP 910DO.
As always,I wholeheartly agree with you.

=D

Peace


-Shed(IALS)

Anonymous said...

Scatology, used sparingly and in small doses, is a healthy part of the humor pyramid.

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

Anonymous said...

Falafelkid I am not saying this is the case but just so ya know it is awfully weird that everytime someone says something bad about ya you have like a bunch of posts blowing your own horn (no pun). It seems like you post about yourself a lot. Anyway you should close this blog and open up a legitimate website if this is what you like to do. This blog is limited in functionality and is kind of passe.

Falafelkid said...

Hi Lichen.

it is awfully weird that everytime someone says something bad about ya you have like a bunch of posts blowing your own horn

If someone asks me to get the help of a native speaker, I obviously have to tell him why I don´t need one. It´s as simple as that. And why would my blog be passé? There will be plenty to speculate about.

Shoxware Games said...

I absolutely love the name and car "Cayenne". I think it sounds great to that kind of Porsche. Because it's the most elegant SUV out there.

Sorry for my off-topic 2 cents.

Anonymous said...

Wii Love to entertain you:

Shiny Entertainment = Earth Worm Jim


Lucasarts = Indiana Jones


Valve = Half Life 3


Capcom = Street Fighter


Konami = New


Nintendo = New


Namco = Soul Calibur


Activision = Spider Man 3


Atari = Contents Under Pressure


Rock Star = Table Tennis


Acclaim = New


Square= Final Fantasy


Sega = Nights


Zoonami = New


Ubi = Red Steel

Anonymous said...

TO ALL THE HATERS:

i have NEVER been more confident in the idea that Wii will use stereoscopic 3d graphics.

give me a second here... dont flame yet.

i want you guys to read this repost of an old (dec '05) post from IGN's boards, now on zogdog. this person has recently been deemed "probably not a fake" because of a comment he made by saying "Kodak Theatre = Mushroom Kingdom!"
if you've been following the revolution news, like i'm sure you all have, you've seen the IGN staffs "tickets" to get into the nintendo keynote that clearly say "MUSHROOM KINGDOM" right on the front, and the keynote is in the kodak theatre.
i believe this "anonymous" person is Reggie himself, because of his verbage: he ends one sentence "[...] what the Revolution holds." which is TOTALLY reggie-speak; am i wrong?

WII WILL BE THWII-D. I'VE NEVER BEEN MORE CONFIDENT. READ IT:

http://theboard.zogdog.com/index.php?showtopic=11472

-"superfan" tactics.

Anonymous said...

darcia:

THANK YOU. i couldn't agree more.

-"superfan" tactics.

now read that thread i posted in my last comment.

Anonymous said...

Fal is THE best english writer in gaming news as we speak. Please do not criticize him for the country he comes from and the way he uses english precisely. I am sure he is well aware that people who use the english language properly are often looked opun as "arrogant". I think he is doing a great job in changing this attitude.
I believe that other writers are also great mind you, but in their own ways.

Anonymous said...

Mario City Plumbers information:

-Its an entirely new somewhat grown up take on the Mario character and Universe

-Mario will be thin in his next adventure.

-He will wear Nike shoes.


-He wont wear his cap, at least in the beginning of his new adventure .


-More story driven than Mario Sunshine.

-The game is set in a city mirroing a metropolis.


-City Plumbers relies heavily on on old school Mario jump and run style mechanics (gameplay).


-Nintendo wants to pay hommage to people who grew up playing Mario and generally older gamers by teaming up with Nike and by giving the game edgy new visuals themes illustrating a breathing City albeit with a stylized somewhat bright Marioesque look.


-The Levels are partially scripted, going straight forward like Crash Bandicoot for example.


-Mario has a Cellullar Phone

-The game starts in his workshop where he gets a call from his Brother Luigi who heads a Pizza Restaurant in the City.
Luigi has a problem with the Restaurants Conduit-it doesnt conduct water anymore.The washer is out of order.The drain is blocked.He cant clean the dirty dishes.The guests start complaining.They want their money back.So he obliges Mario to solve the problems avanti!

-Mario will collect banknotes istead of coins.



-Mario will use a toolkit to solve problems taking advantage of the new controller.

-He will jump simply by moving the controller upwards and twist by doing it in a combo button pressing.


-Peach and other characters will be presented in a stylized human form but still reminscent to Mario Bros.


-Story remains unclear at this point.

