July 17, 2007 4:00 AM PDT
And now, for a change of pace, here's the opposite: a device that achieved whirlwind success despite a stupid name. Nintendo was originally going to call its hotly anticipated next-generation console the Revolution, but surprised the world when it chose the wacky name "Wii" instead. Nintendo executives even acknowledged that people might find it a little bit odd at first. Most people seem to have accepted it by now, and Wiis are still flying off the shelves. That still doesn't mean the double "i" isn't pretty annoying on occasion.
Thankfully, the name "Wii" has managed to avoid (though not entirely) the seemingly obvious bathroom humor references. It has nevertheless been rife fodder for terrible puns like when a New York City bar hosted a Wii Tennis tournament called "Wiimbledon." And for the record, CNET News.com fully admits to falling into the corny Wii pun trap on occasion.
Photo by Nintendo
