Sure, there is some speculation left regarding WiiU's hardware specs but its mostly clear by now. Nintendo prefers low energy consumption above raw power and this should be clear to anyone. Is the WiiU underpowered? Yes. Does this matter? Not for Nintendo games, which will look fantastic.

Third party games will suffer as developers will want to stay as far away from the WiiU as possible, but Nintendo couldn't care less about third parties. If anything they want less of it so that there is as little competition as possible.

Then they are getting their wish, and everyone should be happy now.

Wait, when did Nintendo(n't) ever have these so called Third Parties?! It's craziness for them to think they'll ever get them.
Nintendo Kind of reminds me of that one kid who is never picked to play FootBall in PE. He won't be picked today, and he won't be picked to more. Let's not get our hopes up.

I think many people do want third party games on the WiiU, but every move Nintendo since basically forever suggest they really want their systems for themselves.

Nintendo first party studios also don't have to compete as hard with third parties as those on Microsoft/Sony. Why bother making $10 on sales of third party games while you can make $60 on your own. Hurray.

Nintendo can make their console ecosystem survive on their own. They don't need third parties, apart from those who are successful (Capcom and Square in Japan, Ubisoft in the West).

What they do lack is the GAHMZ. They need to build up more studios and create more teams in order to suffice a constant flow of software. When they'll reach that balance, then third parties won't be a problem anymore.

we'll see

It's clear and Nintendo wants and needs the help of 3rd party developers and they will indeed receive it. Cross platform games are iff though. What far more important is the 3rd party support Nintendo will receive in delivering great exclusive content on their console. Bayottena 2,Smash Brothers, Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem, Dragon Quest X, and Monster Hunter Tri HD are some fine example of how Nintendo is working together with 3rd parties on key exclusives. I would fully expect this pleasant relationship to continue. They need some cross platform games but it's not a system to buy for the cross platform games.

Nintendo is not competing directly against PS4 and Xbox 720. They are making competitive ovens whilst Nintendo is releasing a microwave so to speak.   You can't live without a oven/stove but it sure is nice to have one brand of oven and compliment it with a microwave.

An interesting theory, but Nintendo's move away from novel control schemes and back towards dual analog thumbsticks suggests otherwise.

Nintendo should venture into other business interests like they had in the past. For example, a restaurant or better yet, a bakery. I would not mind eating the Triforce of Wisdom out of Zelda's cake.