Anonymous said...

huh... definately sounds like a new direction for mario...

nike shoes though? HAHAHA thats... ridiculous... although i *guess* i could believe it...

wow.

where'd you see all that stuff?

-"superfan" tactics.

by the way, anyone that has this months Nintendo Power... my picture made it on page 13! :D isn't that bad ass?!?!

Anonymous said...

Bank notes? come on...what do you take me for? Name brand shoes does not make a character edgy and hip.

Next you'll be telling me mario can do drive by shootings a la GTA 3 style.

Anonymous said...

wii sounds like wee as in piss, that's the first thing anyone will think when tnhey hear the name. google, ipod etc sound wierd but they dont sound like a word for piss and wang. playstation sounds cool and is now synonymous with the casual people around the world.

your logic fails.

Anonymous said...

to bumrash but no skidmarks

- once ipod been call ipood. please look the picture.

http://the-kiter.de/bild/ipood.jpg

- playstation is some thing "play+station". It's nothing news just copy of something exist.

And thare is no name cool at begin. For playstation times and loss much of money on psx make it look cool.

RGB said...

Although I do agree to a point with you Falafel, first impressions are very important. If people have somewhat a negative thought towards the system due to the name on the first impression/conslusion of the system this may not be the best thing. Taking us time to get used to the name may not be enough time for many customers that are not constantly associated with gaming.

Blue Ocean is also about creating a new 'mass market'. I've read the book and understand it very well. Nintendo I still believe are alienating themselves to a some or a majority (I cant assume either one of the two) of the market with the name. Blue Ocean is about creating new markets and grabbing customers that do not exist, however I do believe in the gaming market a lot of the audience will need to be involved for it to become successful. You just need to look at the current games going to the system to realise this.

As adults, sure we can get tired of the wee jokes but the younger generation may not. Teenagers are still immature and I can see this a problem socially.

I do however agree with many of the positive spin you have put on this, in which many other writers have gone over already as well, I just hope the name is a good choice in the end and it doesnt set the systems marketability back.

In the end I think the content will win over all. As long as their are games like Red Steel, Metroid and many other titles contradicting any silly/young generation image the name may bring for 'some' people, the system should not get looked in that light.

Geof said...

Fal, I am being serious.

I don't mean that Nintendo are deliberately aiming at a dick-and-fart-joke demographic, though. I mean that if they're aiming for mass appeal, they seem to have forgotten that the majority of the masses have that mentality, and that the "wee" thing is precisely the first thing that will come to mind for them. I don't mean that it's a deliberate thing by Nintendo, I mean that they apparently didn't notice that small point.

And there's a world of difference between simply saying a rude word and grade-school humor. See: the difference between "wee" and "do you want to come to my place tonight and play with my wee". And I stand by my comment; anyone who claims not to find dick and fart jokes even remotely funny is either lying, deluded, or humorless.

Anonymous said...

I was surfing around looking up things like stereoscopic 3d and augmentive reality and came across cloaking devices. I remember a little while ago Bozon from ign had a link to this stuff on his blog. I hope he was giving us a hint?

Anonymous said...

It does seem weird at first glance but Nintendo don't want people to think same old game consoles when they hear the name of their new generation system.

Anonymous said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgKVEtYisDc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKVYNn45cmc

Wii will change everything!

Ian Wilgaus said...

Whats all this talk about Falafelkid needing a native speaker? Seriously people. I have been reading his blog for a long time now, and although he is indeed German. *Which by the way matters how?* He better presents what he says and writes, than most native English speakers/writers. He is obviously very well educated and speaks more than one lanuage.Thats more than the average person can do.


So when he choses to defend himself against what others say about his character, I couldnt blame him. If you think hes that bad, and you dont like his views. Then dont come here. And of course you do come here, why? Because he gives good reliable information and views very good points about the industry.

Just have to say, I never thought about the "Winnie The Pooh" comparison. Even though my Fiance has a million "Pooh's" im my house!

End of the day, if Nintendo brought to the market wii, and it was an awful console that couldnt do anything, then it would be an embarresment. But, I dont see that happening. And because wii will bring fourth a Revolution. It will become a symbolic console of its time expanding the definition og gaming. Something that hasnt been done since the birth of gaming.

Anonymous said...

