Gleemax = Enworld

[Arkhandus]

Hi Mike...

Perhaps you can answer the burning question of the hour...what's with the name "Gleemax"?

It's a gag by WotC from some time ago; Gleemax is supposedly the alien brain in a jar (IIRC) that runs WotC. Or something like that. I'm not all that familiar with the original gag, but they've mentioned Gleemax other times before. Sort of an in-joke for those who frequent the WotC website.

I really, really don't know what they were thinking when they decided to use the name for something besides the occasional joke.

 

[Hjorimir]

In the hierarchy of things to worry about, that has got to be right at the very bottom.

Well if you say so it must be true!

 

[Elodan]

Gleemax?

All I can think of is the Gleemonex pill that

'reaches into your brain "chemically," and then it locates your happiest memory "chemically," then it locks onto that emotion and freezes it "chemically," and then it keeps you happy, happy.'

from the under-rated film Brain Candy by the Kids in the Hall. Wonder if the site will be a happy, happy orange.

 

[GreatLemur]

It's a gag by WotC from some time ago; Gleemax is supposedly the alien brain in a jar (IIRC) that runs WotC. Or something like that. I'm not all that familiar with the original gag, but they've mentioned Gleemax other times before. Sort of an in-joke for those who frequent the WotC website.

I really, really don't know what they were thinking when they decided to use the name for something besides the occasional joke.

Well, that'd be a perfectly reasonable explanation. I'd just be kind of bothered if somebody out there actually got paid to come up with this name with this specific usage in mind. Stuff like that just sets off "completely out of touch with the audience" alarms, in my mind.

 

[Mike_Lescault]

Google never sounded like a dumb name to anybody who already knew the word.

And the same could be said about Gleemax.

A better comparison might be the Wii. Maybe there are folks for whom that name has stopped being completely ridiculous, but I can vouch that penis and urine jokes were still being made about it last night.

The name doesn't seem to be hurting the popularity of the Wii, but I suppose we'll have to see with Gleemax.

 

[Mercule]

Or, just look at the initial reaction when the "Revolution" was renamed the "Wii."

"Wii" is still a stupid name. No, it's not going to discourage my purchase, should I ever decide I want another console, but that doesn't magically make the name not stupid -- or make me feel any less like I'm discussing a restroom break.

Just the same, Gleemax will continue to be a stupid name. If the site manages to survive it will be in spite of that poor marketing decision.

 

[Wolfspider]

The name doesn't bother me at all. Face it. The net is full of stupid names that can be easily mocked.

Youtube...rhymes with lube.
Google...ewww, goo.
ENworld...what, is that like ENema?

So.

What matters more is what the website will actually do for me and other gamers.

So we'll see.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Well if you say so it must be true!

I'm sorry, but worrying about what people I don't care about think about me is really not something I've found worth spending any energy on in decades. YMMV.

In any case, according to the big interview, Gleemax is not the DI and isn't particularly being aimed at D&D players. This is a Magic/CCG/other not-D&D games portal.

 

[Piratecat]

A better comparison might be the Wii. Maybe there are folks for whom that name has stopped being completely ridiculous, but I can vouch that penis and urine jokes were still being made about it last night.

Hey, that's not a bug -- it's a feature!

 

[sjmiller]

And the same could be said about Gleemax.

But Mike, Google was actually a word (a mathmatic term to be picky) before it was a search engine. Where did this gleemax thing come from? Sounds like someone who misunderstood one too many marketing class came up with this name. As far as names go, I will say again that Gleemax sure sounds like Funmin to me.