The quality of the LCD screen is sh*t, I never use off-TV play, I didn't wait 6+ years to finally get Nintendo games in gorgeous HD (the actual best thing about the Wii U) to now go back and play them on rinky dink crappy LCD display at sub-720p resolution when I can play them on a nice 50+ inch HDTV display at the proper resolution intended by the developer. 

Off-TV play sucks, virtually every game I've tried on it looks waaaaaaaaaaay better on my TV than it does on the controller. It's like watching a movie on DVD when you have a Blu-Ray player and a Blu-Ray copy right next to it. 

I like it for Nintendo games but I could not imagine playing 90% of the games I like to play with it. Nowhere near as comfortable to use as a DS3 or a DS4 and it does not add enough to warrant it for MOST games.

BUT I think it adds to Nintendo games and that is what people buy Nintendo consoles for. So I can not complain

I mocked the game pad, used it, extensively and my opinions changed!

I now hate it even more.

Making the controller a huge turn off to the vast majority of your prior console owners is still a huge issue even if the cost issue wasnt an issue.  

70-$100 would be more than enough to buy 4-6 extra GB of ram. That would do wonders for it's release schedule right there even if it just shared PS4 X1 multiplatform titles. 299 and continued support from the big players like EA(40% of next gen game sales), ATVI, UbiSoft would do rather well. It's substantially lower price would give it reason to have the slightly unequal versions of those games.  

I don't really want Nintendo to try to do a spec war with MS and Sony.  I'm also happy that you enjoy off tv play so much but when looked at from the perspective of selling the device(which is the most likely perspective given the site) gamepad was a disaster and made it impossible for Nintendo to compete in getting 3rd party software and it made practical applications of their system selling software unappealing.   

The gamepad is a double edge sword for Nintendo. It's great but ONLY when you try it.

Sadly consumers don't work that way, You need to be able to sell the product without the interaction.

Exactly. 

But on the front of 3rd party support... Third Party AAA developers in general in the last few years have been phoning in their franchises. Put out the title everyone knows, market it, and they will come. Same engine, same game. Different characters, but same DLC maps, add ons. 

. 

I dunno about that really, I've had many friends who owned a Wii come over and play Wii U, and while the response has actually generally been positive, not one of my friends has gone to actually purchase one. 

It's more of a "slight chuckle/oh that's kinda neat" response that I get from the system, not really the "holy crap! I havetobuythatrightaway!" type thing. 

Unfortunately though I think for Nintendo, iOS/Android just changed the landscape of casual gaming so much that Nintendo's efforts seem boring/dull/not "hip enough". No one at any office water cooler is bragging about their NES Remix top score, and no one would be caught dead saying they still play Wii Sports (that's like saying you just discovered this thing called Facebook) ... but Flappy Bird is "cool". Discovering the new hot app is cool. 

Nintendo just got blind sighted by this audience, it's like they opened Pandora's box and then lost control of it. 

Nintendo's like the kid who has a nice stereo system and had a lot of the cool kids from school show up to his party. But then suddenly another kid down the street has a giant swimming pool and now everyone goes to his parties now. 

see this is where i think you are wrong. Did ninty NOT focus on 1st party for GC and N64? I dont see how they did that with Wii and not the others. Especially considering they havent put anything on the console in almost 2 years. did they make MORe games for Wii than N64 or GC? Better? and 3rd parties were logical and supported the Wii to say anything otherwise is factual wrong. Those games we call shovelware is support no matter how much you want to pretend they exist. 3rd parties did great by Wii, they put games that people wanted to play on the system. The numbers speak for itself. So it didnt get Assassins Creed, it was never going to get Assassins Creed or GTA or whatever.

thats not totally true, it didnt add to DK TF. (i like that game)

As much as I love the Wii U, I really wouldn't miss the controller.

It's the wrong price for the Wii audience and not powerful enough for the COD/GTA market.

Nintendo have also historically had a problem selling systems for over £200. I honestly think once they get it down to about £150 with a game it'll start shifting. I don't think it needs the controller to do that.

All this "off TV play is the best thing ever" it can't be that appealing. All people say about Vitas AAA software is they'd rather play it on a home console and for all intents and purposes Vita is pretty much a Portable version of the Wii U. Nintendo should totally godown that route for their next handheld and get some quick hit early releases for people who haven't/won't buy a Wii U.