I imagine the Wii U was originally internally pitched as a sort of cheap and durable iPad-like that offered a tablet experience in addition to the traditional N

I imagine the Wii U was originally internally pitched as a sort of cheap and durable iPad-like that offered a tablet experience in addition to the traditional Nintendo experience. I can understand that Nintendo would think there would be some merit to an idea of adding onto the existing Nintendo experience a sort of cheap iPad alternative for children and a broader mainstream audience that couldn't afford an iPad. What immediately ruined this idea however was that incredibly cheap Android tablets quickly appeared and undermined the whole concept. The Wii U is actually expensive in relation to many of these devices.