Nintendo's renaming of their next-generation console from Revolution to Wii has certainly caught people off guard. Reaction has ranged from moderate understanding to utter disbelief. But could Nintendo be fooling us all?

A number of rumors (most of which are merely speculation) have surfaced that Nintendo is not going to keep the name Wii, because it is only part of a huge publicity stunt. Some of this belief is because a search for Nintendo through the United States Patent and Trademark Office website does not show Wii as one of their many trademarks.

However, a further search of the U.S. Trademark office showed that Nintendo does not own a trademark on some other expected terms. For example, while they hold many Game Boy related trademarks, including "Game Boy Advance," Nintendo does not appear to hold a trademark on "Game Boy Micro." Also, Sony holds trademarks on "PlayStation" and "PlayStation 2," but the trademark search does not show that Sony holds a mark for "PlayStation 3."

Unless Nintendo announces otherwise, Wii is the official name of Nintendo's next home console.

Source: Boom Town, Nintendojo