This forum is considered a sanctuary for Nintendo Wii and WiiU owners. Anti-Wii and WiiU discussions will be considered as a forum invasion.
- Follow the Terms of Use.
- Cross-platform discussions belong in System Wars.
- Illegal activities not allowed.
Wii U will run into the same branding issues presented with 3DS at launch
- Aug 13, 2012 10:10 am GMT
This is my worry for the system. Nintendo has finally made some minimal efforts to differentiate their new portable from the DS but I still hear from every avenue at my disposal (unaware parents at retail stores, topics in less informed gaming and consumer forums) confusion with those who are not gamer enthusiasts.
Nintendo's new hardware does not proceed to us like Apple's products. Apple releases something every year. It names its products with numbers and letters. Apple's marketing is very simple and clear "this is the NEXT generation." With the Wii U and the 3DS their hardware looks too similar to the the previous systems and the names suggest more of an add-on rather than a whole new beast. Unlike "Super Nintendo" 3DS could be seen as a 3D version of the DS. The same thinking could be said with "WII U." I would venture to say Super Wii or Wii 2 would be more effective and ultimately more financially beneficial than their current name, ignoring the cheesiness behind that move.
IF the name does not change, I would hope the marketing would be more clear near the launch of the system. Something like showing the old Wii and Wiimote and then it transform into the Wii U and the Wiimote extends into the GamePad; as this is happening they highlight new features such as HD, social gaming, new GamePad features, and pretty new software. I am not saying this is exactly the marketing they need, I am outlining the basic idea which was not properly shown at the launch of their new portable.
- Aug 13, 2012 10:16 am GMT
I'm scard about this too.
- Aug 13, 2012 11:44 am GMT
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Local language: Animalese.
Latest in my collection--> Liberation Maiden (Nintendo 3DS - eShop)
I mostly agree. But hey, it's their fault, so be it.
They had a lot of time to change the name and they didn't.
Now it's too late.
- Aug 13, 2012 12:02 pm GMT
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I think the name sucks majors balls, it hasn't even began to grow on me like the Dreamcast name did which I thought sounded stupid at first. Overall I think Nintendo will still manage to sell the console, its just something that they are good at doing. - Aug 13, 2012 12:31 pm GMT[QUOTE="thedude-"]
This is my worry for the system. Nintendo has finally made some minimal efforts to differentiate their new portable from the DS but I still hear from every avenue at my disposal (unaware parents at retail stores, topics in less informed gaming and consumer forums) confusion with those who are not gamer enthusiasts.
Nintendo's new hardware does not proceed to us like Apple's products. Apple releases something every year. It names its products with numbers and letters. Apple's marketing is very simple and clear "this is the NEXT generation." With the Wii U and the 3DS their hardware looks too similar to the the previous systems and the names suggest more of an add-on rather than a whole new beast. Unlike "Super Nintendo" 3DS could be seen as a 3D version of the DS. The same thinking could be said with "WII U." I would venture to say Super Wii or Wii 2 would be more effective and ultimately more financially beneficial than their current name, ignoring the cheesiness behind that move.
IF the name does not change, I would hope the marketing would be more clear near the launch of the system. Something like showing the old Wii and Wiimote and then it transform into the Wii U and the Wiimote extends into the GamePad; as this is happening they highlight new features such as HD, social gaming, new GamePad features, and pretty new software. I am not saying this is exactly the marketing they need, I am outlining the basic idea which was not properly shown at the launch of their new portable.
[/QUOTE] It already has, I have seen news that said the Wii U is a portable, and its controller is an add-on. They have done nothing about it yet. I'm surprised the 3DS recovered so fast after the confusion for that started. - Aug 13, 2012 1:15 pm GMT
~~~~~
Currently playing:
WiiU: NG3:RE
XBox360: Red Dead Redemption
3DS: Paper Mario Sticker Star
Xbox gammertag: ThatRandomCliff
NintendoNetwork ID: ThatRandomCliff
3DS: 3351-4081-1980
Yes, there will definently be confusion at launch, but I bet that that confusion will disapear quickly enough.
