The rumors and announcements surrounding the upcoming release of Nintendo’s next console, the Wii U are coming more and more frequently these days, and show no signs of stopping. But the most recent report isn’t concerned with the official holiday 2012 launch, and may come as absolutely no surprise to some gamers. Nintendo is seeking to avoid many of the marketing blunders experienced with the 3DS, with apparently a possible Wii U name change being considered.
Hearing that the somewhat controversial name of the next console may be changed to make the system more appealing is less than shocking. After the system was unveiled at last year’s E3 and gave gamers a brand name to replace that of ‘Project Cafe,’ to say that the new title was a surprise would be an understatement. While Nintendo claimed to be evolving to recapture the hardcore audience, keeping the Wii label seemed to imply otherwise.
Since then the news surrounding the Wii U has gotten much more positive, with the past few weeks bringing news of hardware twice as powerful as Xbox 360, and Nintendo finally making the right steps for online play with The new Nintendo Network. Still, you can’t understate the importance of a great name and look – a white hard drive isn’t exactly ‘bold’ – and apparently Nintendo agrees.
That’s according to CVG, who claim that “sources close to the platform holder” are suggesting that those in charge of the console’s success are already second-guessing their choice of titles:
“serious discussions are ongoing at the highest level in the US and Japan as to whether the firm should cut its losses and give the console a different name.”
The sudden shift in thinking is tied to the confusion and underwhelming response received with the release of the Nintendo 3DS last year. Apparently adding a single letter or number to an existing product name doesn’t exactly convince consumers that the device truly is ‘the next generation,’ which is a fair argument to make.
Since more and more details seem to emphasize just how different the Wii U will be from its predecessor, coming up with a completely new name isn’t such a bad idea. Nintendo is far from worried about their current share of the gaming marketplace, but there’s no reason to leave potential obstacles intact. With remaining concerns over just how many third party games will support the Wii U, it’s in the company’s best interest to convince the world that this console really is a change to the formula.
What do you think of a possible re-branding for the Wii U? Any potential ideas that you’ve come up with or heard in the past that you thought were better than putting a ‘u’ on the end? Leave us your ideas in the comments.
We’ll keep you updated when Nintendo either comments on this report, or announces a name change for the Wii U.
Follow me on Twitter @andrew_dyce.
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Source: CVG
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Super Wii.
UN (you in?) ultra nintendo
Let me remind everyone that whether you personally like it or not, Wii is probably one of the strongest, most widely known technology brands to emerge out of the first decade of the 21st century aside from perhaps iPod and Android, even if the name doesn’t sound “cool”.
Nintendo didn’t even begin to properly build up the Wii U brand in mainstream advertising, let alone even demonstrate its feature set in full to the public.
If they want to change the name, keep in mind, they’re mainly doing it not to confuse the soccer moms, not to make the system sound cooler to the hardcore.
I’ll give you the fact that the Wii is one of the most well known technology brands…among those who aren’t technology enthusiasts.
And any name change would definitely be to convince them that this IS a new console, not the same as the Wii, which was the main reason be took issue with the name. That being said, making it sound a bit cooler wouldn’t hurt, since every marketing firm knows that always helps.
Not to mention…disassociating it with the current Wii system…which has revealed itself to be the gimmicky little dust-collector it was destined to be exposed as.
I think that Nintendo realized that it left it’s hardcore gamer base out in the cold and that it was the wrong answer. (You really shouldn’t abandon those whose shoulders you’ve built your empire upon.)
I’d be far more surprised to hear that they AREN’T changing it’s name.
But like Ken says… If you’re stupid enough to fall for a name then you get what you deserve. Screw the name. Do your research. DON’T be an early adopter. Let the idiots out there buy it first and see if it fails or succeeds… Maybe wait for the first price drop. THEN buy.
Nintendo has done a real bang-up job screwing itself over with their last few projects. It’s just so damn sad…considering Nintendo used to be my hero company as a kid.
It’s a damn shame.
Well, for me, I couldn’t care less what’s “cool” or not. I just think Wii U is a stupid name. They don’t have to get all trendy or “cool” with stupid gimmicks like putting the “cool” letter X or the “cool” number 13 in the name… Well, Microsoft already did the X thing… I can never understand why some kids think a letter or number is cooler than another… It’s a freakin’ letter, there’s nothing “cool” or special about the number 13, it’s the number after 12 and before 14… Anyway, back when they just called their system Nintendo Entertainment System, I’m fine with that. No need for a gimmicky name, but at the same time not something incredible retarded sounding like Wii U… Whatever the hell that means…
Actually, the X in XBOX comes from it’s development. It originally ran DirectX, thus being the DirectXBox. They decided to shorten the name to XBOX, and eventually kept it for the official product name.
Nintendo Revolution
It was a great name years ago, it’s STILL a great name now. Use it, please.
I don’t know, Nintendo Revolution sounds as lame to me as Wii U sounds to everyone else. I mean, it’s a cool codename, but for the actual console… no. I personally don’t think Wii U is that bad. I had no problem with the name. I may be in the minority, but hey, you’re not gonna be playing the name.
super nes turbo ultimate…… ow wait? that’s capcom
Go back to the roots.
The Nintendo Revolution.
Or if they want to pack less punch, the Nintendo Phoenix.
SOMEBODY will never be hired as a marketing director…
I would name it the Nintendo Shift, an allusion to the ‘revolution in gaming’ and its new tablet capabilities.
Or they can do what Apple does and call it the Nintendo iWii, lol.
Because we all know it’s only cool if it has a lower case i in front of the name…