Wii name has never been a mistake - Iwata

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has defended the name of Nintendo's next-generation console, saying he's glad he helped come up with it despite all the criticism it has come in for in the media.

Speaking at a Tokyo press conference, Iwata said: "I have never thought the name was a mistake. Some people seem to have a problem with it now, but I think they'll grow to like it."

Iwata argued that people should look at the example of the Game Boy - a name which was also criticised, with some saying it suggested girls were excluded from playing with the handheld. But once the Game Boy caught on, so did the name, he claimed.

Iwata's comments echo those made by Nintendo UK boss David Yarnton in a recent interview with Eurogamer TV, where he said: "[Wii is] a very simple word that we've created to come across with that message to everyone."

When asked in the same press conference about the rumours that Microsoft is developing a handheld to rival the Nintendo DS, Iwata didn't appear to be too concerned: "Whatever Microsoft does won't change what Nintendo will do," he opined.