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By now I'm sure many of you lot are playing on your Xbox's, a lot have their PlayStation 2's and still more are awaiting the GameCube. All great machines in their own way, but how did they get their names? The funny thing is, while they sound ordinary to us, the names for our consoles, games and way of life are extraordinarily pathetic.
Back at the beginning of time, or at least, the console age, consoles were named in a normal way. The Atari 2600, the Nintendo Entertainment System. I, perhaps in a minority view, thought that console names were good back then. I suppose that names haven't anything to do with way a console is, but then again, I can still remember the disappiontment of only having a second PlayStation rather than a new console, and I can still bring back to mind the abusive letters sent into magazines after the naming of the Nintendo GameCube. Names shouldn't matter, but in many-a-public eye, they'd rather sit at something with a smart clever name than a sequel, collaboration of two different things or a misshapen letter. Hmmm.
I only realised how stupid the word PlayStation sounded when my grandad made a comment about it last week. I mean, come on, its a station where we play games. Lame or what. And the GameCube. A Cube that plays games. Perhaps its a practical name, but I'm sure something like 'eclipse' (recites from old N64 magazine) would have been much better.
And on a small note, I know why they abbreviated the GameCube to GCN rather than NGC - NGC is already used as the Nevada Gaming Commision (found out from watching Ocean's Eleven), so they couldn't or breach a copyright law.
Even many of the games are stupid. As soon as I heard the word SoulCalibur I though - ridiculous! And Metal Gear Solid. Typical Japanese translation, if you ask me.
Anyhow, I'm not digging game names really, because its this strange, unique quality which adds to why we love it so much. Gitaroo-man, perhaps, but PlayStation, Xbox and GameCube are still great things. Maybe next time a bit of ingenuity could be used when playing the name game...
Back at the beginning of time, or at least, the console age, consoles were named in a normal way. The Atari 2600, the Nintendo Entertainment System. I, perhaps in a minority view, thought that console names were good back then. I suppose that names haven't anything to do with way a console is, but then again, I can still remember the disappiontment of only having a second PlayStation rather than a new console, and I can still bring back to mind the abusive letters sent into magazines after the naming of the Nintendo GameCube. Names shouldn't matter, but in many-a-public eye, they'd rather sit at something with a smart clever name than a sequel, collaboration of two different things or a misshapen letter. Hmmm.
I only realised how stupid the word PlayStation sounded when my grandad made a comment about it last week. I mean, come on, its a station where we play games. Lame or what. And the GameCube. A Cube that plays games. Perhaps its a practical name, but I'm sure something like 'eclipse' (recites from old N64 magazine) would have been much better.
And on a small note, I know why they abbreviated the GameCube to GCN rather than NGC - NGC is already used as the Nevada Gaming Commision (found out from watching Ocean's Eleven), so they couldn't or breach a copyright law.
Even many of the games are stupid. As soon as I heard the word SoulCalibur I though - ridiculous! And Metal Gear Solid. Typical Japanese translation, if you ask me.
Anyhow, I'm not digging game names really, because its this strange, unique quality which adds to why we love it so much. Gitaroo-man, perhaps, but PlayStation, Xbox and GameCube are still great things. Maybe next time a bit of ingenuity could be used when playing the name game...
The StarCube wasn't really a rmuour as such. Nintendo did register the domain name www.starcube.com, and I the name GameCube was actually leaked before it was meant to be announced. I think its more than a coincidence that they're so similar, and perhaps Nintendo just had to choose between the two.
SMÉAGOL wrote:
> When I first heard of the Dreamcast I thought it was absolute keek!
But then
> the name grew on me and now it sounds decent enough.
The Ultra 64 Grew on me
> straight away too, then they changed it to Nintendo 64 and It took a while for
> me to start calling the system that after so long calling it the Ultra
> 64.
Virgin games never updated their registration cards to Nintendo 64. They called it the Ultra 64 right til the very end...
Starcube, I had a belly ache when I heard that! Thank god sanity showed and
> we got Gamecube instead.
Nintendo never announced that they'd call it StarCube anyway. That was just a rumour that so many gullible people believed! I'm glad I was one of the few who always said it was a rumour and would never be called "StarCube".
> When I first heard of the Dreamcast I thought it was absolute keek!
But then
> the name grew on me and now it sounds decent enough.
The Ultra 64 Grew on me
> straight away too, then they changed it to Nintendo 64 and It took a while for
> me to start calling the system that after so long calling it the Ultra
> 64.
Virgin games never updated their registration cards to Nintendo 64. They called it the Ultra 64 right til the very end...
Starcube, I had a belly ache when I heard that! Thank god sanity showed and
> we got Gamecube instead.
Nintendo never announced that they'd call it StarCube anyway. That was just a rumour that so many gullible people believed! I'm glad I was one of the few who always said it was a rumour and would never be called "StarCube".
I thought that the name GameCube sounded pants, but now, like you guys, it just sounds normal. As does the Xbox and PS2. But if you think about it, the names are kinda strange :-)
I've noticed that magazines (especially NGC) rfer to the next-next generation consoles as the Game Pyramid, or the sequel to Pokemon as Pokemon Brown or similar, in their comic spoofs found at the end of the magazine. Although the magazine has gone all crap since the demise of the N64 (and for a while before), I still found it bloody irritating for someone to predict future titles merely by using patterns found in previous titles.
