FC NOW: The Fast Company Weblog
April 27, 2006
What's in a Game Name?
Naming a product is an art unto itself. Every company pours money into choosing the right label, one that will grab the public. Nintendo, the venerable gaming giant, announced today that its new console, codenamed "Revolution" to reflect its goal of changing the video-game game, was going to be called "Wii." That's pronounced "we."
Give it a moment. Here comes the awkward silence, followed by snickering, and then the jokes -- "Lets go home and play with your Wii." Or, "You should see my Wii."
Did Nintendo make a marketing blunder with the wii-erd new name? Or will the name catch on?
Posted by Kevin Ohannessian at April 27, 2006 5:54 PM | Category: marketing |
10 Comments
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Nah, most of us will be saying Wii in the beginning of it's appearance, but later, we might change to, let's go home and play with your nintendo. Well at least that's what I did when the GC came out.
Obviously Nintendo's marketing has done focus groups and other market tests on potential names...and this one was a winner. Unfortunately today I talked to a couple of serious Nintendo fans that said "I don't believe it". Don't get me wrong, they're still going to go out and buy them on Day One...because they're part of Nintendo's base. A base that will never leave the brand until the brand goes kaputt. But if you think about it... From those initial responses from the super-fans --How are the non super-fans going to respond?
The product's name leaves an impression like its manufacturer's.Then comes the acceptablity in the market which is dependent on price and what it can deliver at that price tag.Once it goes on smoothly ,rest the market is won.
Only names or the name of the manufactuers will not stand the test of time>It is the price tag and what is delivers within the given price will determine the acceptablity and market.
I've been a hardcore Nintendo fan since 1987. In fact I've owned every console they've made...and never, ever owned a console from any other company. I think the name is great. While most people will snicker and think it's odd at first...it will catch on.
If you can network two machines together, would that be called playing with your Wii-Wii?
Never played Wii before. Maybe We should? Oui? :)
http://www.linkedin.com/in/burda
You've really got to wonder about the power of focus groups. Nintendo, please do yourself the courtesy of running names past real customer first...or else you will make us believe you chose wii because the domain name was cheap!
Martin Tibbitts
Thats what happens when your focus group participants all live in Japan.
Something from the European rumor mill: Nintendo is going to set a conversion rate of 4:1 for Star points to Wii points according to German mag:
go now