MOSTrant: Wii U and the Customers Who Couldn't Be Bothered

Nintendo Wii U: Death by Apathy Games Industry International has shared a scathing report concerning recent Wii U news, all of which is either unimpressive or outright disappointing.  I found myself agreeing with the article entirely.

This machine is only half a year old!  EA is out, Activision has shown no interest in sharing another Call of Duty, and the console's only non-port release so far in 2013 is Lego City: Undercover.  No, really -- every other release, even Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate-whatever, is available elsewhere.

The media keeps pointing to Pikmin to satisfy the Wii U install base.  Remember Pikmin?  The game no one bought back when it was intended to assist the Gamecube launch?  You remember Gamecube, right?

The Wii U can't even be compared to the Dreamcast; at least Sega came out swinging with a wide selection of critically-praised games during the first year (which nobody bought).  Nintendo is in a fascinating position.  They're blessed with enough cash reserve that the Wii U's failure won't end the company, but we are on a fast track to the Wii U experiencing a short lifespan.  How badly would a hurried abortion of the Wii U affect Nintendo's future ventures?

Sega's reputation was ruined after their Saturn was dropped at a short three years.  I'm of the belief the videogames market is far more critical and competitive now than it was fifteen years ago.  If the Wii U ceases to be "a thing" by 2015 Nintendo will need to drastically reinvent themselves.  Again.

More worrying are the implications of Wii U's difficulties.  Wii U is the third large-scale console launch of the past two years, and the other two, 3DS and Vita, faced similar struggles.  3DS remedied the apathy it faced through a price drop, one which devastated Nintendo's financials for the year.  Sony's Vita continues to struggle, with its own manufacturer seemingly apathetic towards the idea exploring possible solutions.  The question, then, is: what response will PS4 and the next Microsoft console face when released this holiday season?

Hit me with some thoughts, friends.  What is your perception of the Wii U?  Are owners disappointed?  Are potential buyers hardly aware of the Wii U's presence?  I'm very curious, because the vibes surrounding Nintendo's newest endeavor are unbelievably negative.