I definitely agree that Nintendo needs to do more than just say what the console is and what the games are like to play. They need to put the Gamepad into peoples' hands. I know there have already been Wii U events but Nintendo really has to do way more of them on a global scale. Some of the Wii's best marketing came from having giant events and letting people get their hands on the Wiimote. "Playing is believing" was the basic gist. A similar route isn't just recommended with the Wii U, it's NECESSARY. In my opinion, anyway.
For sure, and even just making sure the core gameplay is absolutely in synch with the gamepad philosophy will sell it. Any time people read about that game, they will be reading about the gamepad, and understanding how it can be so fun.
For example: NSMBU. I lvoe this game, right. I love it, it's a great Mario, it's absolutely worth buying, and being able to play on the pad is so convenient. So I give them that. However, that's it for gamepad integration. The core gameplay, everything that's cool about it, could be done on a Wii, or a 360 or whatever. The game pad functionality is a cliffnote, no matter how good the game is. So people can read read read about NSMBU, but they're reading about Mario, gamepad is effectively irrelevant when you ask about new stuff: Baby Yoshis, Flying Squirrel suit etc. Stupidly enough, I'd have said the Rayman Demo is a fantastic example of a 2d platformer that makes the pad much more integral to the core fun, and it's going multiformat ha.
Now take Nintendoland. Now literally everything you talk about, you start describing the gameplay, you start talking about the pad. Anyone reading about it will start learning about the pad, imagining how it could be interesting, or how the experience is only possible there. Not only that, forget the original kneejerk everyone had about "why is there not two pads?". The core fun and possibilities is built around that private screen one player may have and what they see, versus what everyone is seeing on the tv. The game oozes gamepad. Games like this will sell the hardware in every gameplay trailer and preview jus by being. But for that, they need those games like 3d Mario, Pikmin, M-Kart etc. and they ALL need to make that pad core to the fun. Then they'll be getting somewhere.
EDIT: I'll also add that I think basic or not, N-Land should be in EVERY package, every Wii U kit should have that game. It should be synonymous with Wii U. PErhaps only deviate once Wii Fit U is out and do one or the other. That game had better use the pad effectively too.
