…Okay…

Nintendo had been hinting at a rename for the Nintendo Revolution console for a while now; saying in press releases and in front of the public that “revolution” was not so much a name but a notion that the next Nintendo console was going to represent a “revolution” in gaming. When we got a look at the controller, that remote-control looking device at the top that apparently will be able to connect to other add-on devices for it and communicate with the console wirelessly, we wondered what Nintendo had in store for it’s little “revolution.”

Nintendo announced that it would offer a downloadable content service called Nintendo “Go,” a few months back, and we thought for a while that maybe that was going to be the new name for the console. Thankfully, we were wrong.

But now I have to wonder whether or not “revolution” or “go” were bad in comparison to “Wii.” According to Nintendo’s press release, “Wii” means “we,” and is pronounced as such. Still confused? Here’s the release:

Introducing… Wii.

As in “we.”

While the code-name Revolution expressed our direction, Wii represents the answer. Wii will break down that wall that seperates videogame 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 the 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 playing it. And Wii, as a name and a console, brings something revolutionary to the world of videogames 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. And together, Wii will change everything.

Okay, sure…this obviously means that Nintendo is planning on a significant focus on multiplayer gaming and gaming over the internet, possibly wirelessly, (the DS has had serious success with this) and sure, I understand the rationale for the name, but seriously-have your marketing guys never even spoken to a gamer? I mean seriously, the name reminds me of certain popular net videos that bear similar words.

Either way, I have to admit, if the downloadable content service has the game catalogs of previous Nintendo consoles, and some of those games are playable over the internet with friends, and the console is relatively cheap in comparison to the XBox360 or the PlayStation 3 (whenever we see it), then it might be a worthwhile purchase. Only time will tell if it’s a good product, but I have to wave my hand in front of my nose at the…interesting choice of name. I can only imagine the “wii” pronunciation wars (and endless endless “wii wii” jokes) that we’ll see in the coming months.

That all being said, I found it interesting (and of course, amusing) that the website for the page is still [ http://www.nintendo.com/revolution ] and that nintendo.com/wii doesn’t exist yet. Maybe soon? In the meantime, head over to [ http://revolution.nintendo.com/ ] to see a cute little video introducing the Wii.

[ 1up.com :: Are Wii Ready? Nintendo's Revolution Renamed ]

[ IGN.com :: Introducing Nintendo Wii ]