With the Wii U on the horizon, and with so few details fully known, I thought it would be interesting to hear everyone's opinions on how they would handle the Wii U's first year if it was up to them. So, here are my thoughts ...

The Wii U should be launched early in October for $349
•    It should be bundled With New Super Mario Bros. Mii
•    The Tablet controller should come bundled with a Wii Play (like) game including most of the demos we have already seen and sell for $99
•    No stand alone Nintendo published games should be launched with the Wii U; and publishers should be informed that there is a 4 to 6 week window after launch to release a big game with little competition

The Wii Fit channel should be a default service built into the system allowing:
•    All games to track the user’s activity in their game
•    Integration with the 3DS’ pedometer
•    Calorie tracking with public API to enable existing calorie counting apps to sync with the Wii Fit channel

4 to 6 weeks after launch (mid November) Nintendo should release a big game and a "casual" game
•   The big game should probably be a fairly "mature" game (Zelda, Metroid or new IP)
•   The casual game could be something along the lines of Animal Crossing, Nintendogs or Brain training; or could be a new franchise altogether.

In december Nintendo should release a big cross-over appeal game (Mario Kart, Smash Bros, etc.)

Nintendo should then space out their conventional games throughout the year, releasing a game (on average) every 3 months
•    Pikmin, Starfox, Mario Party, Mario Tenis, F-Zero, etc should all be considered as likely candidates

Art Academy Wii U should be released 3 months after the Wii U launches
•    It should take advantage of the Wii U’s processing power and be designed around physical simulations of various techniques (sketching, acrylic paint, water-color, oil paints, charcoal, etc.)
•    There should be beginner through expert lessons for all techniques
•    Digital downloads should focus on tutorials for particular art styles (comic-book art for example)

Wii Fit 2 should be released 9 to 12 months after the Wii U launches and include:
•    A full library of exercises/mini-games
•    A significant focus on digital downloads allowing users to add additional exercises/mini-games for $1 or $2
•    Allow users to design and run through workouts with minimal UI interaction

Based on what the studios may actually be doing:

Launches in November 2012 at $350. Comes with Wii Sports-like minigames saved onto the hardware.
Launch window titles: Wii Fit 2, Pikmin 3, Epic Yarn 2
Possible Titles for the following year: Pokemon Stadium-like game for 5th generation, compatible with Pokemon Gray; Excite-Racing game; Monolith's next game; Retro's big project; Donkey Kong spinoff
Entire Virtual Console from the Wii should be available, in addition to at least one GameCube title every few weeks.

I won´t be as detailed as you are, but in a nutshell I completely agree with you on three key points:

- price must not exceed $350
-if Nintendo is serious about the system being a major success right out of the gates, then have a new 2D Mario game available at launch, something that hasn´t happened since the SNES.
-space out their 1st party games throughout next year wisely.

I would doom them.

And, while it is possible, I really doubt a new Mario Kart and Smash Bros for the Wii U are in development stages that would allow either one of them to be released this year.

My guess, only one of them Fall next year, perfect to counterattack the new Xbox (supposedly launching Fall next year)...especially if it´s a new Mario Kart.

I would go back in time and continue supporting the Wii when it was still killing the competition. That way there would be no need for the Wii U for a few years.

1. Release the Wii U (at 349.99) in late September and have it come packaged with NSMBM and the U-Pad,
2. Make several Gamecube and N64 games available for download right when it comes out,
3. (Well this should actually go along with one) Advertise the heck out of it,
4. Release Pikmin 3 in EARLY November so it can get Black Friday sales,
5. Come out with Wii U Sports Dec. 1 to Dec. 5.
6. Watch sales explode and people go broke over the Holiday season.

Ok.
Out first week of october, bundle wit Super Mario Mii.
One Nintendo big game in november and 1 in december to push the sales + massive support from 3rd parties.
Price: 299€/$
Strong Network support and Gamecube classics ready to download at launch.

Release date: 1st November.

Rename it Wii 2.
Bundle it with Wii Sports 3 + a few of the E3 demos.
Launch titles: Wii Fit 3, Pikmin 3, F-Zero HD, 3rd parties.
Release: NSMBM in late November/early December. 3D Mario in spring 2013 along with Metroid HD and Kirby. Star Fox during summer along with Wii Party 2, Wario World 2 and Mario Tennis HD. Donkey Kong Country Returns 2 in autumn with Luigi's Mansion 3 and Nintendogs home console edition.

Yeah, probably a lot of impossibilities but I'm not an expert, nor do I care.

I would sell the console for 349$ or 399$ (depnding on hardware) including Wiisports3 in bundle and 4 free games on system memory.

1.) Super Mario Bros 3 HD

2.) Zelda: A link to the Past HD

These two are an "ambassador" gift for long time Nintendo users. - 1080p resolution, redesigned sprites (but the ability to switch to classic graphics)

3.) Warioware Inc.

This game would be perfect to display and familiarize with the WiiU controller. It's a simple game that could be played by anyone, perfect for multiplayer. Plus, I guess it's cheap to produce.

4.) Art Academy: first lessions

I would offer the first chapter for free, since I think it would help the IP to become mainstream. Also it would be another good way to familiarize with the contoller and the touch-screen. 

This way you'll have a well-rounded game offer avaliable out of the box. I would make all these games apper in video advertisment, with obviously a major focus on Wiisports. 

I would also use a modified version of the WiiU bird/nature demo to introduce the system and settings during first boot (it's not important obviously but it would be neat).

As for 1st party launch games I would go with Wiisports, a sort of Wiiplay, Pikmin and Starfox; Wii fit and another core-game 5-6 months later. At launch or in the first year, dependently on 3rd party releases, I would release in America a complation game with an HD version of both Xenoblade and The Last Story.

I would make game demos avliable from the beginning. I would make Dreamcast and Gamecube games avaliable on VC, not necessarily on lauch, but in the first year.