They're just way behind. Everything to do with 'online' is about a decade behind where it should be and that's holding back some of the ideas you mentioned certainly. The lack of Pokemon MMO or proper 3D RPG is staggering. They could have done it a decade ago on the Gamecube, and it's still not here.
Yeah, they so way behind... These should be there, on the 3DS and the WiiU.
And there's much more to do:
Virtual Console and games lines NES Remix with Cross Buy, account sharing, voice chat for fucking everything, a proper friend list so you can invite friends to games... fuck... they're so out of the industry standards that I'm not suprissed about their actual position.
BTW, does anyone know what happened with Nintendo doing cinema? That would have been such a great deal too, movies and series promoting Nintendo games, just like Level 5 does. Fuck Nintendo, they're so smart for so many things, but so short minded for everything else...
I think especially the online part is lacking due to the mentality that exists in Nintendo, it's mostly all about local multiplayer and family experiences. If i recall correctly, there was an interview-article that said that nobody in the hardware-network design used psn or xbox live, so they needed explanation about how those services work. This is the definition of "not having a clue".
Yeah, their mentality and the idea of protecting children online is so out of play. As you say, not even knowing what the others have to offer online... this explains everything...