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Forums - Gaming Discussion - Will all consoles of the future be called some stupid one syllable word?

Khuutra on 05 December 2008
misterd said:
Khuutra said:
I think "Gamecube" is arguably the stupidest name ever devised (except for Xbox) but it's also charming if only because that's exactly what it was.

 

 

How is it any stupider than Playstation?

Well okay maybe it isn't

But it's still pretty silly-sounding



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reask on 05 December 2008


Yes all consoles next gen will be one word and that word will be Microsoft.



 

 

 

 

nintendo_fanboy on 05 December 2008
Pristine20 said:
misterd said:
You think Nintendo based a worldwide brand name based on what a few American immigrant can or can't say?

Wii worked because the name implies togetherness (and urine), and because the two "i"'s look like abstract representations of people. The name simply summarized their philosophy for the console.

Now, I'll admit PlayStation is a very early 90s name, and XBox very late 90s attempt to sound cool. Both could probably use a new name, but they've simply sunk too much into the branding. They can't just drop their old names the way Nintendo can. Nintendo is "brand", so they can change the console names all they want. Sony and Microsoft's names are too tied up in other properties to be used for console branding. That is, when asked "did you get the new Nintendo?" everyone knows what it means. But asking"did you get the new Sony?" it could mean a tv, receiver, computer, console, etc.

 

This guy hit the nail on the head

Sure? so what has Nintendo done with the brand Gameboy? I'd say that this brand was way more popular and common than Xbox, but Nintendo let it die anyway and had success with that strategy. The question is, do you want to keep following the same strategy or do you want to change? if you want to change, you better change the name to, even if there's a strong brand behind it.

 



Currently Playing: Skies of Arcadia Legends (GC), Dragon Quest IV (DS)

Last Game beaten: The Rub Rabbits(DS)

Alasted on 05 December 2008
jesus kung fu magic said:
haxxiy said:
Wii is awesome, easy to be said by everybody. Still find the name horrible? So, what you're going to say about names like iPod or Google?

That they're 2 syllable words.....

The "i" is silent.



Untamoi on 05 December 2008
nintendo_fanboy said:
Pristine20 said:
misterd said:
You think Nintendo based a worldwide brand name based on what a few American immigrant can or can't say?

Wii worked because the name implies togetherness (and urine), and because the two "i"'s look like abstract representations of people. The name simply summarized their philosophy for the console.

Now, I'll admit PlayStation is a very early 90s name, and XBox very late 90s attempt to sound cool. Both could probably use a new name, but they've simply sunk too much into the branding. They can't just drop their old names the way Nintendo can. Nintendo is "brand", so they can change the console names all they want. Sony and Microsoft's names are too tied up in other properties to be used for console branding. That is, when asked "did you get the new Nintendo?" everyone knows what it means. But asking"did you get the new Sony?" it could mean a tv, receiver, computer, console, etc.

 

This guy hit the nail on the head

Sure? so what has Nintendo done with the brand Gameboy? I'd say that this brand was way more popular and common than Xbox, but Nintendo let it die anyway and had success with that strategy. The question is, do you want to keep following the same strategy or do you want to change? if you want to change, you better change the name to, even if there's a strong brand behind it.

 

There is a big difference between Sony, MS and Nintendo. Nintendo only makes video games  so their name represents videogames (names like Gameboy and DS are not important). For MS and Sony over 90% of their business comes elsewhere so their name doesn't represent anything. "Did you get new Nintendo" means "did you get new Nintendo video game console" while "Did you get new Sony (or Microsoft)" could mean anything (ok, most would think MS as Windows and Sony as TV. Nobody as video game console).

 



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De85 on 05 December 2008
scottie said:
jesus kung fu magic said:
scottie said:
Or you could grow up an accept that the world does not revolve around you, and that there is no reason why the Japanese oriented industry should cater to whining Brits like yourself. Infact, Nintendo and Sony should give their products Japanese names that us Westerners find difficult to pronounce - just to spite you for your selfishness

 

Umm the J man isnt American and how is the industy japanese oriented?

 

Fixed

 

Lets see, the top 10 best selling video game consoles (including portables) are made by Japanese companies

 

19 of the top 20 best selling games are made by Japanese Companies.

