Nintendo Revolution renamed Wii

Nintendo has tested the satirical skills of the gaming world with the announcement of the new name for its next-generation games console. The machine, until now code-named "Revolution", has been renamed "Wii".

The new name, pronounced "we", has been chosen to show "that the new console is for everyone", according to Nintendo. But some die-hard fans are less convinced and a long list of puerile jokes, based on the name, has already appeared on the net.

Microsoft’s Xbox 360 is already out while Sony’s PlayStation 3 is expected in November of this year. The Wii will be launched in autumn.

BBC - Nintendo name swap sparks satire

Game-industry analysts were swift with their responses. "Looks like a good solid name for Nintendo," said an optimistic Michael Gartenberg, vice president and research director of Jupiter Research.

Michael Goodman, senior analyst of media and entertainment strategies at The Yankee Group, believes the name change is a mistake. "I thought Revolution had much more meaning," he told GameSpot. "It was an apt description for the console. It was a revolutionary design … the controller is pretty revolutionary. Wii just doesn’t do it for me. How do we even pronounce this? WEEE? I’m not sure this is technically a word. What is a WEE, W-I-I?"

GameSpot -Revolution renamed Wii