Did Nintendo Punk Us with Wii?

[cliffbo]

I spoke with branding company Igor International yesterday about Nintendo’s choice of Wii as the new name for their next-gen console.

During the interview Steve Manning became convinced that Nintendo had deliberately picked a bad name for the console and that it was, in fact, fake. Manning thinks that Nintendo is creating an enormous viral campaign by releasing a fake name and then coming back during E3 and announcing the real one.

It looks like he’s not the only one who thinks this. Site Snark Hunting is also convinced, here’s why:

Crazy? Here is the first clue, “By letting the gaming community vent now about the name, they will be less distracted as launch titles for the system are announced and initial reports about what it’s like to play the games begin to come in.” Allowing your audience time to vent is not SOP in a name announcement, and also telegraphs that Nintendo knows what a stinker this name would be.
Second, it’s not possible to engineer a worse name for this product.

Third, and this is a big one, there are no trademarks registered by Nintendo nor by any dummy corp in the U.S or over there for Wii. This is unprecedented for Nintendo and it is not possible that his is an oversight. If Wii were the name, they would have registered it. In fact, no new trademarks have been registered by Nintendo at all. This leads us to conclude that Nintendo has in fact registered the real name under a dummy corp, which is SOP when trying to keep a name a secret prior to launch.

I’ve asked Nintendo reps straight out if this was the case, several times, and they deny it through and through. They also say they don’t know why the name isn’t yet trademarked.

Manning is now calling this the “most savvy name announcement we have seen in many years.”

We think Nintendo is setting you all up to be Punk’d at E3, generating a massive amount of positive buzz when the scam and the real new name are announced.
Given that their video game audience is the same demographic as Punk’d, the whole campaign is perversely elegant. Except of course for failing to make the illusion complete by registering a TM for Wii.

Personally, I think this would run too many risks and could far too easily backfire for Nintendo to attempt it. I’m thinking Nintendo just thinks the shock is going to create an instant and lasting impression.



http://www.gametab.com/news/546973/

[Generic Wheaties]

I think the name's real. Who cares what the name is?

[Mach]

NintendoNow called this possibility before any of them...Way better analysis here:
http://nintendonow.e-mpire.com/index.php?categoryid=6&m_articles_articleid=3629

[DankHero]

they could have made a worse name, shit stick that's worse.

[Coded-Dude]

*registers Wii as a trademark*

pwn!

@ MACH - the link is a 404 error...

[cpiasminc]

I think Penny Arcade had the real winner of a name for it, though.

[Coded-Dude]

why was my post deleted

[Hylian-Advocate]

^what did it say?

The thing that really gets me thinking is the fact that there still is NOOOO tradmark on Wii, Nintendo Wii......nothing!

I guess they could have just recently filed it...but even then it only takes about a week at most to process and be in the online search engines..... and usually companies of this size will do these tradmarkings WAY in advance.

In fact.... I saw tradmarks for GameCube back in August of 2000 and GameCube was release/name announced the year later.

[Coded-Dude]

*registers Wii as a trademark*

pwn!

@ MACH the link gives a 404 error
another post was also deleted in the Request for E3 video sharing thread

nevermind I posted this in the DUPLICATE thread residing in General Nintendo

[PornSharK]

I remember the GameCube was announced August of 2000, they even had game previews as well?

[Hylian-Advocate]

really....hmmm.... oh wait...yes....

the last spaceworld.

but even then...the tradmarks were there....now they aren't....at least not yet.....so whats up with that.

Edit:

I went back and looked..... Spacworld 2000 took place on August 23 - 29....... but the first tradmark for GameCube had a file date of the August 22....

so unless its still being processed it doesn't make sense that its not showing up their now..... why would they not have it trademark it yet....odd

[The Dude]

Dream on, Wii is here to stay. It would be even less Nintendo-like to punk their fans, then not registering a trademark

[Hylian-Advocate]

oh .. I know.... I don't really believe Nintendo would do somthing like this and I think Wii is probably still here to stay.......its just odd.....although..... i did find this on the website:

"After the USPTO determines that you have met the minimum filing requirements, the application is forwarded to an examining attorney. This may take a number of months."

maybe that explains why its not showing up yet??? who knows

[dncardman]

Yeah I bet Nintendo is gonna hire Ashton Kutcher to run out in the middle of Iwata's speach and be like "OMFG u've been punk'd!!"

....come on now....

