30 replies to this topic

[EvilMoogle]

http://www.ign.com/a...indie-boss-says

 

"Wii U is not selling as well as it deserves to," he said during a recent Q&A session on ask.fm. "It has a lot to offer with great games you can't get anywhere else. The value of the GamePad hasn't been justified. But the name Wii U is abysmal. I think that cut sales in half right there."

 

Ouch!

 

Thoughts? 

 

 

 

 

[Raiden]

 

Wii U is an awful name.

[DéliopT]

To me, It`s like one of those moments when everything goes wrong...

 

Both the name, Wii U logo and the actual shape of the console, made it look like "another" Wii or Wii related. Nothing in the name, logo and shape made the console stand out as new. Not to mention the initial commercial was about the gamepad.

To make matters worse, if you actually see the first minutes of the 2012 E3 press conference, you`ll see Miyamoto picking up the Gamepad and Bill Trinnen saying "this is the Wii U". And minutes later, the whole console was now Wii U.

 

When the product itself is confusing and the messaging  that revolves around it is also confusing, people get confused and momentum is lost and sales are lost because all people see is the old console.

 

That to me was the main problem (problems, if you will): every single thing about Wii U sent mixed messages. That was what hurt Wii U sales even before it came out, not just the name.

[SteventheSlayer]

I'm not sure I'd say have the sales, but that was most likely hyperbole on his part.

But yeah, Wii U is a horrible name.

[GAMER1984]

Like someone else said if the sconsole was selling well no one would be saying the name is at fault. The Wii U problem was and still is lack of software, lack of marketing, NEGATIVE stigma surrounding the console, and Nintendo kind of out of touch approach to gaming itself. I remember when the Wii was a crappy name and would be the console downfall. it didnt happen because they had good marketing, great games at launch for the system, and a positive stugma surrounding the console.

Edited by GAMER1984, 08 August 2014 - 05:32 PM.

[Raiden]

True Wii sold 100 million. ipad is popular despite sound like a womens product.

[GAMER1984]

True Wii sold 100 million. ipad is popular despite sound like a womens product.

 

yep thats the way it goes... if it works you are a genius... if it fails then they have to find something wrong with the product. I again DO NOT think the Wii U was a bad name but they was not able to pull off what they said it was suppose to be.

[Raiden]

Honestly I hate the name. I'd be ok with just calling it Nintendo U or as posted above BEEM.  Wii is still a crap name Wii U is even worse.

SEGA could really name a console when they wanted to. Genesis,Nomad,Saturn,Dreamcast. I don't think Nintendo was ever good with names. Sony and MS are just lazy about it. I do miss when consoles in general had a different name. Tho even then not all tried. Super Nintendo,Neo Geo AVS,CD,Pocket,Pocket Color. DC to me had the most creative name and the idea was simple. Dream Broadcasting. Dreamcast. ...it's thinking...

 

Now things are confusing really. Xbox 360? ...isn't that just an Xbox then? You go 360 degrees wind up where you began. Xbox One? So once again MS has essentially name Xbox just Xbox. Wii U? Is it a controller for Wii? 3DS? Where is DS 2? Oh 2DS but that cmae out after 3? Huh?

A bad name can make things worse and confusing in some cases. It is true tho the right marketing can make anything sell. If good enough can sell a hair brush to a bald man. Still would have helped Nintendo if they had a better name.

[Cozmo]

i agree. they shouldve picked a different name.... NESU sounds kind of cool they couldve even come out with a special edition with the original nes "skin"

[3Dude]

Like someone else said if the sconsole was selling well no one would be saying the name is at fault. The Wii U problem was and still is lack of software, lack of marketing, NEGATIVE stigma surrounding the console, and Nintendo kind of out of touch approach to gaming itself. I remember when the Wii was a crappy name and would be the console downfall. it didnt happen because they had good marketing, great games at launch for the system, and a positive stugma surrounding the console.

The problem with the wii u name and the wii name are complete different.

When the wii came out, bad or not, the name was unique, their was no other product, nintendo or otherwise, that shared the name or similar features, or even design.

THen the wii u comes out, The console looks practically indistinguishable at casual glance, can work with the same wiimote controllers, with practically the same exact name, no number after it, instead a letter 'U? What does that mean? must be that tablet thing, I already have tablets, I dont need one for my wii anyways'.

It was a horrible horrible name and message, and a major factor in a lot of the problems you brought up.

[GAMER1984]

The problem with the wii u name and the wii name are complete different.

When the wii came out, bad or not, the name was unique, their was no other product, nintendo or otherwise, that shared the name or similar features, or even design.

THen the wii u comes out, The console looks practically indistinguishable at casual glance, can work with the same wiimote controllers, with practically the same exact name, no number after it, instead a letter 'U? What does that mean? must be that tablet thing, I already have tablets, I dont need one for my wii anyways'.