 

So yeah, Japnaese oriented

 

Historical sales have less than nothing to do with the present state of the industry, so that 19 out of 20 fact is just a red herring.  In the past couple of years Western developers have also had their share of huge huts like CoD 4, Halo 3, GTA4, Assassin's Creed, etc... to counter the Japanese ones like Mario, Mario Kart, etc...

That's not even the real argument though.  In the present day that overwhelming majority of sales are from Western markets, meaning you have to be more western oriented or you risk going under.  Just because most of the hardware comes from Japan does not mean that the industry revolves around their culture.



nintendo_fanboy on 05 December 2008
Untamoi said:
nintendo_fanboy said:
Pristine20 said:
misterd said:
You think Nintendo based a worldwide brand name based on what a few American immigrant can or can't say?

Wii worked because the name implies togetherness (and urine), and because the two "i"'s look like abstract representations of people. The name simply summarized their philosophy for the console.

Now, I'll admit PlayStation is a very early 90s name, and XBox very late 90s attempt to sound cool. Both could probably use a new name, but they've simply sunk too much into the branding. They can't just drop their old names the way Nintendo can. Nintendo is "brand", so they can change the console names all they want. Sony and Microsoft's names are too tied up in other properties to be used for console branding. That is, when asked "did you get the new Nintendo?" everyone knows what it means. But asking"did you get the new Sony?" it could mean a tv, receiver, computer, console, etc.

 

This guy hit the nail on the head

Sure? so what has Nintendo done with the brand Gameboy? I'd say that this brand was way more popular and common than Xbox, but Nintendo let it die anyway and had success with that strategy. The question is, do you want to keep following the same strategy or do you want to change? if you want to change, you better change the name to, even if there's a strong brand behind it.

 

There is a big difference between Sony, MS and Nintendo. Nintendo only makes video games  so their name represents videogames (names like Gameboy and DS are not important). For MS and Sony over 90% of their business comes elsewhere so their name doesn't represent anything. "Did you get new Nintendo" means "did you get new Nintendo video game console" while "Did you get new Sony (or Microsoft)" could mean anything (ok, most would think MS as Windows and Sony as TV. Nobody as video game console).

 

You really think that the name Gameboy is not important? Have you ever heard anyone talking about a portable Nintendo? For ages, Gameboy was a synonym for handheld, just like Playstation is (maybe was) a synonym for a home console and a Nintendo has been earlier.

You sure have a point as long as you're talking about home consoles, but I never doubted that. I know that the names of the Nintendo consoles never mattered in the way the other two brands do, but that is definitely different with handhelds. Nintendo had one hell of a brand with the Gameboy, but while still succeding, they understood that it is time to let the brand, together with a good piece of the market behind it, go, in order to gather a new market.
The thing is, a known brand always has positive and negative sides. While Gameboy was really the same as handheld, it was also just a kids toy, and Nintendo understood that calling their new console Gameboy DS would have made it harder to get into new markets. The same goes for playstation, it is really a synonym for a home console, but it's also connected with teens just playing FPS and sports games all the time, so Sony has to think if they still want this image in future or if they want to change it.

 



Currently Playing: Skies of Arcadia Legends (GC), Dragon Quest IV (DS)

Last Game beaten: The Rub Rabbits(DS)

scottie on 05 December 2008
De85 said:
scottie said:
jesus kung fu magic said:
scottie said:
Or you could grow up an accept that the world does not revolve around you, and that there is no reason why the Japanese oriented industry should cater to whining Brits like yourself. Infact, Nintendo and Sony should give their products Japanese names that us Westerners find difficult to pronounce - just to spite you for your selfishness

 

Umm the J man isnt American and how is the industy japanese oriented?

 

Fixed

 

Lets see, the top 10 best selling video game consoles (including portables) are made by Japanese companies

 

19 of the top 20 best selling games are made by Japanese Companies.

 

So yeah, Japnaese oriented

 

Historical sales have less than nothing to do with the present state of the industry, so that 19 out of 20 fact is just a red herring.  In the past couple of years Western developers have also had their share of huge huts like CoD 4, Halo 3, GTA4, Assassin's Creed, etc... to counter the Japanese ones like Mario, Mario Kart, etc...

That's not even the real argument though.  In the present day that overwhelming majority of sales are from Western markets, meaning you have to be more western oriented or you risk going under.  Just because most of the hardware comes from Japan does not mean that the industry revolves around their culture.

Wow, you actually chose to rise to it.

