Netizens here complain: He's making S'pore look bad

Former national athlete endorses Wii lookalike from China

By Liew Hanqing
December 06, 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.


Mr James Wong and his wife, Ms Jana Lauren, in a 2001 picture. File picture: LIANHE ZAOBAO

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