Invader Wrote:To me the problem with the Gamepad was that it was inessential to the experience. Very few games used it well and the price of the console suffered from it.
So your main problem is that the Gamepad was... a gimmick
In all honesty, if the game developers ignore functionality in console hardware, it's either 1) too expensive/time consuming/confusing to support it in a game or 2) is completely or nearly useless in a game. The thing with gimmicks is that they generally have fairly low value in and of themselves beyond raising attention. The fact that game devs under-utilized the Wii U Gamepad seems to say a lot about its value, so in that regard, people sort of aren't far off when they call it a gimmick.
To be fair though, NIntendo's products are littered with hardware features that are poorly or rarely used by game developers. Just look at how many games did (or rather didn't) use the IR port on the GBC in a meaningful way, or how many supported the GB Printer or even the 4-player Link Cable adapter.
Anyway, the fact that some people are saying BotW is a masterpiece on par (or even exceeding) OoT is pretty amazing to me. It's one thing for people to have their favorites like MM, WW, or TP, but BotW seems to be getting universal critical praise. That's not easy to do. Good job Nintendo!