Remember when the Wii U was aiming for the "core gamer"?

[jonathanalis]

Too little, too late.

The Wii U Gamepad was a paradox.
If you want to take advantage for playing on gamepad only (no TV), you have to design you game to run in a single screen. However, if you design the game like this, you wont take full advantage of the extra screen.
So, games would be criticized for using the gamepad or for not using.
As consequence, few devs boarded in.
Mandatory Gamepad ruined it.

Also, if it was going to to compete with PS360, it came too late.
I think they should release 1 year earlier. Without the gamepad.
Launch two skus, one with Wiimote+ and SSHD and the last wave of wii games ported to wii U; other with the pro controler. Both should be far cheaper than the Wii U was.
Make the hardware to let devs just port X360 version of their game like they were with no effort, specially, not intending to innovate them with a second screen.
Launch gamepad separately as accessory 1 or 2 years latter.