just as Nintendo Project Reality was named Nintendo 64
just as Nintendo Project Dolphin was named Nintendo Gamecube
just as Nintendo Nitro was named Nintendo DS
the Nintendo Revolution has been named Nintendo Wii

http://revolution.ign.com/articles/703/703502p1.html
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3150013
http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/feature/?id=12535
http://www.totalvideogames.com/news/Nintendo_Confirms_A_Wii_Revolution_9824_0_18.htm
http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2006/04/27/nintendo_revolution_wii_name/
http://www.gaming-age.com/news/2006/4/27-58

"
It was revealed today by Nintendo that the Revolution will be
rechristened the Nintendo Wii. The new name, according to Nintendo, is
a reflection of their next-gen plans.

A passage on revolution.nintendo.com goes on to describe why "Wii."
"Wii," also pronounced as "We," is supposed to represent the openness
of the system to even the most casual of gamers. The double "i"
represents the controllers, as well as reiterates the message of a
system that is inviting to all comers.

The system itself is both small, stylish, and feature-packed. In the
sleek package resides a bevy of features, including what was touted as
"full backwards compatability." Backwards compatability with GameCube
games is obvious enough, but the much-talked about "Virtual Console"
makes it possible to go through the libraries of all previous Nintendo
home consoles and play games throughout the 20 year history of
Nintendo.

The Wii's internal memory makes the Virtual Console possible, as the
512MB flash memory within allows owners to download and play games
hosted on Nintendo's Virtual Console service. If you start to run out
of space, a slot for SD cards is also available. For less than the
price of a game, you could more than double the amount of space to hold
games and saves.

And, just like the Nintendo DS, the Wii will be wifi enabled out of the
box. The already popular Nintendo WiFi Connection service will be the
host for Nintendo online games, serving as an online community without
fees or difficult setup.

All told, the Wii looked interesting before, but after seeing the
message they're now trying to push...well, it just got a whole lot
better.

Because, it's really not about you or me. It's about Wii."

______________

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6148462.html

Revolution renamed Wii
[
UPDATE 3] Nintendo announces the console formerly known as the
Revolution has a new--and surprising--moniker. Analysts' reactions are
mixed.
By Staff, GameSpot
Posted Apr 27, 2006 9:14 am PT

In a surprise announcement this morning, Nintendo revealed the new name
of its forthcoming game system: Wii. "As in 'we'," the official
statement adds. For the official announcement visit the
Revolution...err...Wii Web site.

Nintendo Wii
Behold! The Revolution renamed!

After a brief Flash introduction, the site explains Nintendo's move.
"While the code-name 'Revolution' expressed our direction, Wii
represents the answer. Wii will break down that wall that separates
game players from everybody else. Wii will put people more in touch
with their games ... and each other."

The site goes on to say that Wii should be easy to remember for people
around the world, no matter their language, and that it will avoid
abbreviation. As for the unusual spelling with the lower-case letter
"i" doubled up is intended to represent "both the unique controllers
and the image of people gathering to play." It may also be worth noting
that "ii" means "good" in Japanese.

Nintendo sums up the name change with the following comments. "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."

Game-industry analysts were swift with their responses. "Looks like a
good solid name for Nintendo," said Michael Gartenberg, vice president
and research director of Jupiter Research. "The key is making sure they
follow up with a strong launch campaign to evangelize the new brand and
help drive the message forward."

Wedbush Morgan Securities' Michael Pachter was more mixed in his
assessment. "My initial reaction, of course, is that the name is dumb,"
he bluntly stated. "However, upon reflection, I thought that the name
Game Boy was dumb, REALLY thought that the name Xbox was dumb, and
can't even recall my reaction to PlayStation. Let's face it, devices
with cool names like Dreamcast and Gizmondo fail, and the lame names
seem to do well."

Colin Sebastian, Lazard Capital Markets' senior research analyst for
Internet and interactive entertainment, displayed Vulcan-like logic
responding to the Wii revelation. "The success of the console will have
much more to do with the quality of the games and the gameplay," he
said. "Nintendo probably believes they've found a name that can stick
with consumers. Revolution was catchy, but given similarities with the
Xbox 360 name, perhaps Nintendo felt they had to make a change."