No. Like others have said, Miyamoto's gamepad essentially stopped any chance of the Wii U being profitable. I think Nintendo knew they missed the boat on the gamepad back in 2012 before the Wii U's release, decided that the console was going to be a failure and just supported it enough to maintain consumer confidence. The push and messaging they're giving for the Switch compared to the Wii U for example is like night and day and shows the lack of commitment they had for the Wii U out of the gate. I think they held out hope for some kind of come-from-behind win but finally gave up after a disappointing holiday season in 2014 when Smash and Mario Kart  -- two of the biggest system sellers in the video game industry -- couldn't create any significant sales boosts, then they shifted all unannounced internal EAD/EPD software development towards the Switch.

If they wanted to save the Wii U it should have been a x86 based system with better capabilities so it would have been easier to be supported this would have also likely reduced the price of the console, they could have then also concidered releasing a new version with a pro controller instead of a dumb tablet controller no-one asked for

I do wonder if this is something to consider when people keep saying the fanbase is declining. I'm not sure if this is really indicative of the current fanbase since the marketing was close to non-existent. I'm sure there are plenty of people who aren't even aware of what the Wii U is or what made it different from the Wii (and not an add-on to the Wii). I personally think the 3DS represents the overall Nintendo fanbase better than the Wii U since it was better marketed and supported (despite the mobile movement).

So I think this is why Nintendo is creating this initiative with plans for mobile, theme parks, films, tv shows, merchandise, etc. To create new exposure and attention to the IPs so people around the world (there are over 7 billion people in the world so this is a good opportunity to expand) can be aware of these properties. Heck, I think the Olympics in Tokyo can do wonders for Nintendo if they are able to get more involved (more than having Mario in the promo for Tokyo).

I do not know what they could have done to save the console... but I do know I love the console and will miss dual screen gaming and off tv multiplayer in lieu of split screen.

Switch almost feels like a step backward in some ways...

When I look back at what Sony has done to bring back the PS3, and what Nintendo has done for the WiiU, I can't help but think that Nintendo doesn't deserve the support of their fans.

The only way to have saved Wii U was to not have the gamepad. They could have made a more powerful console with motionplus controls for the same price and it would have sold better at the start as the public would have understood it was the successor to the Wii and was still interested in motion controls, and it would have kept third parties around more as it would have been closer in power to the XB1 and PS4. The software drought of the first half of 2013 would still have hurt, but the other problems would have been solved. They would have even been able to drop the price sooner and farther.

Probably having Zelda out in 2015 may have pushed Wii U sales more toward the 20million mark, not to mention Wii U was barely 2 years old and Nintendo were already talking about its successor. I think Iwata mentioning NX at the investors meeting stifled possible sales. Then when Wii u was gathering really good momentum in Japan thanks to Splatoon (100k in a week at one point in the holidays )Nintendo started undershipping the console due to winding down on production. Conclusion.. Nintendo themselves didn't want to save Wii U, they made that decision when their heavy hitters Mario Kart 8 and Smash didn't propel sales.

Sorry but it is in the same position as the PSVita. It was meant to be doomed! If Wii U was treated as a mid gen upgrade to the Wii, or treated just like the New3DS....... then who the fuck knows! lol XD

Dropping the useless gamepad would have been enough to save it.