Man, it'll be challenging for Nintendo to aim for the hardcore right off the bat. I think repairing their reputation with us geeks can certainly be done and done quickly (most longtime gamers reaaaaaally love Nintendo), but it rests on two key factors:
1. Solid online right out the gate. Anything resembling a "friend code" means they ****ed this up. We'll need accounts that can be logged into anywhere; tethering gamers to one machine is unacceptable. An easily accessible chat/messaging system will be expected. I'm hoping for an accomplishment system like Achievements/Trophies - that would be amazing, but I'm not getting my hopes up (too much).
2. REAL third party support right out the gate. This means more than a couple Ubi-Soft games and Arkham City a year late. The big stuff that hits PS3/360 has to hit WiiU. Nintendo won't convince anyone that they're focusing on core gamers if Resident Evil 6 and the latest CoD aren't there at the launch window.