So my though on this.
_I'm not shocked by the fact that they try to reinvent the wheel like their own cause everyone is doing that at some point. I just notice that my worry from 2005 is terribly true now. Nintendo can't just pick the cool innovation nobody was using anymore, so they'll have to deal with the same as everyone else, and that won't be as efficient.
_I'm still as worried about the absolute contradictory direction of the device. WiiU is for family, and designed primarily around the idea of everyone using the same device for many things YET WiiU is finally Nintendo's return to gamers! Iwata even succeeded in opposing precisely the two inverse philosophy for the console. WiiU is a warm and convivial link between family members in the living room YET it's an online door to a wonderful virtual world that will never let you alone in your room (and by the same occasion isolate you from the living room).
That's, here, is the exact problem. Those are completely different philosophy, for different market and need different product and marketing...
You cannot sell at the same time the traditional Nintendo physical conviviality and the complexity and philosophy of online hell. Cause as funny and cute they will make it, this thing with massive players everywhere messaging and sharing things will be a hell for any casual using the console.
Oh and also 4, four control method for the console! Bravo Nintendo.
Anyway i think i'm pretty clear. I think Nintendo wants to go left and right and still keep his balance... And Iwata was so obvious when he told us that the WiiU was not a Wii nor a new thing but both.. That illustrates everything.
Is it really that hard to understand the same people and groups of people would want to use all these sides that you think are contradictory at different times? I don't see why. Or the issue you have with all those controller options. Options are good. Everyone will have a Upad and will enjoy the main features that come with it, and for multiplayer or whatever anyone can choose the secondary controllers they like the most, or happen to already own considering how many people out there own Wiis.
I only didn't like they had to make a new Classic Controller Pro but that was a necessarily evil since they wanted to add the clickable sticks to be in line with multiplatform expectations. Games that go for Wiimote style gameplay clearly won't have such issues but some multiplatform FPS or whatever would if they didn't do this.
But yeah, I really fail to see the issue with attempting both robust online and social features and keeping the local interaction friendly features in mind too. I'm sure that if they only showed one or the other you'd be here pointing out how important what they decided to not include is. Waiting to see how good the implementation is one thing, saying it's bad they attempt both another.
Shit, I did in fact use the Wii's browser to show youtube and other websites to the family (no guys, not everyone has a home theater PC) and it worked quite well, this one seems to have even better functionality for similar group entertainment and the machine should be powerful enough for a much smoother experience even if it turns out to be the weakest people expect. Hopefully it will also have better flash support but with so many more websites having incorporated iOS tablet friendly designs since the Wii's launch it shouldn't be as big an issue if it doesn't assuming it can connect to those versions of the websites instead of the normal.
The social integration seems good too, no more having to first get in touch with friends over my PC or other devices and even keep that on to coordinate a Monster Hunter Tri meet up and play session, everything can be done right on that one system without even any extra hardware like a keyboard. How's that a bad thing and how does it take away from local fun?