What direct comment from Iwata? 

A lot of Nintendo fans would say the same thing if you told them the concept of the Wii in 2004 without actually showing them the concept in action (it's not going to compete with PS3/360 infact the graphics aren't much better than your GameCube at all ... that would've throw a lot of Nintendo fans into a fit if you told them that).  

My guess is you will feel differently once Nintendo shows this thing with Mario Galaxy 3, Animal Crossing Next, and it dawns on most Nintendo fans that they can now play the main Pokemon RPG games at home in HD on their TV if they want. 

2017.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=818167

Basically in a past investors meeting Iwata told investors that in the future Nintendo must embrace a hardware/software ecosystem similar to what the iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch have, where you have one app ecosystem and hardware that run all the same apps and the hardware lines are no longer distinct like the 3DS/Wii U are but "brother" devices. 

In a successive investor meeting Iwata told investors that this "redefinition of gaming" will require about two years for Nintendo to bring to market (he said this in May 2014). 

Nintendo also recently filled a job hiring report seeking someone with experience with low power mobile chip components for their next-gen hardware department. This hints very, very strongly at their next-gen platform using mobile (ie: smartphone/tablet) components and that is reaffirms the concept of a "fusion" platform. 

These are not "rumors", all these things have happened. "Fusion" is just a name that people use as a temporary placeholder to describe this concept.

Considering that they teased Paper Mario 5 and that will probably make me get a Wii U, please be 2018, if I buy a console I want it to last longer than 5 years. The PS4 is bound to last at least until 2019, making another console too early is a bad move because it allows the competition to know what is necessary to beat you in your own game, if Nintendo wants to enter the competition that is, maybe they're okay with them being an exclusives only company.

just no, it's a rumour and iwata didn't say a thing. oh, and few people think the next console will be only slightly more powerfull than a ps4.

Redefinition of gaming refers:

"However, we feel that we have taken a step in the right direction as we now have a uniformly managed system in which we are connected with our consumers on both handheld devices and consoles.
Of course, when we do launch new hardware in the future, rather than re-creating an installed base from scratch as we did in the past, we wish to build on our existing connections with our consumers through NNIDs and continue to maintain them. Another very important point that we need to consider is how we will incorporate smart devices into Nintendo platforms, which were composed solely of Nintendo hardware in the past.
The traditional definition of a video game platform imposed a restriction in which we were unable to connect with consumers unless they purchased a Nintendo system. Given that the competition for consumers’ time and attention has become fierce, I feel that how we will take advantage of smart devices is an extremely important question to answer. However, in order to be absolutely clear, let me emphasize that this does not mean simply supplying Nintendo games on smart devices. Taking advantage of smart devices means connecting with all consumers, including those who do not own Nintendo’s video game systems, through smart devices and communicating the value of our entertainment offerings, thus encouraging more people to participate in Nintendo platforms. I will elaborate on this point later.
As I just illustrated, we will manage our relationships with our consumers through NNIDs in a uniform manner, and connecting with our consumers through NNIDs will precisely be our new definition of a Nintendo platform.
In other words, our platform will not be bound to physical hardware and, instead, will be virtualized."

source: http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/library/events/140130/03.html

nintendo was looking for SoC expert

http://nintendonewsfix.com/nintendo-looking-lead-graphic-architect-next-gen-consoles-system-chip-experience-required/

2016 is never going to happen, please stop. Nintendo doesn't just get random parts and throw it in a box, they take their time to make sure the hardware is optimized to what they want (which is why quite a few aspects of the Wii U are still a mystery), 2016 only gives them 4 years, at the most, to get a console ready, take away the time it takes to manufacture and you're only giving them 3, maybe 3 and a half, years to make a handheld and console? Even if they use the same architecture, it's not happening so soon and combining their handheld and console division isn't going to do get it out so soon.

It will be really hard to make Wii U live through 2017.
End 2015 and will have already seen a 2D and 3D Mario, Donkey Kong, Smash, Mario Kart, Zelda remake and an original Zelda and Starfox.
Not to mention other Nintendo franchises like Game and Wario, Yoshi, Kirby, Xenoblade.
The only big franchises that i see lacking after 2015 - if they don't come out before 2015 is over - is a Pokémon game, Animal Crossing, Paper Mario and Metroid.

Problem is, the system sellers will have come and gone and sales are still too low.
In 2013 with a price cut, a Zelda remake, Mario 3D World, Wii U sold 3.1 million units. So far, in, 2014, Wii U has sold 2.3 million units.
Wii U will pass 2013 sales, but it won't be by much, despite having a better library and MK 8 and Smash, not mention Hyrule Warriors and Bayonetta 2.

Wii U sales are so low that even if they release a lot of games next year, things won't change to the point where the console can decline and still be relevant in the market. Remember how Wii U was being ditched by retailers last year?

And there's even a bigger problem: software.
We all saw what happened to the Wii in 2011 and 2012. This last year was beyond bare, but they at least had a big brand and 3rd parties that supported their console.
Now, we not only doesn't have a big brand with the Wii U, they don't even have the shovelware to compensate their lack of games.

In 2016 Nintendo will already be deep in production for their next generation. And Wii U will be the one to suffer the most.

They need to end the Wii U with a good number of games to help people carry over the next gen in late 2016, when they release both a handheld and a home console, just like they did in 2001 (with a few months separating GBA and the GC).
They can do it and they need this, because they can no longer focus on 2 consoles at the same time.

The successor to Wii U can, and should be, released in 2016 if all the games they release are available on both the handheld and home console.

They need a new handheld no matter what in 2016. 

They could easily have the chipset chosen right now, AMD is saying they had landed a big mobile contract for 2016, that smells an awful lot like Nintendo. 

The next Mario 3D platformer, Animal Crossing game, and Mario Kart 9 would be quickly fast tracked for such a platform for 2016, in fact I think this has already happened internally at Nintendo. 

The Animal Crossing producer said something awfully interesting recently, that they were considering the next one for the Wii U or a future (unnamed) platform after saying the series as is works better on handhelds. 

Sure makes you go "hmmmm". 

I also suspect Nintendo will back away from using such a propietary approach to system components next gen. It is killing their profit margins this gen by opting to go with old/low mass produced components with the Wii U, they can barely sell a PS3-caliber machine for less than $300, I think they know now that they made a lot bad choices with the Wii U components. The 3DS chip though is pretty much off the shelf components ... an ARM core + a Pica2000 GPU.