Ever since Nintendo's reveal of their next generation console, currently called the Wii U, gamers have been excited and slightly confused. The new controller looks a bit like a game system in and of itself, and Nintendo's controller-centric debut demonstration left many wondering if this was a console or the next handheld Nintendo device. While Nintendo is confident that the confusion on how we use the WiiU will eventually pass, they are a little worried about another aspect of the product: its name.
This concern actually goes back to a different pair of Nintendo platforms, the DS and 3DS. While these are two different handheld gaming systems, their names are similar enough that customers often can't tell the difference. Nintendo has gone as far as rolling out giant red stickers for the next system and using the TV tagline, "This is not a DS. This is Nintendo 3DS." You really don't want your product's marketing to be centered around convincing your customers you're actually giving them a new product.
Now, Nintendo is looking at it's Wii and Wii U consoles and worrying that people might not see the difference. Sure, the controllers look nothing alike, but that's not necessarily something your non-gaming mother will recognize when she's wandering Toys R Us. On the other hand, they've been hyping the Wii U for a while now, so a name change could cost them any marketing momentum they've gained up to this point. We'll find out by E3 if a Wii U by any another name is just as sweet.
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[What's in a name? Nintendo considering Wii U rebrand, sources claim]
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