On a side note, anybody who after watching and staying tuned into E3 still think that the Wii U is an add-on is just plain stupid. Nintendo themselfs have called the Wii-U a next gen console (at the conference no less), and let me ask you...how can an add-on...suddenly make a current-gen console next-gen? It can't. Nintendo simply needs to market the WiiU hard, have demo keyosks in every major store that sells games, have someone trained to explain the WiiU, and comical it like crazy, just like they did with the Wii. Heck, I still remember the first Wii comercials. ~Wii' would like to play~
- Aug 13, 2012 2:46 pm GMT
They probably will have the same problem but, it's not like they don't deserve it. The name itself is terrible and their refusal to change it was stupid.
- Aug 13, 2012 4:44 pm GMT
I would hope that Nintendo has learned their lesson and have a marketing strategy already prepared to avoid that confusion. I expect it will still be an issue though. - Aug 13, 2012 11:43 pm GMT
3DS FC: 5026-4500-4038
Once the ads start rolling out they might just as well as slap the it's-not-a-Wii-it's-a-Wii-UUUUUUUU slogan in there from the get go. Yeah they pretty much asked for trouble when they decided to keep the name, but I doubt they mess up the adverts this time.
- Aug 13, 2012 11:54 pm GMT
name doesnt mean jack...if its good it will sell... all this 3ds confusion was made a big deal because the 3ds didnt succeed as expected.
playstaion1,2,3 is the stupidest name i ever heard and they succeeded...so it doesnt matter.
- Aug 14, 2012 5:26 am GMT
So "Ipad" isn't confusing people? The First AND new gen ipad has the EXACT same name. Yea Apple sure knows how to distinguish and not confuse the customer. I wish they wouldv'e went with Project Cafe but I'm sure WiiU will grow on us just like Wii did. - Aug 14, 2012 7:38 am GMTnini200 wrote:I wish they wouldv'e went with Project Cafe but I'm sure WiiU will grow on us just like Wii did.
Nintendo Project Cafe, now that's a mouthful
How about: Nintendo office table, citrus squeezer, kitchen sink, hotel lobby, swimming pool, central park, tv guide or beach ball? Yeah I'm bored.Edited on Aug 14, 2012 7:44 am GMT 3DS FC: 5026-4500-4038
[QUOTE="nini200"] I wish they wouldv'e went with Project Cafe but I'm sure WiiU will grow on us just like Wii did.[/QUOTE]
Nintendo Project Cafe, now that's a mouthful :lol: How about: Nintendo office table, citrus squeezer, kitchen sink, hotel lobby, swimming pool, central park, tv guide or beach ball? Yeah I'm bored.
- Aug 14, 2012 11:52 am GMT
Nintendo Network ID: bonesawisready Currently Playing:Rayman Legends Challenges App, Sleeping Dogs, Luigi's Mansion, Super Mario World
I thnk this is why the Wii U game boxes will be baby blue. So no one can mistake it at stores. I also think the system should've looked more different than a horizontal Wii. But overall with the right marketing they'll pull it off. Some ads in Europe are saying "Wii will rock U" and I think this is a terrible idea not because of the pun but the Wii logo is there and is separated from the U. - Aug 14, 2012 1:11 pm GMT[QUOTE="nini200"]So "Ipad" isn't confusing people? The First AND new gen ipad has the EXACT same name. Yea Apple sure knows how to distinguish and not confuse the customer. I wish they wouldv'e went with Project Cafe but I'm sure WiiU will grow on us just like Wii did.[/QUOTE] Not a problem. A new iPad comes every year, even the most mainstream consumer knows this. If anything Apple did that to conceal the fact that they are pumping out a new product annually.
- Aug 14, 2012 6:14 pm GMT
[QUOTE="bonesawisready5"] Some ads in Europe are saying "Wii will rock U" and I think this is a terrible idea not because of the pun but the Wii logo is there and is separated from the U.[/QUOTE]
lol that is stupid...& they wonder why people get confuse...they need to stop trying to over do it & just go with simple. Separating Wii & U in a sentence is definitely a bad idea.
- Aug 14, 2012 6:41 pm GMTI like it better than calling it the Nintendo 6, like we know Sony is going to keep doing.
- Aug 14, 2012 7:22 pm GMT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
IS FEIDIR LINN!
[QUOTE="KBFloYd"]name doesnt mean jack...if its good it will sell... all this 3ds confusion was made a big deal because the 3ds didnt succeed as expected.
playstaion1,2,3 is the stupidest name i ever heard and they succeeded...so it doesnt matter.