It was a horrible horrible name and message, and a major factor in a lot of the problems you brought up.

 

Well I remember quite well when Wii was announced a lot of people laughed at the name and was like who in the HELL is going to buy a console name Wii. a lot of french pee jokes and so on. Nintendo marketed the hell out of the Wii as this cool machine you had to have but not so much for the Wii U. also yes there were some mistakes they made like making the machine looks so similar to the Wii. Even still the stores and such that was making the mistake of thinking the Wii was Wii U had dumb employees. Your number one job is to know the difference and be able to help potential customers. so yes Nintendo made some mistakes but part of it was our dumb society and lazy workers.

[3Dude]

Well I remember quite well when Wii was announced a lot of people laughed at the name and was like who in the HELL is going to buy a console name Wii. a lot of french pee jokes and so on. Nintendo marketed the hell out of the Wii as this cool machine you had to have but not so much for the Wii U. also yes there were some mistakes they made like making the machine looks so similar to the Wii. Even still the stores and such that was making the mistake of thinking the Wii was Wii U had dumb employees. Your number one job is to know the difference and be able to help potential customers. so yes Nintendo made some mistakes but part of it was our dumb society and lazy workers.

Yeah, everybody remembers the wii jokes, but thats completely irrelevant, thats not even on the same subject of why its a bad name. At least when those people were making those jokes, they knew what they were making fun of.

Having a good name takes into account dumb society and lazy workers. Wii u was a horrible name, and a huge part of the systems horrible message that failed.

[GAMER1984]

Yeah, everybody remembers the wii jokes, but thats completely irrelevant, thats not even on the same subject of why its a bad name. At least when those people were making those jokes, they knew what they were making fun of.

Having a good name takes into account dumb society and lazy workers. Wii u was a horrible name, and a huge part of the systems horrible message that failed.

 

ok to be subjective... what would we be saying if Wii U was sitting at like 15-20 million install base? No one would be metioning how crappy the name is. Most people would be on their knees saying Nintendo was genius for putting out basically a Wii 2 type system that had BC and a similar approach just in HD.

[3Dude]

ok to be subjective... what would we be saying if Wii U was sitting at like 15-20 million install base? No one would be metioning how crappy the name is. Most people would be on their knees saying Nintendo was genius for putting out basically a Wii 2 type system that had BC and a similar approach just in HD.

Thats a logical fallacy called begging the question.

And its pretty pointless. I might as welo make up a scenario where they named it the Beiber Box and sold billions.

[GAMER1984]

Thats a logical fallacy called begging the question.

And its pretty pointless. I might as welo make up a scenario where they named it the Beiber Box and sold billions.

 

Not saying the name is the best but to pinpoint it as the reason for lack of sales... but not bring up the lack of marketing and must have software at launch is crazy.

[3Dude]

Not saying the name is the best but to pinpoint it as the reason for lack of sales... but not bring up the lack of marketing and must have software at launch is crazy.

That is not a thing that is happening

[GAMER1984]

That is not a thing that is happening

 

 

Seem to be since Dan Adelman made his comments. Now everyone is jumping on this like it is the gospel becuase he is former Ninty employee

[genev]

Honestly I hate the name. I'd be ok with just calling it Nintendo U or as posted above BEEM.  Wii is still a crap name Wii U is even worse.

SEGA could really name a console when they wanted to. Genesis,Nomad,Saturn,Dreamcast. I don't think Nintendo was ever good with names. Sony and MS are just lazy about it. I do miss when consoles in general had a different name. Tho even then not all tried. Super Nintendo,Neo Geo AVS,CD,Pocket,Pocket Color. DC to me had the most creative name and the idea was simple. Dream Broadcasting. Dreamcast. ...it's thinking...

 

Now things are confusing really. Xbox 360? ...isn't that just an Xbox then? You go 360 degrees wind up where you began. Xbox One? So once again MS has essentially name Xbox just Xbox. Wii U? Is it a controller for Wii? 3DS? Where is DS 2? Oh 2DS but that cmae out after 3? Huh?

A bad name can make things worse and confusing in some cases. It is true tho the right marketing can make anything sell. If good enough can sell a hair brush to a bald man. Still would have helped Nintendo if they had a better name.

With that phrase you reminded me of Sheldon in Big Bang Theory. hahaha

[Akazury]

I prefer too call it the U, as in Nintendo U. It already sounds better than WiiU

[3Dude]

Seem to be since Dan Adelman made his comments. Now everyone is jumping on this like it is the gospel becuase he is former Ninty employee

No, they are identifying with things they already feel are true.

We just stopped talking about it a long time ago until he brought it up again.