Skiesofwonder said:
I really believe Nintendo and the 3DS have a tough time ahead of it.
The 3DS seems to have been created to grab more hardcore gamers while still grasping onto the casual gamers Nintendo obtained from the DS/Wii. But I just don't see it happening. The 3DS has already failed at getting any REAL major western third-party support, while barely offering any casual experiences for a waning crowd lost to the simpler and more convenient hardware on the streets today (and where in the hell is the casual experiences Nintendo? Have you totally given up on this market?). You have the PS Vita coming in at the SAME EXACT price offering higher technology and strong core-focused titles for the hardcore gamers while the I-Pad and smartphones are taking over any casual gaming money/time that would of usually been spent on the DS.
Then you have the major wtf of Nintendo completely cannibalizing its major handheld this generation. The 3DS is competing/bringing (very) similar software compared to systems that are cheaper and more established (and still-running) like Nintendo's own DS and Wii, along with the upcoming Wii U which will be taking a huge bite into 3DS gaming time at the house. Also it is looking like Nintendo has put its hat in a corner that is falling by the waste-side; 3D (again), which has become nothing more than viewed as a glorified gimmick. And you got Nintendo's online system which is still ancient and cumbersome; sorry, the new E shop is nice... but it doesn't make up for the sub-standard browser and lack-of content.
I honestly wouldn't be surprised if we end up with a Gamecube-like performance for the 3DS at the end of this handheld generation.
Your first paragraph is basically "not enough games," which is true, but we're far too early to judge that now. The DS also had a lackluster library for the first two years of its life.
The "core" demographic is likely waiting for better software before biting (which includes me), and I've heard this sentiment expressed almost everywhere. The casuals are already eating up the console at a fairly decent rate -- Nintendogs + Cats is the best selling game on the 3DS, already selling 1.71 million units.
I will concede the point about the lack of online however, Nintendo needs to fix that shit asap.
As for 3DS pulling off a Gamecube performance: you seriously think the 3DS will only sell 1/10th of what the DS did? Because the Gamecube sold 20 million total, and the DS is at 150 million and will get damn near to 200 million by the time it dies out. The Gamecube was by and large a failure, and it is very unlikely the 3DS will flop that badly.