If Nintendo do what the article suggest, I'm just gonna another Gamecube and the only thing that differs it to other consoles are the games and we all know how that turned out in the 6 gen... and maybe even worse!

Sure, but what if you realize very early on that your device is something the market is going to reject? Reactions at e3 2011 were very negative. Not the same type of negativity that the Wiimote got early on: That one was criticised by the "hardcore" gamers but the rest of the world loved it right from the start. Reactions to the gamepad were negative (or worse: indifferent and uncertain what to make of it) from day one and even at e3 2011 (1.5 years before the console's launch!) Nintendo struggled to explain the benefit of the gamepad. That's when they should've realized this was better used as an accessory. 

If you want a device to succeed you look at market demands and problems your product can solve. Then you don't even need to make it mandatory (see the Wii Balance board). 

Yeah, that's true as well. Time's suggestion is just as bad as the actual situation. Nintendo should've continued the Wii strategy: Inviting controller, easy to get into games, looking for blue oceans and continue to disrupt the competition. Digital distribution would've been perfect for cheaper-than-retail priced games. They could've embraced online by putting online functionality into Virtual Console games and making an online Wii Sports. It makes me sad - the Wii is my favorite gaming console and literally brought dozens of people into my gaming world.

The game pad is really not about changing the way games are actually played for the most part.

It's about making things convenient (like off TV play, being able to use it as a remote control, quickly be able to browse a site/Youtube with etc.). It's more of a living room companion.

I think that's how Nintendo views it.

You really get used quick to the pad. I don't want to miss it in future games.

Even games that use the gamepad only for minor functions (like map) benefits from this. I would not want to play Open-World-Games like Assassins Creed 3 without a gamepad.