thekiddfran
Member
Only Nintendo are to blame for this.
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The Media still think the Wii U is the Wii?
- Thread starter liger05
- Start date
There most definitely is. I bought my first Wii U game at retail only a couple of days ago (Super Mario 3D World)
Cashier: You do know this is a Wii U game and not a Wii game, right?
Me: Yes
Cashier: It won't play on a Wii
Me: I know
Cashier: Good good, cause we've had a lot of returns on this.
Me: *Shrugs*
Cashier: So.. Insurance?
Those specific media outlets are foolish for not doing (very little) homework, but the confusion is 100% Nintendo's fault.
1. Debuted Wii U at E3 only showing the gamepad (a pic of the console was hidden away on the official site) thus starting the confusion
2. Wii U logo is terrible. A lot of people probably wouldn't even know the symbol next to Wii is supposed to be a U, nor what it denotes.
3. Having no real games from Nintendo that showcases the jump in power. Yeah, obviously NSMBU looks better than NSMBWii, but for your random person I bet they could hardly tell the difference.
4. The name U is so ambiguous. Sony aren't exactly the pioneers of console naming, but at least you knew PS4 was the next one.
1. Debuted Wii U at E3 only showing the gamepad (a pic of the console was hidden away on the official site) thus starting the confusion
2. Wii U logo is terrible. A lot of people probably wouldn't even know the symbol next to Wii is supposed to be a U, nor what it denotes.
3. Having no real games from Nintendo that showcases the jump in power. Yeah, obviously NSMBU looks better than NSMBWii, but for your random person I bet they could hardly tell the difference.
4. The name U is so ambiguous. Sony aren't exactly the pioneers of console naming, but at least you knew PS4 was the next one.
SmokedMeat
Gamer™
So 95 million people think Wii U is merely a pad controller upgrade to their existing Wii, yet aren't bothering to buy one.
95 million people ain't using their Wii anymore.
Nikodemos
Member
One moment of laziness = four years of pain. They could've went for a similarly shitty name (GameTab?), and it would've been better (at least it wouldn't have caused considerable confusion among Nintendo's previous audience, the casuals, who aren't tech-savvy in the classical sense).
<avatarquote>
Plot twist: The Wii was an awful name to begin with. Had nothing to do with the console's actual "success".
You should have returned to the store 5 minutes later and say: "This fucking game doesn't play on my fucking Wii. I want to return it".
nintendork666
Member
GameStop? I swear I've had the exact same conversation with an employee there before. Sad but true.
AntiFacebook
Member
While 3DS games have a sticker saying they can be played on the 2DS.
Great job Nintendo!
But people clearly do as highlighted by the poster who spoke of his experience buying a game.
Company: Sony. Brand: Playstation. History: Playstation, Playstation 2, PSP (Playstation Portable), Playstation 3, Playstation Vita, Playstation 4
Company: Microsoft. Brand: Xbox. History: Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Company: Apple. Brand: iPhone. History: iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, Iphone 4S, iPhone 5, iPhone 5S/5C
Company: Nintendo. Brand: ???. History*: NES, SNES, N64, GameCube, Wii, Wii U, Gameboy, Gameboy Colour, Gameboy Pocket, Gameboy Advance, Gameboy Micro, DS, DS Lite, DS XL, 3DS, 3DS XL, 2DS
You can see why there's a branding awareness issue here, I think.
*These obviously aren't in order, as I'm at work, my brain is mush, and I don't have time to google timelines.
Company: Microsoft. Brand: Xbox. History: Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Company: Apple. Brand: iPhone. History: iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, Iphone 4S, iPhone 5, iPhone 5S/5C
Company: Nintendo. Brand: ???. History*: NES, SNES, N64, GameCube, Wii, Wii U, Gameboy, Gameboy Colour, Gameboy Pocket, Gameboy Advance, Gameboy Micro, DS, DS Lite, DS XL, 3DS, 3DS XL, 2DS
You can see why there's a branding awareness issue here, I think.
*These obviously aren't in order, as I'm at work, my brain is mush, and I don't have time to google timelines.
Company: Nintendo. Brand: Nintendo.
I can't express the feelings of dissapointment I had when they first announced the system. The naming, the games they showed(other than zelda demo they were all upscaled wii games and multiplats), still yet to be announced online features. It was doomed when it was announced, 1.5 years before its release.
Note: I have a wii u and played all the 1st party games, still dissapointed
Note: I have a wii u and played all the 1st party games, still dissapointed
Bluemercury
Member
It has great games.
If all the consoles were clearly branded "Nintendo ****" (****: any correspondent console name), then the brand would be Nintendo itself, and people would talk about the Nintendo home console or the Nintendo handheld of the moment, but they made the mistake to separate the Wii (and Wii U) from the Nintendo brand, at least the DS and 3DS did kept the Nintendo name.
shinra-bansho
Member
In the event that the system was called the Wii 2 or Wii HD... I don't really think the headline would change.
