Console names

[Ze_ro]

Okay, I'm sure a lot of you have either loved or hated the names of some consoles over the years. I know that I for one despise the new names that these companies are slapping on their technology. I mean, "Gamecube"??? How basic and unimaginitive can you get? Answer: By calling it the Playstation! (Or less imaginitive yet: The Playstation 2) Are these just direct translations of the Japanese names or something? (Don't even talk to me about the WonderSwan)

 

On the other side of things, I always thought Sega had cool names for their systems: Genesis, Nomad, Saturn, Dreamcast... although Game Gear, 32X and Master System are slightly less cool names. Atari's naming scheme, starting with numbers, and then moving on to dangerous wild jungle cats was pretty cool too. What do you guys think?

 

--Zero

[Zeptari]

The only thing I hate about the Gamecube is it's design. I looks like an "Easy Bake Oven"!! The name's OK, I guess.

I hated the name for the Dreamcast when I first heard it. It kinda fits it now. I sold mine a month ago when i bought my PS2. Which I love. It was an easy sell to the wife. With it's DVD playback. Read this in playstation magazine

" If computers for work are called workstations then a console for gaming must be playstations" or soemthing to that affect. hhehe

Sega's best system in my eye's was the genesis... great looking hardware and games...and the name was fitting...

I still think the coolest looking game systems hardware design wise are the Genesis,LynxII and the PS2.

 

I really like the Gameboy Advance too!

[Rhindle The Red]

I agree that the names GameCube and PlayStation (and PS2) are unimaginitive, but that is kind of the point.

 

The PlayStation was originally so named because it was a base from which to play. (On the SNES at the time, of course.) Sony desperately wanted to hold on to the millions they sucked in with the PlayStation, so calling the next machine PlayStation 2 not only holds them due to the similarity in name, it also keys in to the backward compatible nature of the unit.

 

GameCube indicates that the system is for games, alone. A little box for playing games: GameCube. Nintendo's consoles have never been exactly exciting in name: Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo 64, Nintendo GameCube. This hasn't stopped them from being successful.

 

The WonderSwan is so named because during its development its creator, the late Gunpei Yokoi (who also created the Game Boy and Virtual Boy ) referred to it as his "black & white wonder." Of course this is meaningless on the WonderSwan Color.

 

Sega's wacky naming schemes probably hurt it because it made it harder to identify with the company as a whole. There is no logical progession from one name to the next.

 

Atari's naming scheme was cool enough, but it didn't help them any. Their problems were of a completely different nature.

 

As much as one could deride the manufacturers for lack of imagination, an original name won't help sell hardware and, more importatntly, software.

[Lemmi]

my favorite names are the Genesis and Nomad

[Albert]

quote:

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Originally posted by Zeptari:

The only thing I hate about the Gamecube is it's design. I looks like an "Easy Bake Oven"!! The name's OK, I guess.

---

 

Ha ha! I actually quite like the Gamecube's design. I first saw one at the Consumer Electronics Show at CES in January and was amazed at how small it actually is. Since it doesn't use full-size CDs, Nintendo was able to make the unit itself smaller than your typical game system these days. And its dimensions almost are a cube--it's pretty tall relative to its width and depth. I'm fond of the name Gamecube, it's much more to my liking than "XBox" or "Playstation 2". It's simple and gets the point across.

 

However, I don't really think the name matters that much. As long as the name is relatively short, easy to remember, and not offensive then it'll get the job done. I don't think a name has ever been responsible for a game system succeeding or failing. The important factors in a console's success are marketing, the quality of games on the console, and getting developers on board. Concepts that Atari wasn't able to quite grasp, which is why the original company is no longer with us.

 

You mentioned that you like the name "Gameboy Advance". I must admit that this name drove me nuts when I first heard it because it sounded like broken English. Now I've heard and read it so many times that it's no longer a big deal and I just accept it. So you can even choose a name that doesn't follow proper English grammar and still have a successful product. Although in reality they could have called the Gameboy Advance "Turd On A Stick" and it would have sold.

 

..Al

[Inky]

quote

Although in reality they could have called the Gameboy Advance "Turd On A Stick" and it would have sold.  

 

I have no comment on this. I just like the phrase "Turd on a stick"

[Inky]

"Hey Inky, want to join us in a game of football?"

 

"No thanks guys. I'm just going to go home and play some games with my Turd on a Stick."

[TheSmirk]

I like the GameCube, design and name, the console is like a modest little box of power. At first glance you'd be like "hahah thats the next wave of console?!?!" then when you play it and you realize thats coming from that lil' purple box...thats cool in my book.

[Rhindle The Red]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Raccoon Lad:

Hehe, FYI in japan the Game Cube is called the star cube, and that's what they wanted to call it in the US, but NOA said NO WAY!

If they were to go with the name Star Cube in the US, I think it would sell far fewer units.

---

 

StarCube was the original name and the one Yamauchi wanted, but it's the GameCube all over the world, Japan included. I've played import machines and it says GameCube right on it.

[Raccoon Lad]

Damn, my memory slightly alters facts once again! Maybe I should adopt Inky's old signature "I'm never wrong, just wildly inaccuate"

[Lemmi]

For pong system names i like

 

Atari C-380

 

and i like Panasonic 3DO

Turbo Grafx-16

[Inky]

quote

Maybe I should adopt Inky's old signature "I'm never wrong, just wildly inaccuate"  

 

Just don't dump it to a cart...

[Raccoon Lad]

Hehe, FYI in japan the Game Cube is called the star cube, and that's what they wanted to call it in the US, but NOA said NO WAY!

If they were to go with the name Star Cube in the US, I think it would sell far fewer units.

[liveinabin]

My favourite console name of all time has to be the Radofin Prinztronic.

what were they on? And while we're at it - how about the Super Cassette Vision - and you complain about Gamecube!

I could never get on with SNES either, sounds like a nasal condition - mind, at least it didn't lie about having a drive, let alone a mega-one.