@lord_darcia

1) I guess it's even more time they spent developing it, somewhere i read they started as soon as the gamecube was finished and that's the way it usually goes... But i think the development of the controller was not as fast and cheap as many of us think. Not only you have to find the right technology and the right parts to fit in, you also have to do a lot of market research. And, of course, you have to develop a whole production process that's cheap and suitable for mass production. Remember the first computer mouse? It had a price label somewhere near 800$ and that was not only because Apple wanted to fill their pockets with shitloads of money... Innovation is expensive and if you want to make it affordable and thus marketable you have long development cycles. So i wouldn't completely rule out that there's not much more than we know today.

2)"DOES IT EVEN SOUND REVOLUTIONARY?" - Well, i for myself think: Yes, it does. I would be happy to play games on the Wii if it's nothing more than we know today it is. But of course, if Nintendo has more upon it's sleeves, i'm even happier.

Brian said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Brian said...

To the idiot(s) who bitched about Falafel's English - get a life. Seriously. The guy types better than 90% of his English-speaking counterparts the globe over. You say that he doesn't understand because he's German? That's as closed-minded as you can get.

And then you tell him to be open-minded? What a hypocrite! That's the very point of his post, you fool.

Anyway...

Wii... hmm. I'm still in shock, and I'm not sure if I believe them or not when they say it's the real name, but I agree with Falafel - this thing has immense potential. And it is growing on me.

Anonymous said...

Why does nobody realize that "PSP" spoken out loud is "Piss-Pee"?

It's a crazy world!

Anonymous said...

Metal Slug series heads to Wii!!!

What more could you want?

:)

Anonymous said...

Those who wanna say "OMG WII SOUNDS SO WEE" and that everyone mocks it, well it could be true. BUT you know what you can made out "game boy" it sounds little different..but that how everyone remember its and will be like "lets play *gasp* (mock name of game boy)" that how everyone is making it classic. and you can make

"pee as pee" out of PSP but do you hear it? no

Anonymous said...

Fal, great article and the other two that you posted were great reads as well.

NOA_Rufus over at the main boards has a good post about the psychological steps that can be assoicated with grieving.

http://forums.nintendo.com/nintendo/board/message?board.id=revolution&message.id=1037304

Also, I posted over there the same thing I'll post here. I don't associate the word "Wii" with "Wee" at all. I only realized the association after reading a number of angry posts. In all honesty I can't recall the last time I associated "Wee" with urine. "Wizz", "Pee", "Piss", "Leak", yeah, those I do on a base level. But "Wee"? My 4 year old daughter does not even know what the word "Wee" is, I asked her. She knows all about "Pee" though! And my fiance (who is non-gamer to the extreme) has been looking up articles about the Wii and every once in a while if the subject comes up for a second she will say "Whee!" jokingly.

If you can't get past your insecurities/immaturites/hang-ups/whatever-else-your-problem-may-be then ignore the Wii and defect to another system.

Wii don't need you.

Thanks Fal! Keep up the great work.

Anonymous said...

Mario City Plumbers(additional) information:


-Its an entirely new somewhat grown up take on the Mario character and universe


-Mario will be thin in his next adventure.


-Mario will jump through windows, over roof tops,blocks,skyscrapers etc.


-Miyamoto was inspired and fascinated by the "Yamakasi"(people that jump over buildings as a hobby) who started to make the rounds in Paris.
He is confident that the Yamakasi lifestyle is very assignable to the Mario theme.After all,they both share a passion for jumping.


-The Yamakasi aspect coupled with the original idea of Mario being a plumber gave Miyamoto a basic concept an impulsion to build a game aroundit.A lot of gameplay ideas suddenly popped out of his head once he made the connection.


-the city sports a big green park where Mario can get away from the main quest- his plumber activities and do mini games.Roller blading or all sorts of ball games for instance.


-Nintendo teams up with Nike to give Mario a hip sporty image. He will wear Nike shoes.A special edition Mario jump Nike in the colours red,white and blue is in the making.


-The Nike Logo will be on every Mario box


-He wont wear his cap, at least in the beginning of his new adventure .


-More story driven than Mario Sunshine.

-The game is set in a city mirroring a metropolis.


-City Plumbers relies heavily on old school Mario jump and run style mechanics (gameplay).


-Nintendo wants to pay hommage to people who grew up playing Mario and generally older gamers,by teaming up with Nike and by giving the game edgy new visual themes,illustrating a breathing City albeit with a stylized somewhat bright Marioesque look.


-The Levels are partially scripted, going straight forward like Crash Bandicoot for example.