[/QUOTE] It's not about how "good" the name is, it's about how clear it is. Can't get easier then a 1,2,3. With WiiU, some people think it's a handheld, some people think it's a standalone tablet, some people think it's a Wii add on tablet, some people think it's a new console. Between the name and how they revealed it, it's a bit of a mess. - Aug 14, 2012 10:12 pm GMT
ANTEC 200 Case
I7 930 @ stock
GIGABYTE X58-UD3R
12gb Tri channel DDr3
WD 1TB BLACK SATA 3
SAPPHIRE VAPOUR X 5770
750WATT PSU
[QUOTE="thedude-"]
This is my worry for the system. Nintendo has finally made some minimal efforts to differentiate their new portable from the DS but I still hear from every avenue at my disposal (unaware parents at retail stores, topics in less informed gaming and consumer forums) confusion with those who are not gamer enthusiasts.
Nintendo's new hardware does not proceed to us like Apple's products. Apple releases something every year. It names its products with numbers and letters. Apple's marketing is very simple and clear "this is the NEXT generation." With the Wii U and the 3DS their hardware looks too similar to the the previous systems and the names suggest more of an add-on rather than a whole new beast. Unlike "Super Nintendo" 3DS could be seen as a 3D version of the DS. The same thinking could be said with "WII U." I would venture to say Super Wii or Wii 2 would be more effective and ultimately more financially beneficial than their current name, ignoring the cheesiness behind that move.
[/QUOTE]
Apple's numbering is only a new phenomanom since the iphone and ipad. ipods have never been sequelised before, they wer simply Ipod Touch, or Ipod Classic. It was their clearly different shape that gave it away. the genrational numbers (3rd or 4th) were usually on the accesories. as a retail salesperson, evryday people still get confused about Ipad2/3 situation (even more so here in australia we had the 3g/4g issue boil over). some people still think the Ipad 2 is the new one, and still call the NEW ipad the ipad 3 when in reality apple has actually switched back to generational numbering instead (so all our price tickets say New iPad, 3rd Gen).
the Wii U name is a blessing and a curse. it half invokes the idea of an addon, and half invokes the idea of a slightly upgraded model. But if Nintendo removes the Wii name all together, they risk losing the Wii Fit generation of customers who previously had no idea about video games prior to the Wii.
everyone, lets not forget the naming of earlier nintendos.....Nintendo---> SUPER nintendo------>Nintedo 64----->Gamecube------>Wii------> Wii U. now arguably the more popular nintendos have been the models with the easy to recoginse name. I personally feel that the gamecube was the larger failure of them all (me being the only one of my friends who owned one, and from launch date too).
- Aug 15, 2012 3:56 am GMT
Well, they too are to blame for the confusion considering they're hiding info on the system despite it being a few months away from launch.
I too thought it was just an add on for the Wii when I first saw it so I don't think the non informed consumer is to blame for this.
- Aug 15, 2012 4:03 am GMT
[QUOTE="kungfool69"]
[QUOTE="thedude-"]
This is my worry for the system. Nintendo has finally made some minimal efforts to differentiate their new portable from the DS but I still hear from every avenue at my disposal (unaware parents at retail stores, topics in less informed gaming and consumer forums) confusion with those who are not gamer enthusiasts.
Nintendo's new hardware does not proceed to us like Apple's products. Apple releases something every year. It names its products with numbers and letters. Apple's marketing is very simple and clear "this is the NEXT generation." With the Wii U and the 3DS their hardware looks too similar to the the previous systems and the names suggest more of an add-on rather than a whole new beast. Unlike "Super Nintendo" 3DS could be seen as a 3D version of the DS. The same thinking could be said with "WII U." I would venture to say Super Wii or Wii 2 would be more effective and ultimately more financially beneficial than their current name, ignoring the cheesiness behind that move.
[/QUOTE]
everyone, lets not forget the naming of earlier nintendos.....Nintendo---> SUPER nintendo------>Nintedo 64----->Gamecube------>Wii------> Wii U. now arguably the more popular nintendos have been the models with the easy to recoginse name. I personally feel that the gamecube was the larger failure of them all (me being the only one of my friends who owned one, and from launch date too).
[/QUOTE]
The GC should have been called the "Nintendo 128" if this "two gen" naming pattern was true.
They kept the "Wii" for Wii U because of the success of the Wii.
