Everybody say "Wii!"

It's almost time for E3, perhaps the biggest event of the year on the gaming calendar. Everything officially kicks off again next week, but as you might expect the event has been preceded by a flurry of announcements and leaks.

Slightly surprisingly the announcement to have drawn the greatest amount of attention arrived from Nintendo. That Nintendo are still capable of holding the notice of the industry isn't the surprise. Of late Nintendo have taken to shrouding their products in levels of secrecy of which Apple would be proud, so anything to spill from their lips generally causes the industry to sit and pay close heed. No, the surprise was in the content of the announcement - Nintendo have officially unveiled the name of their latest console, previously codenamed "Revolution". It's called "Wii". I'll say that again: "Wii". Pronounced "we", not "why" as I initially thought (or Why-aye for those of you in Newcastle).

To say this caused something of a stir amongst the gaming community is akin to describing the eruption of Krakatoa as a hiccup. It's still cropping up amongst the top headlines of most of big gaming sites almost a week later. Most reactions so far have been characterised by disbelief, skepticism, outrage and, eventually, resigned bemusement. I think I can safely say that the name is controversial.

My initial thought is that it's a name only a marketing department could love. During my past dealings with marketing departments I've generally found them to be staffed by some of the most peculiar people I've ever encountered. And believe me when I say I've encountered some pretty peculiar sorts.

Interestingly, Nintendo themselves appear to be fully aware of the controversy Wii would cause. Various interviews with Nintendo executives have shown them ready and willing to tow the company line and explain exactly why the name the name works. Even Nintendo's website, after a brief but cute flash animation, elaborates on the reasoning for the choice of name:

Introducing ... Wii.
As in "we."
While the code-name "Revolution" express our direction, Wii represents the answer.
Wii will break down the wall that separates video game players from everybody else.
Wii will put people more in touch with their games ... and each other. But you're probably asking: What does the name mean?
Wii sounds like "we," which emphasizes this console is for everyone.
Wii can easily be remembered by people around the world, no matter what language they speak. No confusion. No need to abbreviate. Just Wii.
Wii has a distinctive "ii" spelling that symbolizes both the unique controllers and the image of people gathering to play.
And Wii, as a name and a console, brings something revolutionary to the world of video games that sets it apart from the crowd.
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.

Erm. Quite.

The fact that the name was released in advance of E3 seems designed to ensure that the name won't overshadow the more substantial announcements to come at E3 itself (Nintendo have promised that Revolution/Wii contains one last unrevealed secret). Some factions around the net have interpreted this as a conspiracy on Nintendo's part, to generate even more attention when the real name of the console is announced next week, but the general consensus is they're barking.

Now, I'm no marketing expert, but surely there must be an inverse correlation between the effectiveness of a brand and the amount of explanation it requires? By that standard Wii falls at the first hurdle. Despite that, I'll dial down my cynicism a notch or two and confess it's not a bad explanation. In general I think Nintendo have the right approach - they're trying to attract an entirely new audience, so there's something to be said for choosing a name that doesn't immediately pigeon hole it as a game console.

And one thing is undeniable. The name has garnered an absurd amount of attention and there's no doubt that it's short and memorable. It even looks good on paper. From that standpoint, it might well be a shrewd move on Nintendo's part. After all, they're clearly trying to build a brand here (you'll note that it's "Wii", not "Nintendo Wii"), and encroaching on Sony's Playstation mindshare isn't going to be easy.

There, I made all it all the way to the end without making any urine jokes. I bet you thought I couldn't resist taking the pii. Tii-hii