 

Ok, ignoring all previous generations, just looking at this one (and ignoring portables, which are even more Japanese oriented)

 

The top selling console is Japanese

 

11 of the top 20 best selling games are Japanese

8 of the top 20 are US

1 is French

 

The majority of sales are westerners buying Japanese games

 

Hence Japanese oriented

 



jesus kung fu magic on 05 December 2008
scottie said:
De85 said:
scottie said:
jesus kung fu magic said:
scottie said:
Or you could grow up an accept that the world does not revolve around you, and that there is no reason why the Japanese oriented industry should cater to whining Brits like yourself. Infact, Nintendo and Sony should give their products Japanese names that us Westerners find difficult to pronounce - just to spite you for your selfishness

 

Umm the J man isnt American and how is the industy japanese oriented?

 

Fixed

 

Lets see, the top 10 best selling video game consoles (including portables) are made by Japanese companies

 

19 of the top 20 best selling games are made by Japanese Companies.

 

So yeah, Japnaese oriented

 

Historical sales have less than nothing to do with the present state of the industry, so that 19 out of 20 fact is just a red herring.  In the past couple of years Western developers have also had their share of huge huts like CoD 4, Halo 3, GTA4, Assassin's Creed, etc... to counter the Japanese ones like Mario, Mario Kart, etc...

That's not even the real argument though.  In the present day that overwhelming majority of sales are from Western markets, meaning you have to be more western oriented or you risk going under.  Just because most of the hardware comes from Japan does not mean that the industry revolves around their culture.

Wow, you actually chose to rise to it.

 

Ok, ignoring all previous generations, just looking at this one (and ignoring portables, which are even more Japanese oriented)

 

The top selling console is Japanese

 

11 of the top 20 best selling games are Japanese

8 of the top 20 are US

1 is French

 

The majority of sales are westerners buying Japanese games

 

Hence Japanese oriented

 

But for those games to sell they have to be highly westernized. They have to cater to our tastes to have great sales.

 



N64 is the ONLY console of the fifth generation!!!

misterd on 05 December 2008
Untamoi said:
nintendo_fanboy said:
Pristine20 said:
misterd said:
You think Nintendo based a worldwide brand name based on what a few American immigrant can or can't say?

Wii worked because the name implies togetherness (and urine), and because the two "i"'s look like abstract representations of people. The name simply summarized their philosophy for the console.

Now, I'll admit PlayStation is a very early 90s name, and XBox very late 90s attempt to sound cool. Both could probably use a new name, but they've simply sunk too much into the branding. They can't just drop their old names the way Nintendo can. Nintendo is "brand", so they can change the console names all they want. Sony and Microsoft's names are too tied up in other properties to be used for console branding. That is, when asked "did you get the new Nintendo?" everyone knows what it means. But asking"did you get the new Sony?" it could mean a tv, receiver, computer, console, etc.

 

This guy hit the nail on the head

Sure? so what has Nintendo done with the brand Gameboy? I'd say that this brand was way more popular and common than Xbox, but Nintendo let it die anyway and had success with that strategy. The question is, do you want to keep following the same strategy or do you want to change? if you want to change, you better change the name to, even if there's a strong brand behind it.

 

There is a big difference between Sony, MS and Nintendo. Nintendo only makes video games  so their name represents videogames (names like Gameboy and DS are not important). For MS and Sony over 90% of their business comes elsewhere so their name doesn't represent anything. "Did you get new Nintendo" means "did you get new Nintendo video game console" while "Did you get new Sony (or Microsoft)" could mean anything (ok, most would think MS as Windows and Sony as TV. Nobody as video game console).

 

He has a fair point - GameBoy was raking in green for Nintendo while the N64 and GameCube were flopping - perhaps "GameCube" was an attempt to build on the GameBoy name?

Anyway, I think the difference is this - Nintendo didn't just abandon the GameBoy name. It had a radical new idea, and didn't want to risk damaging an established name like GameBoy if the touch screen turned out to be the next Virtual Boy. So they were able to launch their "three legs" strategy, keeping the GameBoy on the market with a home console and the new DS brand. It was only when the DS showed itself to be a monster that Nintendo could safely retire the GB name.

I don't think Sony or MS have that option, unless they are going to do something radically different with their next set of home consoles. I suppose they could make Wii-like, stripped down consoles under the XBox and PlayStation brand, while introducing higher end PS3-type multimedia platforms under a new banner. I just don't see that working, though.