E3 2011: Wii U will only allow one touchscreen controller?!

So news.com.au sat down with Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto to talk about the Wii U and found out something I'm a bit shocked about.  The Wii U will only allow 1 touchscreen controller per system.

Q: Will players use two touchscreen controllers or will they use just one new controller and the original Wii controls with the new console?

Our basic premise is that you can use one with a system. If we got to an idea of having multiple (controllers) it might be just more convenient for people to use their Nintendo 3DS and have a way to connect that.

That being said, we are doing research about if someone brings their controller to their friends house and they want to play together on Wii U to whether or not something like that would be possible.

I am trying to figure out why Nintendo would shoot themselves in the foot with this.  Multiplayer games would be a great use for multiple touchscreen controllers.  Mario Kart Wii U could use the touchscreen controller as a rear view mirror or something.  Maybe for card games?  Some board games like Battleship.  Etc.  Seems somewhat lame if only one person could play the game like this.

I'm guessing this might be due to a technology limitation.  All processing for the touchscreens is done on the console...so maybe the console itself can't process graphics for multiple touchscreens?  Supposedly the configurations aren't set in stone yet...but let's hope Nintendo can figure this out.  Even if the controllers are expensive and people might not be interested in buying 2 right away.  Let's not go nerfing multiplayer fun for people who might have friends with a Wii U.

Don't forget Nintendo, even though the console is for U, it still is for Wii and we want to play multiplayer games with it also!