The Wii U's Name Isn't The Problem

[Mythmaker1]

Chark said:

You're overestimating consumer interest in understanding products. There are plenty of people who confuse the Wii U for a Wii accessory. In fact, there is a good chance that is the immediate assumption upon hearing about it. The U in Wii U does not differentiate it as a new console but fits in the line of an accessory name, like Wii Balance Board, Wii Mote, Wii Racing Wheel, Wii Microphone, etc. etc. etc. I know people who thought it was an accessory, even a month after I told them otherwise they still were confused. Even Jimmy Fallon made the statement asking if the tablet works with the Wii on his show when he had a segment for it. The idea has been popping up from numoruos people all over the place, this kind of things isn't just made up. Do you think that no one confuses it as an accessory yet we hear about it over and over again? It doesn't help Nintendo showcased the controller front and center and ignored the actual console, it's initial reveal didn't even show off the conole, just a quick glimpse in a video and it looks almost exactly like a Wii at some angles.

People could like the idea of a touchscreen, but if they think it is an accessory, an optional device they might not make the effort to buy one. If they knew that it was a new console and that their current one was old and not Nintendo's next thing they might consider getting it as the perceived value would increase. The issue isn't that people don't want a touchscreen, it is that they don't realize it is a new console and therfore don't see it as a needed item. The Gamepad as a Wii accessory isn't important, but a new console that uses the gamepad as a controller is. The problem is very few people know due to poor marketing from Nintendo. They need to spend less time showing people using the gamepad and more time showing people getting the new Wii.

People don't understand generic family playing with Miis and Mario on a touchscreen is a new console. But if a commerical had a kid, a friend, or a family entering their living room with a Wii U box and saying "Hey, I just bought the new Wii. Let's play" *skip the box opening and cut to them turning on the power button and then picking up the gamepad* "The new controller, is a touch screen. Check this out" *continues showing off interesting things they can do with it, then they get a notification that someone is video calling them* (Wii U does that right?) *They take the call and chat a little bit. The screen goes to showing the Wii U and an announcer says "Nintendo Wii U. The new Wii from Nintendo. Bundles starting at $299:*

Do marketing like that and they will have better results attracting people to the idea that they could buy the next console from Nintendo.

Entirely possible. Like I said, It's possible I just lack perspective here. I suppose it could be that Nintendo is trying to market the system in a traditional way, without accounting for how the system is named. I own neither system, so it's mostly speculation for me.

It seems to me, though, that it isn't the name that's the problem, it's the concept. Even if the name misleads consumers, the concept of a touchscreen controller, either for the Wii or the Wii U, doesn't seem to have caught the public interest. It could be that the Wii is too dead for anyone to care about a new accessory, which is kind of shocking for a system with a 100 million install base, but it's certainly possible