A commenter speculated on this post that Nintendo’s latest system update might include minor tweaks hinting at Nintendo finally releasing the Wii U without the GamePad.  Of course, someone else pointed out that without the GamePad:

it’s just basically a last generation console with Nintendo IP’s.

Funny thing is, a large number of people are actually okay with that; Nintendo makes great, gorgeous games and finally having an HD console means the tech is catching up to the art design.

I don’t own a Wii U because of the price. Why is it so expensive? The GamePad. What games do I want a Wii U for that I’d need or want to use a GamePad with? 0.

It might finally be time for Nintendo to realize – as Microsoft did with the Kinect – that their expensive gimmick just isn’t working.  People buy a Wii U in spite of the GamePad, not because of it.  I still wish Nintendo had released a traditional console that competed directly with the Xbox One and PS4, but I’d also settle for a $150 Nintendo-game-only machine.  $150 might sound ridiculous until you realize that the cost of a replacement Gamepad is apparently $140 – almost half the price of the Wii U itself.