Posted December 31, 1969 by Matt Wetsel

Looking back over the years, Nintendo consoles have always been named partly through functionality. Starting with the NES, it was an entertainment system from Nintendo, and it doesn't get any more straight-forward than that. The N64 was 64-bit, the DS has, well...dual screens, and the GameCube is a cube that plays games. It may not have occurred to many gamers that Nintendo's next console, the Revolution, has been referred to as that by codename only (in the spirit of the Ultra-64, the Dolphin, and Microsoft's Longhorn). So, what's the official title of the new system that's going to change the way we play games?

The Nintendo Wii. As in, "we." Ok, now...take a breath, let's say it again. Wii. Check the date of the article, it's well past April Fools - this is the real deal.

So, is there any logic to this seemingly absurd name, or have all those Mario Mushrooms over the years finally starting to mess with the Big N's brains? I'm going to go with a little bit of both. Let's just get this out of the way right now. The name "Wii" opens up a flood gate of potty humor jokes the likes of which a video game console has never been a target for. For example...

Wanna come over and play with my Wii?

Now you can plug your Wii into the electrical socket without going to the hospital!

My girlfriend loves my new Wii!

I like Wii a lot more than Xbox360 or PS3.

I don't think anyone has put it more bluntly than Penny-Arcade, but if you listen to what Nintendo has to say, it (starts) to make a little sense.

From the official site:

Introducing ... Wii.
As in "we."
While the code-name "Revolution" expressed our direction, Wii represents the answer.
Wii will break down that wall that separates video game players from everyone 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 this 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 gathering to play.

And Wii, as a name and a console, brings something revolutionary to the world of video games 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.

In other words, it's about community (please ignore the fact that there are 2 "I's" in the title.) It's important to remember that the name change is probably the least wierd thing about Nintendo's new console. Yes, you'll find flames and endless jokes on forums all over the internet, but it's as if everyone has forgotten about the controller itself?!? As much as I love the name Revolution (and will probably continue to call it that, much like the PSOne is still the PSX to some), the name Wii is just one more step Nintendo is taking to make sure they have a unique product. There's nothing memorable about "Playstation 3," and the 360 sounds cool but it doesn't really have much do to with the console itself - it's just a name.

More importantly, all the buzz on the internet about the new name means that The Big N has done exactly what they set out to do: get our attention. My anticipation for E3 has just grown significantly, and you can be sure we'll let you know what wii think about it come May 9th.

One other thing: the name change is tolerable, but if they change it to the Nintendo Wii-Fii network, I'm boycotting.