It's not a mystery why the Wii U isn't doing well - there is legitimate confusion based on the fact that Nintendo didn't do a stellar job of its launch. They launched a console that itself looks almost exactly like the existing Wii, with a new controller that everyone seems to think is an optional purchase for their existing Wii, and there are very, very few good exclusive titles out for the system. Some bemoan the price, but that's mainly because there aren't any games out to justify it. After so many were burnt by the latter part of the Wii's life cycle where new releases of good games were few and far between, there ins't going to be a swarm headed to go pick up a Wii U.
As for attention, this is the exact reason you don't launch a console ahead of everyone else's console. You know what everyone was talking about during the launch of the Wii U? When MSFT and Sony were going to launch their consoles and what was going to be in it. Ever since Nintendo launched the Wii U, all anyone has really done is speculate about that the other two console makers were going to do with their systems. That took any air Nintendo's balloon might have had. Heck, a lot of rumors last year after E3 were that the Wii U was an intermediate thing and that Nintendo was going to have a real launch for the new generation. Unless they surprise with something like that at E3 or something this year, the only real hope they have is to get with releasing more really good, exclusive, games.
They don't all have to be 1st party, which is something they seem to have a bad grasp of. You can have outsiders do exclusives for you too. Go for something more than just the Legend of Zelda and Mario crowds. Don't ignore them, but realize that you can't just sustain your console on the backs of franchises that you have been suing for decades and who only see genuinely new releases every few years.
The same message goes out to Xbox; like Peter Molyneux said, if the Xbox focuses on games it has the potential to be fantastic. If that gets lost in all these other things, these sweeteners that aren't important to its function as a gaming console, it too will end up a confused system that no one will buy. They need to remember who they are. These are gaming consoles, systems meant to provide unique and entertaining gaming experiences. They have been too far corrupted by the idea that they need to become computers. Thanks, but I've already got a computer, as do most people. Don't try to emulate computers. Get back to what defined gaming consoles - a unique, thorough, entertaining experience different from what you get on a PC.