PixlBit

Very pleased with the analog stick change. I'm hoping this is reflective of an official change on Nintendo's part.

The most probable cause for the change might be the added click function for the left and right joystic. The addition of clicking on the slide pads might have been giving problems for proper gaming.

And I just have to say that whoever decided that a clickable joystick was a good idea, please be ashamed of yourself.

I like the changes, but I am kind of bummed to see the Wii U logo there.  That means that if this is in fact the latest iteration of the controller, that the name is likely set in stone.  I was personally hoping for a name change announcement at E3, but that doesn't seem quite so likely now.

You think it's going to cause confusion with its name, that people won't know it's Nintendo's next console?

I think there are two things wrong with the Wii U moniker:

1) Consumer confusion - This was the case with last year's E3 and consumers that don't regularly keep up with the videogames industry will likely see it as a peripheral or redesign (which happened with the 3DS).

2) The Wii brand carries a stigma with the core crowd that Nintendo is trying to get back with this console.  Wii is synonymous with waggle controls, shovel-ware and kiddie games (deserved or not that's just how it is).  If Nintendo wants to win over those that have written off the Wii, then calling the system practically the same thing is a step in the wrong direction.  IMO of course.

Consumer confusion is easy to fix, or avoid. Their marketing plan will have to be the decisive answer. Oh, and price. Price, I think, was the initial obstacle for the current 3DS's success.

As for the core crowd, if there were [Nintendo] runaways it was only because the other two systems offered more eye candy. I think the Wii name was nothing more than a superficial excuse to ditch Nintendo's system. Just look at the names PlayStation (such a kiddie name, almost like playground), and Xbox... an x box? What the hell is an x box. Calling it the Xbox 360 is also practically calling it the same thing. Excuses. If a gamer wants another system because it offers more eye candy ya don't have to be a hypocrite, it's just gaming, and there should be no stygma attached to it.

The marketing is going to have to be massive for people not to be confused on this matter.

And to your second point - the core crowd associates Xbox and PlayStation with a great core experience.  The Wii name reminds them of Wii Sports, Wii Fitness and a drove of mini-game centric titles.  The Wii name doesn't hold the same weight as the PlayStation and Xbox does in that crowd.  By keeping it, Nintendo has created an issue that they could certainly live without.

The changes seen here seem minor, though welcome. I also share Jesse's disappointment in seeing the Wii U logo. I already see this controller as another uncomfortable peripheral from Nintendo that developers are going to have to overcome. Still, having never touched the controller, there's still some unlikely chance that the controller is actually comfortable.

To ease some of your concern, I've heard that the controller is actually quite comfortable.  All the first hand reports I've seen have said that it's light, but sturdy and feels much more comfy than you would think.

I've heard that too but I won't believe it until I actually have it in my hands. Even if it's light, the thing is just so cumbersome looking. It's like having someone tell you that the roof isn't leaking but you look up at the ceiling and you clearly see a water stain.

Again, all speculation until E3 and when the console launches.

I haven't held one, but It looks like those thumb sticks are still kinda high.  I really don't know about this thing. I love the idea, but I worry a lot about the execution. 

And yes Jesse, the name is dumb.  

So, those squares. One looks like a button, the other practically looks like a decoration. Since the Wii U has near-field communications (NFC) capabilities, it's fair to say that sucker could use an indicator of where to put the items with which it communicates. The Rayman Legends leaked trailer had the kids place the Ubisoft characters on the screen. I don't buy that. I think it used an earlier version of the controller. Anyway, I think the left square contains the NFC receiver. Makes sense to me.

The one on the right, by the home and power buttons, is probably something simpler. Part of the goal with the Wii U is to allow people to play games without taking up the TV. I think that button probably is just a quick button meant to bring what's on the TV screen to the Wii U screen.

Those are my guesses. Hooray!

I'm guessing that little square is the vitality sensor.