People will ask this question, but at the same time people will scream NINTY IS DOOMED after like, one quarter of losses in 10 years.

higher userbase equals more software revenue and potentially higher hardware sales revenue so its a question of risk taking and smart decision making, sometimes you make short term losses for bigger profits in the longrun- I think we've seen that pay off with the 3DS and the massive pricecut Nintendo gave it.

I personally think they should have gone in really hard with the bundles. Black Wii U, MK8, NintendoLand and SMash Bros for 299... If ever there was a chance for the tides to be turned, it would have been this holiday but Nintendo have pretty much given it away IMO. 

lol, but really though the systems most sought out software (Mario World 3D, New Super Mario Bros U, Mario Kart and Smash) don't even use it.

As thatguymarco said they should have unbundled the gamepad, given the system away for sub 250.

They can. Its a question of will they get a return from it?

1) MS is willing to lose money to win market share.
2) MS is not just a gaming company and they make money out of there stuff that is not Gaming, nintendo does not.
3) Xbox live is 1000 times better that what ever network nintendo has to make back revenue.
4) Nintendo is gonna nintendo.

Smash and MK8 both use it for Amiibo, which is reportedly selling well. I think people forget that the Gamepad can and is used in many, smallers ways. Also off tv play wich is always a plus.

I do agree that asymetric gameplay is both awesome and woefully underused though.

They need to make a profit.
If they cut the price by 50$ they still aren't going to be able to fight MS and Sony, whose BF deals are amazing. And to cut the price they would need SW to offset the losses, but all they have is their own games that also need to be paid for and also help the company as a whole.

They are basically cornered.
Maybe next year, when they are able to make those new console at a cheaper price and with more software, they will be able to drop the price.

The people who want Amiibo can buy the more pricey gamepad bundled wii U then :)

Bundle the gamepad with some amiibo's and a revelant game aswell. Its an expensive peripheral which isn't needed,  I say let gamers decide and benefit in the process with much higher hardware and software sales.  I get Nintendo pushing it at first similar to wii remote, trying to make sure developers use it but no one is really, nintendo included. The general public have already expressed they have no interest in it, all peripherals which are worth their weight will sell as a standalone purchase, so I don't see the problem.

Its strange but suddenly it seems blatantly obvious to me, its no different from forcing Kinect on people or forcing PSVita on PS4 owners.