Which just about shows your capacity of engaging and responding an argument.

Wii U is not much like the GameCube early aside from the fact that they both have a 3D Mario game and a Pikmin game.

Where's Wave Race U? How about my two exclusive Resident Evil games? Or NBA Courtside? Eternal Darkness? Star Wars: Rogue Squadron? Smash Bros.? Luigi's Mansion? Star Fox Adventures? The GameCube was still very heavily influenced by NOA at that time.

Unfortunately Nintendo's Japanese side basically sabotaged the system by insisting on a poorly though out purple lunchbox look and opting for no apparent reason to radically change the formula of the Mario/Zelda/Mario Kart/Donkey Kong franchises. 

Wii U is Nintendo's exceptionally poorly thought out attempt to replicate the Wii formula and merge in a little bit of the 360/PS3's success.

The Wii had a new controller? So the Wii U had to have a completely new controller too.

The Wii's main launch game was a mini-game collection to demo the controller's various features? The Wii U would also launch with a game to do the same with their new controller.

The Wii launched with one or token third party exclusives like Red Steel? Hello there Zombi U.

The Wii launched with a single big traditional Nintendo IP in Zelda? Wii U would have its equivalent in a NSMB game.

They tried to mimic the formula as much as they could while trying to keep it fresh by creating an entirely new controller.

Nintendo probably figured if you could throw in HD versions of Call of Duty to supplement them repeating the Wii formula (at least in their eyes) that they would have success.

I haven't used one, so I can't comment on how good it is, but I think the Gamepad is indicative of Nintendo misjudging the market. It suggests that they though it was possible to bring together large numbers (bolded because there are plenty of core gamers who have a WiiU who love it, but far fewer then 4Bone will attract in my opinion) of both core and casual gamers

There are two problems with this. First, those groups aren't the best of bedfellows, because Nintendo's family friendly image, though a very successful strategy in the Wii era is now backfiring as the sort of people who will buy 4Bone are unlikely to buy WiiU because of the 'kiddy' image. Regardless of whether or not you think this is nonsense, I think it would be difficult to deny that it exists and that whatever Nintendo did with WiiU, they would struggle to attract these people

Marketing to casuals therefore puts off these people, but if you don't do this then you won't attract the other audience. Even worse, if you comprimise too much, you won't attract either which seems to be the case with WiiU

Secondly, though there are people who love it, the GamePad is too comprimised to provide the sort of exciting new experince that Wii did because they tried to merge that kind of touch/motion gaming with traditional button-based controls and ultimately went too far that way. As a result, there isn't the same novelty factor that got all the casuals buying Wiis and so they've largley failed to attract that audience as well

This is compounded by the rise of mobile gaming - there is a larger proportion of the PS/Xbox audience who follow games more closely or feel fine with paying more for their gaming, whereas the sort of non-committed gamer who made the Wii so much more successful than the GCN don't see enough of a reason to pay the premium over their mobile games which they feel do a good enough job of entertaining them - without the novelty to attract them, they won't buy

WiiU has therefore fallen down the cracks between the old Wii audience and the 4Bone audience, and neither is particulary interested. Of course there are people who will be attracted by all Nintendo's classic IPs and the great games which are all ready there to an extent and which will inevitably continue to arrive, but not enough to match Wii.

I personally think there is only one realistic path left open to Nintendo, that is cut the price (but not necessarily by dropping the GamePad) so that you significantly undercut 4Bone - that way you will attact people in the market not prepared to cough up £350 or £430. Secondly, keep the games coming, including more deals like Bayo2, in addition to bolstering traditional 1st party development. That is the sort of game with a committed fanbase who are more likely to buy a console for a small number of games

If they can do this whilst remaining profitable, which is what they managed with the GCN then they will sell modest numbers but enough for it to be worth doing, and the console will be fondly remembered in the way that GCN is. They have to retrench, grab that core Nintendo audience and turtle out the rest of the gen like they have before. Next next gen is the key, I think a major change of approach to WiiU is needed to reach past success

MiiVerse integration within games is the #1 reason to have Gamepad. Other uses are also good. It is a great controller with only downside being the shorter battery life at 4-5 hours.

Having a touch-screen as the Keyboard input is helpful in more than just games. It also makes searching/navigating Browser, Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, Hulu, etc type uses a lot better than the use of on-screen keyboards on either MS or Sony consoles. The XBO has voice-commands, but not for everything an they don't recognize the voice accurately if you have different accents (Kinect 2.0 really hasn't improved much from Kinect 1.0 on that front)

The only thing they needed was a Wii Sports 3 at launch making goog use of the system, and the name should have been Wii 2.

Would be selling much better.

I stopped reading after that.

3DS. 3D is not an essential feature, but it differentiates the product. 2DS, no 3D, not doing so hot, despte the reduced price.

The gamepad is a nice feature that diferentiates the Wii U. Without it, its just a box weaker than the others that runs Nintendo games. The gamepad does not break the Wii U. Though it could use a redesign to make it smaller.

"Hardware is trying to follow Wii 'revolutionise the way we play' vision, Software is trying to be Gamecube 2."

Agree so much with this sentiment. There are more core gamers announced for the WiiU already than I ever wanted on the Wii. I hope Nintendo returns to the pre Wii period: great hardware. Didnt the Gamecube also have better 3rd party support than the Wii? I had a Gamecube years before I bought a PS2 and bought many 3rd party games on it.

"It serves a minimal function in most games, adds a huge cost in development, increases the price of the system for consumers"

Leaving thread in 3..2..1..

Which games require the touchscreen in the DS?

I expected more eShop titles from Nintendo that utilize the stylus, specially puzzle games since those filled Wii shop quickly.

I didn't get a classic controller last gen, and I'm currently thinking of buying one so I can play some coop W101.