Nintendo Urges Wii Owners to Please, Please Upgrade

Nintendo would like to remind everyone that the Wii U is actually a brand new console that’s vastly improved and not at all the same as the original Wii, so maybe you should think about buying one.

“Wii” is a silly name for a console, but nobody seemed to mind – certainly not the bazillions of people who lined up to buy the thing. “Wii U,” on the other hand, tips into the realm of flat-out awfulness, and not, it would seem, just because it sounds ridiculous when you say it out loud. Based on the message Nintendo put out on the Wii message board last night, there’s some concern that many Wii owners don’t understand what exactly the Wii U is, or why they should buy one.

Entitled “It’s time to discover Wii U,” it reads, “Wii U is the all-new home console from Nintendo. It’s not just an upgrade – it’s an entirely new system that will change the way you and your family experience games and entertainment.”

So let there be no misunderstanding: The Wii U is new, get it? And it’s better, right? And you should buy one, okay? There’s nothing inherently wrong with console manufacturers pimping their new hardware but the Wii U has been out for six months, which as far as catching fire with consumers goes is very definitely pushing the envelope of “new.”

More worryingly for Nintendo in the big picture is the old political adage, “If you’re explaining, you’re losing.” I think that applies rather aptly here, too.

Source: Twitter (@StarfireTurtle)