@Chozo - I don't think that's the case. We keep seeing up to 5 people playing WiiU, one with the tablet controller and 4 with Wii remotes. They're clearly pushing local multiplayer. If Nintendo sticks with the single tablet controller per console route, it will be seen as a major oversight by everyone but Nintendo. It's literally inexcusable.
There actually
is method to (what at least on the surface may
appear to be) their madness:
As I tried to explain even before the unveiling, because the Wii was was an overwhelming success, and since the multiplayer model (party-type games) was the main source of that success, it made the most sense not to significantly change it.
The thing they needed to address this time around was the lack of serious single-player experiences from third parties, who instead flocked to Sony's and Microsoft's condoles since their traditional controllers didn't force them to make special accommodations for each game, and their HD capabilities meant they wouldn't have to take the extra effort having squeeze more from less visual-wise.
Even though Nintendo found ways to make the uTab appeal to the casual crowd as well, the overall concept seems focused around single player experiences. Since it's far more practical to gather four players in front of a TV for short group sessions than for a single person for several hours, a tablet that can stream away from a TV makes the most sense for that purpose. Nintendo even acknowledged this with the name:
Wii "
We" (plural)-- the multiplayer focus
+
U "
You" (singular)-- the single player focus
If I had to guess, I'd say Nintendo's official names for the hardware included in the box will be the following: 1 "U Tablet", 1 "Wii Remote", and the "Wii U console" (as it will be supporting the two controllers).
Focusing multiplayer to use more traditional controllers with buttons and dual analog wouldn't have been practical (plus, I'm not even sure the technology for four-screen streaming is even feasible yet).
Don't get too bent out of shape about it. Even though it seems ridiculous now, people said the same thing when they first revealed name "Wii" five years ago. Just like you, those people were not only looking at it from a hardcore gamer's perspective, but also with the preconceived notion of the name "Revolution"... And look how badly it hurt Nintendo in the end (sarcasm).
Mark my words, this is the exact same situation-- Five years from now you'll barely remember ever being bothered by it...