Personally, I think this has been a trend with Nintendo consoles these past few years. Nintendo isn't afraid to put out there devices that are different, that might bring new people to gaming, even if it costs them some of the more "hardcore" audience, because they know, in the end, their contribution is what helps the gaming industry grow and develop further.
When the Wii was launched, the feedback was pretty much the same we're getting for the Wii U now. Same goes for the Nintendo DS and the 3DS. At first, everything new is always met with some kind of reluctance, there's a period of time where support for it is rough until people start getting used to the idea.
The problem with Wii U this time, and as Nintendo themselves has admitted, is the lack of good marketing. Nintendo has always excelled with marketing their products, but I think this time they've lost themselves a little bit too much on the 3DS. Also, I suspect that them being the first "next-gen" console is making them unsure about what to do next until Sony and Microsoft do their moves. They're being careful, but I miss the boldness that has always caracterized Nintendo.
I think E3 has finally shown us that the Wii U has a lot of unexplored potential, and it seems like things are finally moving to a good place, and I think slowly everyone else is starting to see it too.
It might take time but eventually Nintendo grows on everyone's hearts