-Mario has a Cellullar phone


-The game starts in his workshop, where he gets a call from his Brother Luigi who heads a Pizza Restaurant in the City.
Luigi has a problem with the Restaurants Conduit-it doesnt conduct water anymore.The washer is out of order.The drain is blocked.He cant clean the dirty dishes.The guests start complaining.They want their money back.So he obliges Mario to solve the problems,avanti!


-Mario will collect banknotes istead of coins.


-Mario will use a toolkit to solve problems taking advantage of the new controller.


-He will jump simply by moving the controller upwards and twist by doing it in a button pressing combo.


-Peach and other characters will be presented in a stylized human form but still reminiscent of Mario Bros.


-Story remains unclear at this point.

RGB said...

Heh will you stop it with that Mario city plumbers crap. Mario will never eventuate to a game such as that.

Glad to see you are back Brian, thought you had left.

I think a name to be a good name should have a positive effect from the instant you hear it. Now I cant speak for the rest of the market but first impressions mean everything as I have already stipulated above.

Anyway history is yet to be made and I hope it does well. You can never predict what people want or think.

Anonymous said...

winnie the pooh.....ewwww grosss, pooh!!!!!!!

Falafelkid said...

Yeah, please stop with that ridiculous Mario Plumbers spam. Mario wear Nike shoes? You can´t be serious.

Anonymous said...

Mario City Plumbers?
Wow.
That sounds cool!

I hope he is not lying cause that would really be a great idea to change peoples perception of Mario as a children only game.
Keep in mind that Mario wears a beard
and thus must be an adult!

Anonymous said...

One thing proves it as false.

Collecting bank notes instead of coins.

Never happen.

Anonymous said...

NEW MARIO CITY PLUMBERS INFO:

- mario is a drug dealer: he sells marijuana and cocaine

- you will control mario or princess peach during sex, like "GTA hot coffee"

- mario's cell phone will be a motorola RAZR

- luigi will get infected by HIV

- mario will carry around a bag of toys and enter people's houses through their chimneys

- mario will drive a Honda Civic

- Princess Peach will ovulate once a month and bitch incessantly

- "toad" will end up a bum on the streets after mario refuses to sell cocaine to him

- this game will use the Nintendo ON visor but instead of putting on your head, you strap it around your waist

- the ninja turtles will be luigi's biggest customers at the pizza shop

Anonymous said...

uh, don't forget that Bowser is the head of the local Yakuzas and Princess Peach works as a prostitute...



(never heard a more obviusly false rumour...)

Anonymous said...

Zelda: TP on May 15th!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/
B0009UBR3A/qid=1146522352/sr=8-1/
ref=pd_bbs_1/104-1977711-6255929?%
5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=468642


so will the Wii be available on the 15th???

Anonymous said...

http://theboard.zogdog.com/index.php?showtopic=11598

Wii is being stockpiled.

Anonymous said...

hahahaha "Princess Peach will ovulate once a month and bitch incessantly" that's definately the best one.

and shit... zelda:tp *is* listed on amazon for may 15th... that's gotta be wrong... right?

-"superfan" tactics.

Anonymous said...

geof said:
'I think the name change was a stupid idea. They had so much branding, energy, and recognition behind Revolution, and a lot of that's been squandered with the name change.'

I still think you don't get the point. Ask yourself the question:
Whose recognition Revolution had?
Then ask yourself:
Whose recognition Ninty is aiming for?

Anonymous said...

Lord_Darcia said...
"Ok just a few more points on:

-augmented reality
-wii being slightly more powerful than 360"


the statement 'slightly more powerfull than 360' is ridicilous. What is the measure of comparison? Raw specs? 1st generation gamegraphics? Expected graphics in a year time?
I mean come on...

Anonymous said...

Hey fal I followed a link that i found from another blogger http://www.microvision.com/company.html

So anyway this company has a headquaters out of Redmond Washington. I think i read something about this company a while back not sure but sounds pretty interesting. They have all sorts of hmds, light and heavy. Perhaps the last secret? Just looking for your take or anyone elsees for that matter

Anonymous said...

Falafelkid do you think that this could turn into a good website?

www.freewebs.com/wii-revolution

Anonymous said...

Hello Fal, long time reader, first time replier. I just wanted to say that this was an issue that pushed me into posting, in that I agree with everything you've said on your blog up until this point.

I think people miss the point when they say "it will grow on you", because that's the absolute worst possible thing you can do from a marketing perspective. Marketing a console is all about first impressions, and while I think the urine jokes got old before they even started, what the heck does "Wii" even mean to those that don't play video games?

