News: Nintendo Explains the "i" in DSi Page 2

Nintendo Explains the "i" in DSi

22.02.2009

Nintendo Explains the "i" in DSi on Nintendo gaming news, videos and discussion

Nintendo was recently quizzed on the reasoning behind the "i" in their latest portable, the DSi.

The inclusion of an "i" in a hardware product would instantly conjure up an association with Apple, iPod and iPhones, but Nintendo has different ideas for the use of I.

The "i" is symbolic of the subject "I" and its personal aspect. Plus, the addition of two cameras gives the system its own "eye" on things. Nintendo hope that the Nintendo DSi becomes more than a game system and more of a personal tool to enrich our daily lives.

Nintendo of America representative

Thanks to GoNintendo.

Do you like the DSi title? Should Nintendo have gone down a different route? What would you name the latest DS revision?

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X-x-X-Ed-X-x-X 23.02.2009#26

Smilie i guess

HazukiSan 23.02.2009#27

TruLink said:
I think people are too quick to assume things when it comes to the \"i\". Sure Apple popularized it with its behemoth known as iPod. Does that mean Nintendo wants to cash in on that? I\'d go with \"no\" seeing as how every console name has been Nintendos\' own, and not a copy of anything else. Go back a few years to when the term \"walkman\" was in, and even then Nintendo didn\'t go with \"Game Man\".
Whatever meaning Nintendo has with their product names is their own way of trying to be innovative in every aspect. The name \"Wii\" signifies the concept of \"we\" as in bringing together gamers to play, and also goes with \"ii\" instead of an \"e\" to represent two gamers playing.
The \"i\" on DSi can\'t even be compared to what Apple has done for a few reasons. First off, as mentioned in a different post, it\'s not called \"iDS\", and it\'s also not spelled \"DSi\". DSi is just how we spell it for simplicities sake, but if you take a good look at the placement, the \"i\" is where the ™ would be on a product name. On top of that, the \"i\" is in-cased in a black circle- resembling the very cameras that are in the DSi.
The final reason is this: Go to the roundtable discussion on how the DSi came to be, and you will see that they clearly wanted to give the DS \"eyes\", which is also an indicator that Nintendo is simply using the letter \"i\" to promote the biggest new feature to the DS, its \"eyes\"- in other words its new cameras.

Wow, it must be tough to type when Nintendo have their hand up your ass.

( Edited 23.02.2009 07:48 by HazukiSan )

Stulaw 23.02.2009#28

Hasn;t anyone realised that phones used the i thing at the end of a product for years. Are you sure Nintendo didn't copy that instead? Because the i on them usually means extra 'interactive' features.

i.e the Nokia 6230 being the standard, then the 6230i being an improvement.

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Robbo 23.02.2009#29

I just assumed that the 'I' stands for "Igloo"!

I'm gonna stick with DSigloo i think...makes more sense overall! Smilie

TruLink 24.02.2009#30

HazukiSan said:
TruLink said:
I think people are too quick to assume things when it comes to the "i". Sure Apple popularized it with its behemoth known as iPod. Does that mean Nintendo wants to cash in on that? I'd go with "no" seeing as how every console name has been Nintendos' own, and not a copy of anything else. Go back a few years to when the term "walkman" was in, and even then Nintendo didn't go with "Game Man".
Whatever meaning Nintendo has with their product names is their own way of trying to be innovative in every aspect. The name "Wii" signifies the concept of "we" as in bringing together gamers to play, and also goes with "ii" instead of an "e" to represent two gamers playing.
The "i" on DSi can't even be compared to what Apple has done for a few reasons. First off, as mentioned in a different post, it's not called "iDS", and it's also not spelled "DSi". DSi is just how we spell it for simplicities sake, but if you take a good look at the placement, the "i" is where the ™ would be on a product name. On top of that, the "i" is in-cased in a black circle- resembling the very cameras that are in the DSi.
The final reason is this: Go to the roundtable discussion on how the DSi came to be, and you will see that they clearly wanted to give the DS "eyes", which is also an indicator that Nintendo is simply using the letter "i" to promote the biggest new feature to the DS, its "eyes"- in other words its new cameras.
Wow, it must be tough to type when Nintendo have their hand up your ass.

Tough to type yet I clearly explained my point of view- citing examples and giving reasons Smilie

I don't post much, but I will appreciate any feedback on the posts I do make. Feel free to PM

HazukiSan 24.02.2009#31

Granted but you read like a PR factsheet, if I'd heard you talking about that at an event I would've thought you were working for Nintendo.

The "i" phenomenon has only one root and that is Apple. Not necessarily that Nintendo are copying Apple or trying to trick people into thinking that this is Apple inspired but using "i" is now code to the more mainstream market for a gadget that is easy to use. It's an amazingly lazy thing to do, requires little research and little focus groups. Nintendo can spout off as many PR-isms as they want but in the iPod generation does anyone really think that an intelligent company like Nintendo thought anyone would think about eye, cameras, outlooks?

etuoyo 24.02.2009#32

HazukiSan said:
Granted but you read like a PR factsheet, if I'd heard you talking about that at an event I would've thought you were working for Nintendo.
The "i" phenomenon has only one root and that is Apple. Not necessarily that Nintendo are copying Apple or trying to trick people into thinking that this is Apple inspired but using "i" is now code to the more mainstream market for a gadget that is easy to use. It's an amazingly lazy thing to do, requires little research and little focus groups. Nintendo can spout off as many PR-isms as they want but in the iPod generation does anyone really think that an intelligent company like Nintendo thought anyone would think about eye, cameras, outlooks?

Wow you really think the world revolves around ipod. So someone cannot use the letter "i" without it being a rip off from apple? Including a company that is having such ridiculous success right not by departing from the norm.

etuoyo

TruLink 25.02.2009#33

HazukiSan said:
Granted but you read like a PR factsheet, if I'd heard you talking about that at an event I would've thought you were working for Nintendo.
The "i" phenomenon has only one root and that is Apple. Not necessarily that Nintendo are copying Apple or trying to trick people into thinking that this is Apple inspired but using "i" is now code to the more mainstream market for a gadget that is easy to use. It's an amazingly lazy thing to do, requires little research and little focus groups. Nintendo can spout off as many PR-isms as they want but in the iPod generation does anyone really think that an intelligent company like Nintendo thought anyone would think about eye, cameras, outlooks?

So going by your logic, cell phones that have had an "i" in their model number before iPod was released clearly ripped it off as well by spying on Apple. The terms 480i, and 1080i are also clear violations of the holy ground owned solely by Apple and it's iPod. Not to mention the vacuum cleaners named iRoomba also played the ripoff game.

I will give you this and only this, "i" has been and still is being ripped off of iPod, but I have seen it happen only in other music players.

As far as the DS is concerned, the "i" is just Nintendo being Nintendo. They did it with Gameboy and all of its iterations- in which they would add a little something to "Gameboy" to set it apart as a new console yet keep its brand name for mass appeal.

We saw it happen with the DS, and the current DSlite. The trend is continuing with DSi.

If you want to argue why Nintendo went with "i" instead of "eye" then perhaps you would like to explain why they also went with "lite" instead of "light".

I don't post much, but I will appreciate any feedback on the posts I do make. Feel free to PM

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Nintendo Explains the "i" in DSi

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