[Viper]

http://nintendonow.e-mpire.com/index.php?categoryid=6&m_articles_articleid=3629&PHPSESSID=d6c54ce02c17d8779027059452bfac91

[Vishus]

The guy "thinks" the name sucks so he is desperately hoping that it's some sort of a joke. Now if this name was not real he doesn't even have the right to say "I told you so."

[Mathx]

they could have made a worse name, shit stick that's worse.

Too obvious. I wonder if they are playing on the whole "Nintendo is for Kids!" idea by going straight into the whole "Wii" idea.

If the name is fake this would be a great tactic. It's already generated a buzz.

[Victor]

Wii has been trade marked, watch the video on Nintendo's site there is a clear visible TM.

[Hylian-Advocate]

True...but that technically means nothing....

anybody can put TM next to something and call it trademarked but it would still have to show up online as being trademarked.

Nonetheless.... I don’t know if I really see Nintendo doing something like this because its just not like them to do anything that could potentially piss a lot of fans off .....even if all was to be made right just over a week later. Who knows really.... but its probably going to be the name.... I wont hold my breath...but it would totally kick ass in my opinion for a company like Nintendo to do something so radical. hehehe...I would probably keel over and die in laughter while at the Nintendo conference.

[Zethral]

R indicates that it's a registered trademark, meaning that it's officially acknowledged by the government. TM means that you've applied for a trademark, or are going to apply. You put TM to notify people that, while it's not official yet, you believe it will be soon.

[D3adcell]

It would be some awesome if they were just fucking with us. It would really change nintendo's imae somewhat. show that they know how to joke around and have balls.

[Hylian-Advocate]

well....not exactly, Zethral.... because Nintendo Products like the Nintendo DS and Nintendo GameCube still say TM in official press releases... ...and I am talking about ones that I have read only days ago.

[Shoelace]

Victor, they looked on the trademark and copyrights and Wii is no where to be found.

Anyways, I don't think Nintendo would go through the trouble on tricking us.

[Bing147]

Don't search under Nintendo Wii, that's not the title. Wii is. But I doubt it, it can take a year even for some trademarks to go through.

[Hylian-Advocate]

That is what was searched for.......just Wii.... but nothing

[venomv]

I have thought that it may be a bad joke in the beginning, I think it is more likly that it is real, but the possiblity that it isn't real is deffenty there, and I for one am hoping it's fake.

[HolyPaladin]

http://www.mustangmods.com/data/10900/brilliant.jpg

"Brilliant!"

[Snarkey]

I wish this were the case... I hope this is the case...

I doubt this is the case.

[HolyPaladin]

I wish this were the case... I hope this is the case...

I doubt this is the case.

You've read the articles linked above, right? They do raise some interesting and very suspicious points. These include:

1) Despite Nintendo owning 631 trademarks, Wii isn't trademarked at all. If Nintendo had any intention of actually using the name, they should already have trademarked it before it was even announced.

2) Nintendo hasn't even bothered with a Wii subdomain on their own site (wii.nintendo.com). Revolution.nintendo.com still exists, and doesn't even redirect or anything. Surely they're not that lazy. They never snagged wii.com, either. I could go along and take it if I wanted to. If they intended to use the name, they'd have bought the URL, even if only to redirect to nintendo.com.

[Snarkey]

Oh god, I hope you're right. I don't want to be sceptical. However, I don't want to believe that the name is just a bad joke and then commit ninja suicide when E3 rolls around and the bigwigs at NOA are still calling the damn thing "Wii". The article does raise some interesting points though.

[Zer0-Sum]

I wish, but Ninty never messes around like that. Wii it is and so it will ever be, so sayeth Nintendo. I got used to it, though I don't like it. And trust me, the jokes will NEVER stop.

[Viper]

Wii.com

Registrant:
Willamette Industries, Inc.

Created: 1994-08-10



Nintendo couldn't make Wii.com if they wanted to just like they couldn't make revolution.com

I just noticed who owns revolution.com.....Steve Case (founder of AOL) and he made it just a month before E3 last year.

[Zer0-Sum]

Wii.com

Registrant:
Willamette Industries, Inc.

Created: 1994-08-10



Nintendo couldn't make Wii.com if they wanted to just like they couldn't make revolution.com

I just noticed who owns revolution.com.....Steve Case (founder of AOL) and he made it just a month before E3 last year.

Is that a Willamette Industries, Inc. from Oregon? That would be weird. I live in Oregon. I wonder if Ninty would try to buy it from them to get it. I bet thjey could if they tried. Just dump a massive load of cash their way and watch them sell it so fast.

