I suppose that's true. As long as they keep a SKU with the gamepad and then have one without, I guess there really is no harm in trying it, though they'd have to rework the marketing quite a bit to get people to understand the vast difference between the two SKUs and we all know Nintendo did one hell of a job marketing the Wii U's gamepad in the first place harhar.

The holiday marketting was not only subpar, but considering the hype of the other two even more insufficient. The best ads i saw where both on youtube, one of them being an episode of Ellen.

Both XB1 and PS4 had at least two distinct TV spots that I can remember, although XB1 superbowl one was kind of annoying, they had another about games (the one with the titanfall mech) so they still did a better job then Nintendo. PS4 had Greatness Awaits, For the Gamers, Perfect Day, and their recent one Experience More together (Ps+).

Nintendo on the other hand have had disney stars that few gamers can relate too or even know about playing the Wii U, then they had kids trying to convince their parents to buy them a Wii U. I remember seeing ads like that in the 90s. Cause Nintendo is the only one marketting directly to kids and parents, while PS4/XB1 advertise to older auidiences and it trickles down and gets kids too. Especially in the US.

The holiday marketting was trying to convince parents that it was the christmas gift kids wanted. Clearly they were overshadowed by the two newer consoles releasing to larger audiences.

I hope they do surprise us as well. It could be like the Kinect was to the 360 if it is really marketable, but it still wouldn't push Wii U to 1st or even 2nd because of the horrendous momentum it has now. I hope next time Nintendo releases a different controller, they make sure the software they will be launching at release will be like Wii Sports and not Nintendo Land again.

It could be the one thing to push sales in the right direction. Unfortunately Iwata confirmed to investors that the Gamepad is the company's primary focus. It's unfortunate that they're putting all of their effort into literally the last place they should.

If they added a sku that took away the Gamepad and substituted the Pro Controller for $199, I would make the purchase in a heartbeat. And I know a heck of a lot of others would do it as well. But they're so stubborn and simply will not listen to what people want. It will be the downfall of them this generation when Wii U sells less than Gamecube making it their biggest console failure ever.

Well, i used to think no. Because from a marketing point of view it makes little sense.

But, we have to face facts, and the facts are that the consumers didnt recognise this differentiation as worthwhile.

Therefore Nintendo might aswell bite the bullet and go with a cheaper model with a classic controller instead of the gamepad. The lower price would allow the Wii U to penetrate a larger segment of the market. The gamepad should remain and be sold seperatly as a an acessory for the games that make heavy use of it.

I really just want Nintendo do something at all. I hate how they are doing nothing to change the situation.

Oh, I agree.  But at this point putting up weekly Gamecube numbers would be preferable.

That's the thing; with a cheaper price and their 1st party exclusives, Nintendo would easily bring in the Gamecube audience and the WiiU would (hopefully) be a profitable endeavor overall.

Why are people jumping on this guy as if he's trolling? He's realizing like many before him, that the Wii U gamepad is not appealing to a mass audience. I think some people need to stop being in denial about this. Look at the Wii U's putrid sales. The thing is, the idea that the pad makes Wii U unique...so? how's that helping Nintendo sell systems? What ever happened to the uniqueness of a console coming down to its software?

I think its high time they drop the gamepad, or at the very least bundle it separately with games that require it..like Wii fit. Put a Pro Controller and a Wii Mote plus in there instead. The Gamepad is an albatross around the Wii U's neck..but it isn't the only one.

The software hasn't been very good, DKC doesn't even use it! This has just been a complete disaster on all angles. Luckily the Wii U has a small userbase, so 'splitting the userbase' wouldn't be all that bad lol.

We'll see what happens. Hopefully Nintendo learns lessons going into the 9th gen.

Agreed, word for word, 100%.

These people who say the console has no selling power without the Gamepad baffle me.  Why do you think people are constantly clamoring for Nintendo to go 3rd party?  Why do you think Ninty has more of history's top selling games than any other company?  Because a lot of people love Nintendo's first party games.  They have great selling power.  And traditionally, Nintendo consoles are very reasonably priced.  That kind of combo is something that the competition simply can't match and Nintendo should embrace that advantage.  Does it mean that the WiiU can "win"?  No, but it could still be a win for Nintendo (financially) and its fans and that's all that really matters.

Saying "Removing the Wiimote from the Wii strips it of its identity" is correct.  If the Gamepad had encompassed their software design at the same level, then that would be a completely different story.  I would never even thought of proposing such an idea.  But the reality is that (so far) it hasn't, and the price is higher because of it and Ninty is selling at a loss because of it.

I'm not suggesting removing the Gamepad from the market at this point.  I'm suggesting a cheaper, more affordable SKU for people who just want to play Nintendo games, which again, is the reason why people buy their consoles.  People need to stop seeing it as Nintendo admitting defeat and more like Nintendo wisely adapting.

Do you have a link for this?  Because as of a year ago, Nintendo was charging about three times that amount for a replacement:

http://mynintendonews.com/2013/02/26/wii-u-gamepad-could-cost-you-at-least-140-to-replace/

The only way that the gamepad would be a "differentiator" is if everything else was equal (e.g graphical power). Since they are not equal (ps4/xb1), the gamepad is basically what kinect2 is, which is something being forced down consumers throat. To improve your chance of success you must be consumer friendly and give options. Make the gamepad, and its sku version, separate, But Ninty must have a pro controller deluxe bundle (starting w/Smash) at $250, & also motion deluxe bundle, possibly starting w/the full Wii Sports club @ $250 as well.

DKTF will make the screen go dark FFS. If that isn't the most damning case of all, I don't know what is.

-btw, this comes from a U gamer that loves the pad, and I'd say 70/30 is my ratio for off-tv vs. TV.