The
Electric New Paper
Netizens here complain:
He's making S'pore look
bad
Former national athlete endorses Wii lookalike
from China
By Liew Hanqing, 06 December 2007
HE has been touted as the Yao Ming of Singapore. Never mind that
he's more famous for throwing something else other than a
basketball.
And it's just so he can help sell a China-made game console.
That's the unlikely role that has thrust multiple South-east Asia
(SEA) Games gold medallist James Wong into the spotlight with
Netizens.
They are wondering why a well-known and decorated sportsman like Mr
Wong would endorse a product that is a lookalike of a well-known
game console.
Some Netizens felt that this was bad for Singapore's image.
The former national discus thrower endorses the China-made Vii,
which closely resembles Japan's Nintendo Wii, a console with a
wireless remote controller that allow users to play sports
simulation games.
TV AD
In a TV advertisement in China for the Vii, Mr Wong touts the
console as a good way to exercise.
He says in Mandarin: 'Getting children into the habit of exercising
regularly is the best thing parents can do for them.'
The advertisement introduces Mr Wong as the vice chairman of the
Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) athletes'
commission.
It also features still shots of news coverage on Mr Wong's sporting
achievements, and clips of his children playing with the Vii.
LetVGO, the China company which markets the Vii, also features Mr
Wong on its website as its 'Golden Star' spokesman, referring to
him as Singapore's Yao Ming.
His family is also named as the official 'spokesfamily' for the
company, which distributes lifestyle products like fitness
equipment and electronic goods.
Its three signature products include the Vii, an inflatable jet-ski
and an exercise bench.
Mr Wong's wife, Ms Jana Lauren, is also featured in a promotional
video for the Vii, where she is seen playing a bowling game. She is
also featured on LetVGO's website using the exercise machine.
When contacted yesterday, Mr Wong confirmed that he is endorsing
the Vii. He seemed surprised and asked this reporter how she had
found out.
He agreed to answer questions sent in an e-mail but did not respond
by press time. Calls to his handphone went unanswered.
The New Paper also tried in vain to contact LetVGO to find out why
it had picked Mr Wong and family to endorse its products.
While showbusiness personalities like Li Nanxing and Moses Lim have
been paid to endorse China property developments, they are known in
China through their shows.
It's not clear how well-known Mr Wong is to the Chinese.
The Vii has gained online notoriety among gaming enthusiasts since
its launch in October, less than a year after Nintendo released the
Wii last December.
Computerandvideogames.com, a gaming website, contacted Nintendo,
which said it had 'absolutely nothing to do' with the Vii, which is
being sold through a home shopping network in China.
Customers have to call the LetVGO hotline to order the Vii.
BAD REVIEWS
Since its release, the console has also been reviewed on numerous
gaming sites including Engadget.com, Joystiq.com and Gizmodo.com,
all of which labelled it a low-quality imitation of the Nintendo
product, which is not yet available in China.
One reviewer even posted a video of a Vii console being
disassembled, revealing a small circuit board inside the console's
white casing.
There is also a weight attached to the base of the console to make
the device appear heavier, and to allow it to stand
vertically.
The reviewer wrote: 'The craptacular Vii doesn't even require CDs:
it comes from the factory loaded with a whole bunch of knock-off
games.'
The TV advertisement featuring Mr Wong was posted on YouTube and is
fast making its rounds in the online community here.
It has drawn mainly negative responses from netizens who feel Mr
Wong's endorsement of the console reflects badly on
Singapore.
In a response on Gameaxis.com, user Shadowkiller wrote: 'I'm
throwing my citizenship away. I'm ashamed to meet my international
peers if they see this.'
Another netizen, Al, wrote: 'I believe we will have no issues if
the Vii spokesman is a mainland Chinese.'
Mr Lee Wei Meng, 22, editor of Singaporean gaming publication
Gamesync.net, feels Mr Wong could have been more prudent in his
decision to endorse the Vii.
He said: 'As a national athlete who has represented Singapore in
international events, he should be more careful about choosing what
products to endorse.
'His endorsement would reflect badly on Singapore. It's no secret
that many Western companies view the region - including Singapore -
as an area where piracy is a serious problem.
'There's no sense in compounding these perceptions.'
However, some Netizens are giving him the benefit of the
doubt.
One Netizen, Kenster, wrote: 'Maybe James was conned into thinking
that he was endorsing the real Wii.'
Vii vs Wii
[*] Like Nintendo Wii, Vii has wireless remote control. Controls
and main consoles of both look almost identical
[*] Vii comes pre-loaded with 12 games, including bowling, baseball
and a dice game. Unlike Wii, it doesn't require CDs and does not
have disk drive
[*] Vii retails for 986 yuan ($193) in China. Wii retails for about
$650, bundled with additional controller and one game, in
Singapore
