a tablet is a portable touchscren based computer. the wii u game pad is a videogame controler with a touchscreen in the middle.

and what choice? it's not an add on, it's the wii u's controller. deal with it.

I should have added an *: Under the age of 50. So that creates an exception for my parents, probably the only people in the world over the age of 50 who don't have a smartphone or tablet.

Anyway I'd rather have the GamePad, just for the ability to throw YouTube videos onto the tv whenever I want.

I read the op, and the problem is your argument is just lacking.

Many, heck even most of the wii u gamepad features can be replicated perfectly with smartglass and the playstation app. Specifically the asymmetric multiplayer thrown in most games. Like need for speed for example.

The problem is these features are the ones that Wii U owners really don't care about.

It's the core features like in ZombiU, Nintendoland, Rayman, Game & Wario, etc. that just wouldn't work on a smartphone/tablet.

knowing what i already know i feel like...

...an upgraded version of the wiimote would have been A) cheaper and B) more in line with market. the tablet controller would have been a killer peripheral launched a year into the wiiU bundled with a killer app and sold at a profit.

that said, nintendo probably felt they needed to "surprise" again and probably felt more people would want this tablet then anyone really did. it was a gamble. it didn't work out for them but i can't fault nintendo for taking the risk. its quite admirable in a lot of ways really.

The NES didn't need to have additional buttons and a dpad either, gaming was just fine with the 2600 controller. But they had to innovate so gaming could move forward, even if those innovations are bad, if it didn't we would still be in 1977.

Too bad many of the launch games got canned by the third parties(EA,LucasArts,ThQ)

Every game Ive owned so far that has alternative control methods (to the pad), I opted for the alternative...
Which was annoying with pikmin 3 as I still used the screen on the pad in conjunction with the nunchuck/wiimote plus...it was a mess. Try accessing the pad with the damn wiimote hanging from your wrist!!!

Anyway, I agree...the wii u doesnt need the pad. Im hoping nintendo downplay its importance very soon (maybe repackage the console without it/make it an optional extra)but I cant see it happening. Wii's successor should have just been an improved wii. That was all I was expecting. Like what the snes was to the nes.

People who are complaining about the gamepad are mostly people who aren't willing to make a transition or who think it looks awkward and heavy. So it has to be awkward and heavy? The thing is the gamepad gives the Wii U it's own personality like Kinect 2 for the Xbox One.

It makes things possible we didn't have as a standard before. Typing is a dream on the Wii U compared to 360, PS3. Also navigation. The Miiverse is also another reason why the pad was a good idea. Sharing drawings is genius. Miiverse is very underrated.

Whining won't help, just stop complaining about and simply don't buy it then.

EDIT: Also it's interesting.... after Wii U almost every Console Maker intergrates a touch device on their controller, Valve, Sony, Ouya.....interesting isn't it. We wouldn't have those without Ninty ;)

If the Wii U game pad is a tablet then so is the PS Vita right?

I've been saying this since the start. They should keep the tablet controller, but make it an add on and replace it with the classic controller. By doing this, they can drop the price to $199.99 which would, imo, get that system back into the console wars. I mean, who wouldn't get a Wii-U at that price for their second console next gen?

They should also, imo, change the name to Super Nintendo Wii, or Wii 2. But that's just my little pipe dream lol.