Nintendo Confirms How To Pronounce NES, And They Are Totally Wrong
If you are like us, then for years you have been calling Nintendo's Entertainment System "N-E-S." Well, guess what? You have been saying it wrong, either out loud or in your head when you read about consoles like the NES Classic. According to Nintendo, the correct pronunciation is "Ness," no ifs, ands, or buts about it.
Blasphemy, right? We think so, but that the is clarification Nintendo makes in Wario Ware Gold, which is now out for the Nintendo 3DS. The game includes a museum of old Nintendo consoles, and the description for the NES says that Nintendo pronounces it "Ness."
In the museum section of the Japanese version of Wario Ware Gold, you can unlock some slides showcasing the Famicom. Also included is a picture of the NES. Within the description, Nintendo themselves says that “NES” is pronounced “Ness”. pic.twitter.com/Vg5JjXgJgy
— Kyle McLain (@FarmboyinJapan) August 3, 2018
We say Nintendo is wrong and that it should be pronounced "N-E-S," but either way, it's a win for Nintendo. After all, we are still talking about a game console 35 years after it was first released in Japan, and almost as long since it debuted in North America (October 18, 1985). It is one of the most popular gaming systems of all time, no matter how you pronounce it.
This is not the first time that a pronunciation has come into question in the tech sector. Back in 2013, Steve Wilhite, the inventor of the Graphics Interchange Format (GIF), clarified that GIF is pronounced with a soft G, like "jiff."
"The Oxford English Dictionary accepts both pronunciations. They are wrong. It is a soft 'G,' pronounced 'jif.' End of story," Wilhite told The New York Times in an interview.
What say you, readers? Do you pronounce NES "Ness" or "N-E-S?" And about what about GIF? Sound off in the comments section below!
