Yarnton: Wii-bashing has "died and gone"

After the initial wave of disbelief and derision that met the renaming of Nintendo's new home console, Nintendo UK boss David Yarnton believes a stellar performance at E3 has extinguished any lingering doubts over the controversial 'Wii' moniker.

Speaking on the final day of E3 in an exclusive interview broadcast today on Eurogamer TV, Yarnton dismissed suggestions that his office still faced a unique PR and marketing challenge with the innovative system - in the UK and elsewhere, 'wee' is a colloquial term for the act of urination - insisting Wii's playable unveiling had emphatically silenced the critics.

"We haven't had anyone talk about the name as such apart from in a positive manner now," he said. "That's died and gone, and what people are talking about is a fantastic product.

"If you look at Nintendo, which has been around for over 100 years, there's always been very much a philosophical approach to what we do, very much a holistic approach to gaming, and we're looking to be all-encompassing for everyone," he added. "When we started looking into the name 'Wii', that's what we were talking about - everyone, rather than a single thing. It's a very simple word that we've created to come across with that message to everyone."

Nintendo's post-show critical reception has indeed moved the debate on, with a largely positive response to the console in the press. And Yarnton is now relishing the prospect of a powerful debut in Europe.

"At this stage we've announced we'll be releasing this year and that's where it stands," he insisted when asked if he could guarantee the UK would receive Wii before year-end. "If you look at the E3 stand we've got 27 titles on show in comparison with some other companies that have a very limited range, so I think we're really geared up for a solid launch.

Elsewhere in the interview, Yarnton reveals why the success of DS has ended Nintendo's third-party crisis, dismisses the importance of cutting-edge visuals and reveals he is "flattered" by Sony's move to "copy" the Wii controller with its motion-sensing PS3 pad.