Sounds deep, but meaningful. I think.
Sounds deep, but meaningful. I think.
I always ponder that. When I thought of Gamecube at irst, it sounded ridiculous! Now it seems normal and part of everyday speak. What I want to know is, where the hell did StarCube come from?
:)
Good post
:)
Good post
When I first heard of the Dreamcast I thought it was absolute keek!
But then the name grew on me and now it sounds decent enough.
The Ultra 64 Grew on me straight away too, then they changed it to Nintendo 64 and It took a while for me to start calling the system that after so long calling it the Ultra 64.
Starcube, I had a belly ache when I heard that! Thank god sanity showed and we got Gamecube instead.
Console names are a wonderful thing and it makes you wonder how on earth they come up with them.
Anyone remember the "Nintendo Playstation" back in 1993?
But then the name grew on me and now it sounds decent enough.
The Ultra 64 Grew on me straight away too, then they changed it to Nintendo 64 and It took a while for me to start calling the system that after so long calling it the Ultra 64.
Starcube, I had a belly ache when I heard that! Thank god sanity showed and we got Gamecube instead.
Console names are a wonderful thing and it makes you wonder how on earth they come up with them.
Anyone remember the "Nintendo Playstation" back in 1993?
Heh, good post! I liked the bit at the end about Metal Gear Solid - so true!!
And when you think about it, 'Playstation' is quite a 'kiddy name'. So people who call the 'GameCube' 'kiddy' becasue of it's name should think again!
And the X in 'X-box' makes it sound like there's something secret or special about it, and instantly draws your attention to it.
Some companies care more about names than others, and they do help to get your attention. But really, they make no console any different.
And when you think about it, 'Playstation' is quite a 'kiddy name'. So people who call the 'GameCube' 'kiddy' becasue of it's name should think again!
And the X in 'X-box' makes it sound like there's something secret or special about it, and instantly draws your attention to it.
Some companies care more about names than others, and they do help to get your attention. But really, they make no console any different.
By now I'm sure many of you lot are playing on your Xbox's, a lot have their PlayStation 2's and still more are awaiting the GameCube. All great machines in their own way, but how did they get their names? The funny thing is, while they sound ordinary to us, the names for our consoles, games and way of life are extraordinarily pathetic.
Back at the beginning of time, or at least, the console age, consoles were named in a normal way. The Atari 2600, the Nintendo Entertainment System. I, perhaps in a minority view, thought that console names were good back then. I suppose that names haven't anything to do with way a console is, but then again, I can still remember the disappiontment of only having a second PlayStation rather than a new console, and I can still bring back to mind the abusive letters sent into magazines after the naming of the Nintendo GameCube. Names shouldn't matter, but in many-a-public eye, they'd rather sit at something with a smart clever name than a sequel, collaboration of two different things or a misshapen letter. Hmmm.
I only realised how stupid the word PlayStation sounded when my grandad made a comment about it last week. I mean, come on, its a station where we play games. Lame or what. And the GameCube. A Cube that plays games. Perhaps its a practical name, but I'm sure something like 'eclipse' (recites from old N64 magazine) would have been much better.
And on a small note, I know why they abbreviated the GameCube to GCN rather than NGC - NGC is already used as the Nevada Gaming Commision (found out from watching Ocean's Eleven), so they couldn't or breach a copyright law.
Even many of the games are stupid. As soon as I heard the word SoulCalibur I though - ridiculous! And Metal Gear Solid. Typical Japanese translation, if you ask me.
Anyhow, I'm not digging game names really, because its this strange, unique quality which adds to why we love it so much. Gitaroo-man, perhaps, but PlayStation, Xbox and GameCube are still great things. Maybe next time a bit of ingenuity could be used when playing the name game...
Back at the beginning of time, or at least, the console age, consoles were named in a normal way. The Atari 2600, the Nintendo Entertainment System. I, perhaps in a minority view, thought that console names were good back then. I suppose that names haven't anything to do with way a console is, but then again, I can still remember the disappiontment of only having a second PlayStation rather than a new console, and I can still bring back to mind the abusive letters sent into magazines after the naming of the Nintendo GameCube. Names shouldn't matter, but in many-a-public eye, they'd rather sit at something with a smart clever name than a sequel, collaboration of two different things or a misshapen letter. Hmmm.
I only realised how stupid the word PlayStation sounded when my grandad made a comment about it last week. I mean, come on, its a station where we play games. Lame or what. And the GameCube. A Cube that plays games. Perhaps its a practical name, but I'm sure something like 'eclipse' (recites from old N64 magazine) would have been much better.
And on a small note, I know why they abbreviated the GameCube to GCN rather than NGC - NGC is already used as the Nevada Gaming Commision (found out from watching Ocean's Eleven), so they couldn't or breach a copyright law.
Even many of the games are stupid. As soon as I heard the word SoulCalibur I though - ridiculous! And Metal Gear Solid. Typical Japanese translation, if you ask me.
Anyhow, I'm not digging game names really, because its this strange, unique quality which adds to why we love it so much. Gitaroo-man, perhaps, but PlayStation, Xbox and GameCube are still great things. Maybe next time a bit of ingenuity could be used when playing the name game...