Sean Buckley over at Engadget posted a press release from Nintendo, and this was the best part:
Wii U is the all-new home console from Nintendo. It's not just an upgrade -- it's an entirely new system that will change the way you and your family experience games and entertainment.
Folks, this is just sad. As I've written before, the Nintendo Wii U has been selling poorly. Nintendo could not have handled this product any more incompetently than if they filled the inside of the device with wood chips (which, if nothing else, could be used as bedding for hamsters). Nintendo made some serious engineering mistakes with the product (e.g. anemic graphics horsepower, awkward and unnecessary tablet controller), but this press release shows that they also failed miserably in marketing the console. Giving the product a name that is practically indistinguishable from its predecessor is inexcusable, especially given the fact that its specs and games are not significantly different (at the very least, not 'six years' different) from the Wii.
Folks, it doesn't look good for the people from the House of Mario.