Sure it stands out, and it's easy to understand, but couldn't they have chosen a better easier to understand word that stands out? I actually polled a few of my friends, not in the know about video games, what they thought of "Wii" if they had no idea what it meant. I was inspired by an article on either Joystiq or 1up, I can't remember which. Anyways, most of them said "wheeee!!" like they were flying a plane with their hand, otherwise, for some reason, they thought "Wii" was a cleaning product!! WTF?! Not only that but everything about the lower case i just screams "iPod". Not like this is entirely a bad thing, but really Nintendo... If you want to forge your own path, then don't follow someone else's.

But yes, that's all I had to say. I really like your blog and I'm glad to have you back with us. Though I sadly must respectfully disagree with your opinion on this issue Fal.

Anonymous said...

Hey
In my post above I wanted to know what people think about my site. Please sign my guestbook with comments. Thanks

Ethan said...

You are so full of it it isn't even funny....

Falafelkid said...

Hi Anonym ("long time reader, first time replier").

Wow, that was the first critique of Wii I read that made a lot of sense. Unfortunately, I have little time. So here´s my short reply.

I think you are right. The name needing to grow on us obviously spoils our first impressions. However, this is only necessary with gamers like you or me that are used to names like Genesis, Jaguar, PlayStation or Xbox. And we know already, will have time to let the new name grow on us and probably buy the system regardless of whether we have come to like the name by launch.

The people Nintendo wants to draw into console gaming, though, don´t have this preconception that a console needs a tough name that makes it sound like a MegaHertz powerhouse. So they won´t need any time getting used to Wii. Seeing the name and product for the first time in the stores, they will probably think it´s an original name. And if they weren´t really looking to buy an ordinary console, they will still consider buying the Wii, because both the looks and the name are totally different.

See, the name difference is something that has a more negative impact on core gamers like us, but at the same time more positive on casual gamers. That, at least, is Nintendo´s plan - and I am pretty sure it will work.

Anonymous said...

Not only that but everything about the lower case i just screams "iPod". Not like this is entirely a bad thing, but really Nintendo... If you want to forge your own path, then don't follow someone else's.

So every time someone uses 'i' they are copying iPod? That really doesn't make much sense to me. Perhaps if the 'i' preceeded the product name, then you would have a point.

RGB said...

Wow, that was the first critique of Wii I read that made a lot of sense. Unfortunately, I have little time. So here´s my short reply.

I had only mentioned that twice in two posts above.

Jason said...

I am absolutely disgusted with the name. I have gotten better with the name in the last day or so but I still think it was a stupid decision.

I hope to high heaven Nintendo is playing a game with the Fans and the Media(which could be in on it).

But to believe that you got to be nuts.

Brian said...

Cheers, Grandmaster B - my 'net connection is still down at home, unfortunately. But thanks to college and various local 'net café's, I'm never very far away ^_~

Brian said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

bumrash but no skidmarks dijo...

wii sounds like wee as in piss, that's the first thing anyone will think when tnhey hear the name. google, ipod etc sound wierd but they dont sound like a word for piss and wang.
your logic fails.


ok, maybe mommy and daddy haven't told you this yet, but not everyone in the world speaks/understands english (not even half of it), so to most people it's just an odd word with no meaning ^^




seriously people, get over it....

Anonymous said...

Hey thanks for the compliment! (long time reader first time replier, or just "Mike" for short)

Okay, what I said about the lower case i and having it look like ipod was unfair, let me reiterate that point. It's not so much just the lower case i, but the whole logo itself. It has the minamalist white on grey look. Which I really like mind you, but I just think Nintendo is being slightly hypocritical about the whole thing.

And you make good points Fal, and I understand that this name isn't marketed towards myself and other hardcore gamers, I'm just not convinced that this is the best name in the world to choose for the non gaming demographic. Like I mentioned in my previous post, I asked a couple of people what they thought "Wii" meant if they didn't know, and they either said "wheee!!" and made airplane motions, or thought it was a cleaning product. The former really worries me, because I'd really like Nintendo to get away from the "kiddy" image that everyone gets on their case for, and I think this is just a step towards that direction.

But hey, I'm open minded, and will buy one regardless. I'm just worried about the non gaming demographic, and I'm still not convinced that this is the best name in the world. I think one site said it best when they said "when you need to write an entire paragraph explaining how you named the system, you're in trouble."