All devices out now have multi touch, the fact that this does not makes the feature set sound dated before its even released.
Nintendo is loosing touch with there target audience (anyone from the age of 10+). The reason I say this is based on observations of my nephews. All these kids use Ipad, all these kids use Iphones, and these kids "know" what they can and can not do with there device. They all use Multi-touch for simple photo editing, map navigation, screen rotation, and on there notebooks page swiping, scrolling, program launching, and quick access to searching.
The Wii-U will not have Multi-Touch this feels like it might heart them. With Multi-Touch in place I can see them doing crazy interactions with FPS maps. Think MW3 Missile launch, but your actually physically looking down on your controller frantically pinching and zooming then clicking at the same time your darting your head up looking out for the man who wants to shoot you! Customization would also benefit from multi-touch. make it work like a drawing tablet, allowing a person to draw out desings with a single finger on the big screen, while using two finger to erase mistakes, I can even see them binding it to a specific layer simply by holding down an icon while the other hand does its movements.
In the end I see this as being short sighted. There are rival technologies out there that can provide in themselves unique experiences. The next generation Kinect will defenatly have less lag, we know Sony has its own tools for interaction, and with the Wii Controller only lasting 4 or 5 hours! I can't say that I'm looking forward to the Wii-U release.
Sony has the PS Vita out now, from what I understand has the potential to be used as a PS3 controller, and will probably integrate even more so into the next generation consoles if the product takes off. It also has augmented reality, the potential to be used as a PS3 remote, and the ability to take the gaming out and about when needed. Nintendo needed every hardware feature they could get, and this feels like they just goofed. The potential for competition is out right now, the Wii-U already looks lacking in capabilities Vs its competition, the only way I can see them competing it price.
In the end I see Nintendo landing in the exact same position as the last console wars. Cutting out the feature because he did not see its value is short sighted when other companies already have multi-gesture interaction out NOW.