[Shoorty0690]

Haha. I would laugh hysterically. Everyones getting all crazy and registering domains and paying for them. And then theyre gonna change all their layouts. And then nintendo is going to change their name again. AHAHAHA
Ill stick to reading the news, not reporting it thank you very much.

<3ryry

[Zer0-Sum]

I change my mind about Ninty buying Wii.com. All they would have to do is nintendo-wii.com or something similar and forget paying some fools for wii.com. Ninty bows to no one.

[Phoenix]

Hmm... interesting points. It's entirely possible, I hope it happens!

[Viper]

How did they mess up with Wind Waker?

[Zer0-Sum]

How did they mess up with Wind Waker?

I agree with him. I disliked WIndWaker so much I did not even bother finishing it. It was lame in my eyes. The sytle of gameplay, all the sailing about, boring. The first Zelda game I did not beat. Twilight Princess should make up for all of that crap....

I agree about the name too. WiI? So stupid. But a name does make a system. Wii will ROCK so I am gonna get one, period, regardless of a stupid name.

[Viper]

I think he was talking in terms of the trademark issue still.

[P.B.]

ive suspected this from day one...but to tell you the truth i only think theres a small chance that it is true, but i keep telling myself it will happen because I hope so badly that it is true. Maybe they knew everybody was going to be upset no matter what about the new name they announced a really awful name, so that when the real name is announced people will be really pleased by comparison...hmmmmmmm...such wishful thinking.

Oh yeah, and people need to stop using the term punk'd. I hate Ashton Kutcher.

[Zer0-Sum]

Oh they Punk'd us, but it is just not a joke. They are serious and that is that, no matter how much it blows a dead goats Wii.....

[nanika]

wtf is wii.

so stupid

[Bahn™]

shopping for wii:


"hello, do you have any wii's on sale?"
"I'd like to buy a wii for my kids"
"how much is the wii?"
"hello, i'm looking for where you sell the wii?"
"we're out of stock on wii's right now"
"how many games can you play with wii?"
"can i get a console formerly known as the revolution?"

owning a wii:

"Hey, you wanna come of for some wii?"
"Im having a few friends over to play wii"
"not now, i'm finishing up some wii"
"I'm just playing a little wii, mom!"
"no more wii until you finish your homework"

you can see where this is going ;)
who knows, maybe wii'll get used to it.

names like google, yahoo!, and virgin airlines aren't all that odd at all now.... right?

[Cofey]

IGN's "Wii" site is still at http://revolution.ign.com also. Is it too farfetched to think they'd be in on such a joke too?

[HolyPaladin]

IGN's "Wii" site is still at http://revolution.ign.com also. Is it too farfetched to think they'd be in on such a joke too?

Maybe it's a laziness thing, or perhaps they haven't entirely bought into it, yet.

[Viper]

Actually it's a matter of killing several million links by changing it wii.ign.com. That's Internet suicide doing that.

[Zeep]

Wii don't need two ideantical threads, one of which is in the wrong board. Merged and moved.

[Hylian-Advocate]

Also.... ign does have wii.ign.com.... it just redirects you to revolution.ign.com

You cant just do away with the one domain as Viper mentioned.... so basically they just leave them both up and one directs to the other.

[MicVlaD]

What ? Nintendo is reduced to making fun of it's self, it's revolutionary console, and lying just to take the spotlight away from Sony for no more than one second ? Sad. If it IS a joke, it will turn me off 100% from buying the console. I may end up getting an Xbox 360.You call The Wind Waker childish, then decide you may not buy a Revolution / Wii purely because of its name? Please.

Besides: colorful graphics does not make a game "kiddy".

[venomv]

And that is what 3rd party support gets you, variety. But Nintendo looks to get more support with the Revolution. No, I am not calling it the Wii till E3 and they don't say it's a joke.

[MrX]

I dont know im looking forword for the wii or what ever it will be called to me its not the name its how it performes;)

[venomv]

As most people say (and I agree). Click and point games are dying. But the Wii's 20 games to be released at launch... One word, Wow. That would be soo cool. With the Gamecube, I don't think we had 6 to 10 games at launch.

They are dying, but I don't think they will die, they will be around, sparingly, for a long time to come.

[MicVlaD]

No... That's not what I meant. It's not just about the name.A prank isn't lying. Promising Toy Story-like graphics and ultimately failing to do so, that's lying.

Besides, deciding you may not buy a system because they "lied" to you about a mere name is absurd. It would've been understandable if it were a unfulfilled / undelivered feature of a console, but a name?