Why is the Wii called Wii?
Much of the suggestion and conjecture surrounding the Wii has sprouted from the change of name, from the slightly tame ‘Revolution’, to the much more thought provoking and (almost) surreal ‘Wii’. One might wonder why Nintendo have changed from a rather standard codename, to a bizarre alternative. Wii is pronounced ‘We’, thus signifying the connotation of togetherness - everyone can play it, no one is excluded. Furthermore, the name Wii is not one that is likely to be forgotten - it is a name people of all countries, and who speak any language would be able to communicate with ease. Moreover, the name ‘Revolution’ could be perceived to be somewhat daunting to those who are new to gaming, whereas the Wii could be seen to be much more inviting (Shigeru Miyamoto, 2006). There is no need, either, for abbreviations. The PlayStation 3 is abbreviated to the PS3, and the Xbox 360 to 360, but what could one possibly abbreviate Wii to? Wi?! Another reason for the name is that the two “i”s Wii together take the appearance of two ’stick (wo)men’ congregating together, perhaps ready to play on the console.
Read the rest of the article over at Wii Online.
