Yes, yes, yes and yes. I have the Wii U since day one and multiple people (including myself) noted the gamepad looks cheap. It also looks too complex because they redesigned it to look more like a "real" controller. I much prefer the look they showed early on but I guess the hardcore gamers and devs complained so they changed it. 

You're right, the gamepad is the whole reason the Wii U exists in its current form - which is why it is so problematic. But I disagree on the simplifying part: What things does the gamepad actually make simpler? It's more complex than a traditional game controller (which was Nintendo's basic insight with the Wii: Game controllers are too complex and intimidating), it is quite heavy and the touchscreen isn't perfect either due to it being pressure sensitive and non-multitouch. The internal speakers are bad (as in *really* bad) and the shoulder buttons are awkwardly placed. And I simply don't see a lot of games where the gamepad actually *adds* something to the experience. 2D Mario? Nope. 3D Mario? Not really. Zelda? Hell no, the Wiimote would've been a better choice (controlling the wind, moving the sword). Miyamoto publicly stated the Wiimote is his favorite way of playing Pikmin 3. Wii Sports is actually impossible to play with the gamepad (biggest Nintendo IP last generation). Wii Fit doesn't use a controller at all, just the balance board. Donkey Kong can be played with any controller. Same for Mario Kart. Virtual console games don't need the gamepad either and the games in Wii U Party that use the gamepad look extremely forced and not very fun to play. Due to the console only using 1 pad at a time this even forces some games to use assymetric multiplayer (or remove the tablet completely). 

The gamepad is really good for off-screen play when the TV is occupied. But this is not an actual problem consumers want to be solved. That's what handheld consoles or phones are there for. It doesn't justify the whole console revolving around the gamepad and replacing the highly popular Wii remote as the primary controller. Sales speak for themselves. Consumers don't like this. 

Hope for having a successful console instead of a money pit.

The PS4 isn't going to sell more than 3m in 1.5 months, so it's not that high of a goal to beat. But if the Wii U can't achieve that, it's going to look very grim.

Maybe not but it will definitely sell way more than the WiiU did within 6 months of release.

What does that have to do with anything? Nobody is denying that Wii U had a bad first half of this year but look at the number of releases it had, only one exclusive which was Lego City, pretty much everything else was a late port. This thread is asking how console will sell this holiday, and it ahould do very well since it has about 10 exclusives and 10 multiplats releasing on time.

Look at the releases the PS3 had when it launched. It had basically no game beyond Resistance:FoM. Still sold much more than the WiiU despite $599.

What exactly? Mario Kart and Smash are next year, and they are the only ones coming soon that would fit that description. Unless they somehow manage to get Wii Fit U to take off, but that could go either way.