Or just Nintendo.
Smiles and Cries
Member
you call an Xbox an Xbox no one has problem with it even when you were talking about the 360 when you said Xbox
you say Playstation and everyone assumes you meant PS4
but say Wii for Wii U and OMG
you say Playstation and everyone assumes you meant PS4
but say Wii for Wii U and OMG
I don't think, that's always the case. It's just poor research.
My local newspaper called GTA5 a FPS game, for example and they exactly described, what a FPS game is.
Or it could have just been, you know, a typo as suggested by them talking about the Wii U in the body...
There was a lot of confusion initially but it seems to have gotten better recently, though there are probably people still out there who think it's a peripheral for the Wii.
There was a lot of confusion initially but it seems to have gotten better recently, though there are probably people still out there who think it's a peripheral for the Wii.
Yeah, its something that happens with every consumer electronic. Based on the body of the article, Its obvious the article it isnt confused.
glaringradio
Member
The difference being that the Xbox and Playstation brands are well established over several years.
Nintendo just smacked a U, a tablet and a hardware upgrade onto a freakishly popular product and expected that the 90+ million people who came out of the woodwork to purchase the Wii would immediately buy in. Bad move. No arrangement of letters or hardware could ever cause a statistical anomaly to become the norm.
The Problem is that they tried too much catering to the hardcore. They didn't learn from the gamecube and n64. That and the name, making it not clear enough to the public .
In what way did the WiiU cater to the hardcore? If it were, I imagine it would have no gimmick, a regular controller, "next gen" graphic capability, and Metroid as a launch title.
Games.
Haunted
Member
Holy shit, awesome, it even comes with one of those new tablet controllers for the Wii!This was in last weeks Sunday Express
Quite why they think the Wii is worth £500, even with a (free) Karaoke game, is baffling too.
jim-jam bongs
Member
Metro is a free paper handed out on the tube, and it's a Murdoch publication too. Before we condemn the whole media, we need to know what The Daily Mail and National Enquirer think.
Edit: actually not Murdoch, I'm thinking of MX the Australian equivalent.
Edit: actually not Murdoch, I'm thinking of MX the Australian equivalent.
Smiles and Cries
Member
I give you the point that Nintendo's branding needs help but it is hard for me to see anyone talking about Wii U and not just lazily calling it a Wii
Wii U is just special to the fans who own and love it, to anyone else it is just a Wii not even exciting enough to get the name right. So the media calling it a Wii is not as shocking or a failure at branding. The point is Wii is in the Name if I don't say the U part I am not really wrong. The only people seeing fault in this is Us gamers.
brandonh83
Banned
I think Wii HD would have been just as bad, if not worse.
Nintendo U perhaps?
edit: guy above me gets it!
Woffls
Member
For mainstream media, all they see is a brand name. And now that most people's view of technology is through iterative smart phones and tablets, 'Wii' is just perceived as the latest iteration. If they don't feel like they need an update, then Wii U won't sell.
Two things killed Wii U before it even got to market:
1) Ignorance in the mass market
2) The Nintendo staff responsible for keeping the Wii brand
Two things killed Wii U before it even got to market:
1) Ignorance in the mass market
2) The Nintendo staff responsible for keeping the Wii brand
Heh, it has Kaz Miller in it running a talent show or something.
This is true.
But I still can't understand why a number is more clear than a letter.
PS3 and PS4 have the same difference than Wii and WiiU to me :\
PS: I don't like the WIi U name, just to clarify.
I've got the Metro in front of me. It says 'Wii U' in the standfirst beneath the headline, and another five times in the article, and clearly states each Mario Kart is on which Nintendo console in the artwork. This particular case looks more like the sub-editors were struggling to fit 'Wii U' in the small space left for the headline to me.
brandonh83
Banned
I think this would look nice, or some type of variant. The U could even be smaller or appear as an exponent like in the N64 logo.
Andodalf
Banned
Those mmust be worth a lot! They cost like 300$!
PdotMichael
Banned
You should go out for a walk if you don't get the superiority of consecutive numbering vs. random letters.
Smiles and Cries
Member
I think this would look nice, or some type of variant. The U could even be smaller or appear as an exponent like in the N64 logo.
Nintendou!
Sorry, but to me if a name have a different letter is a different name.
It's not so hard to understand that iPhone5 is not iPhone5S
People think its like a minor upgrade. Like when a game comes out named "Tales of Graces f" do you think its like a succesor to Graces? It gives an impression of "renewed" to most people. Like iPhone 4->4s doesnt look like a major upgrade but 4->5 does. Just sayin.
This will never stop will it.
Fourth Storm
Member
I doubt it's the naming at this point. It's the system's lack of popularity. Nintendo have not provided enough new experiences to entice casuals and the mainstream media to actually want to learn more about the system. If they had a "Wii Sports" phenomenon, it wouldn't matter what the hell they named it. Everyone would learn it.