The Nintendo Wii U is in dire need of a complete rebranding, and in a hurry. And no, this doesn't mean a new advertising strategy and different box art on the packaging. We're talking about a severe overhaul of the entire brand, starting with the silly name. Nintendo was lucky to have gotten away with calling a console the Wii in the first place - oh, how we laughed when first we heard the name - but they are pushing their luck with the Wii U. It's lazy and it's misleading. Misleading, because many would just see it as a minor reworking of the original Wii and not give it a second glance. If they're going to struggle on with this ill-fated console, it needs a snappy new name and a whole new image. Nintendo has a less-than-stellar record when it comes to dreaming up catchy titles for their consoles (going from the Nintendo Entertainment System to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System was hardly a groundbreaking flash of creativity), but should have done more to differentiate between the old and the new in this instance. They need to put some distance between the Wii and their latest hardware, especially if they hope to find market share among a more mature audience with negative childish connotations attached to the Wii brand. So, lose the "Wii" tag completely, slash that price dramatically, and perhaps Nintendo's latest home console will stop giving investors sleepless nights. Even with big releases like Mario Kart 8 giving the console a substantial sales boost, they are a long way off the original projected sales estimates.
Game-obsessed since the moment I could twiddle both thumbs independently. Equally enthralled by all the genres of music that your parents warned you about.
