OneTwoThree on 18 February 2014
They just can't. The games selection is sparse anyway, and while many of the games already released would have been possible without the Gamepad, they do require it as of now. I can't see them patching all those games into Gamepad-free versions.
3DS and 2DS is not a good comparison, because it was mandatory for every single game to be playable in 2D as well. So 2DS didn't sacrifice any compatibility. Wii U without Gamepad would essentially be a relaunch - Nintendo might as well make an all new system then.
