If a ND happens this month, I expect more info about X, especially regarding the characters and the world.

I would be optimistic if that wasn't a stupid thing to do.
So i'll say release dates and maybe a service that no one cares about.

I have a feeling it's going to be BIG!

There won't be a January Direct. We would have had it by now.

I wonder if Iwata is stepping back from all the Iwata Asks/Nintendo Directs ... it may not be the best idea that he be so publicly out there when investors are irate, especially when I believe there is shareholder vote of confidence coming in the summer I think.

Internally I just get the feeling this past Christmas was a "do or die" situation for Nintendo in a lot of ways, I think they made a measuring stick, and now that it hasn't worked out for them they are really doing a lot of soul searching over there. 

The next ND is going to happen on the 30th of February. Be hyped!

Nintendo always keeps a few prime people in charge of those projects.  They talk about doing so in several interviews.

As for the games.  Nope look at the games list from wikipedia I copied into my other post.  They published some third party games they had nothing to do with making like lego city undercover.  They only made about 7 at most.  A few of those were farmed out.

Is there a precedent in Japan to can a boss who only lost a bit of money but made them a lot of money over all?

I suspect he is fine.  Espescially given the fact that the board and him cut their pays.

Just do some math. They have announced six games for this year, and two additional games which may come out this year for a total of eight. Last year they published twelve console games. You say, "What we know about already is what we're going to get plus 1 or 2 other games." But 8+2≠12. By your own reasoning, Nintendo could have four additional games to reveal coming this year -- and if SMTXFE is actually a 2015 title, or Nintendo has made any additional effort to court third parties compared to last year, there could be more than four games yet to be revealed. I'm just basing this off of your own observations.

I'm not including 4 games because if you look at last years or any of the past years the other 4 games we already know about as well.  They are third party games like Lego city undercover that Nintendo will publish in a region the publisher didn't feel like putting it to market in. Look at the list of games released each year and you'll see what I mean.

This thread is about NINTENDO.  Not third parties as the third parties have shown nothing worth buying a Wii U for.