What Is Nintendo Thinking?

I read an article on Digg today that said Nintendo had decided to name their next-generation console "Wii", pronounced "We." This name seems utterly ridiculous at first glance ... and second glance ... oh, who am I kidding? It just sounds ridiculous period.

What was wrong with the name "Revolution"? It is a powerful word, bringing to mind images of powerful leaders (Nintendo being a prime example) leading millions of iron-forged soldiers (or in this case, gamers) against heavy odds to defeat a common enemy (in this case, Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3).

If you wish to understand why I liked the name "Revolution", one merely needs to take a look at the definition of the word as defined in the Merrian-Webster Dictionary:

"A sudden, radical, or complete change."

Was this not also what Nintendo said about their next-generation game console? Didn't they say that this new console would "revolutionize" the gaming industry? How much revolutionizing can you do with such a weak word?

I'm sure that Nintendo has their reasons for this sudden name change and, whatever it is, I'm sure that it will bring them profit after its release. I respect them for it, since it is their decision to make and theirs alone.

For more information on Wii, be sure to check out Nintendo's official Web site at Nintendo.com.