Bloody hell, late as usual... I lost everything.

Still, regarding on the OP, what have you been smoking? Hook me up on some! ;D

yeah, i'd say 5-6 year cycle for Nintendo.

that is completely stupid

no, no, and certainly not. Like many have already mentioned in response, there's a lot of stuff wrong with this post, but ultimately, it shows that you just don't understand Nintendo. For nothing in heaven, hell or on earth, never mind Sony or Microsoft, can make Nintendo release a console or do anything else that is outside of what Nintendo already has planned. For example, if your speculation was correct we would have had Wii U about two years ago in 2010.

Nintendo is stubborn as a mule my friend, and if they didn't budge during the N64, GameCube or Wii eras, they sure as hell wouldn't make any sudden moves during the Wii U era.

I could see a new console announced in 2-3 years, especially if Wii U flops in 2013 and beyond, but it probably won't even be a console, it'll be Nintendo washing their hands of the console market entirely and making like a tablet which has the option of wirelessly transmitting a signal to the TV (so the reverse of the Wii U in effect).

Then again, the successor to the SNES (N64) was announced in August 1993 (Project: Reality) when the SNES was barely 2 years old in the US.

And the GameCube (Project: Dolphin) was announced at the 1999 E3 show, when the N64 was just 2 1/2 years old.

Dude that's a really good idea. I wouldn't be suprised if that becomes Nintendos next console! So just like the Wii U gamepad but the gamepad is the console and you can use it on your TV if you want! Gold!

You do know that the 3DS is a new system, and not appart of the DS line

I don't think I have seen any system to launch as cleanly as the Wii U (in Japan and North America at least) and then to suddenly see the kind of drastic decline that would be necessary to have it "flop" in 2013 ...

I think a safe estimate for Wii U sales in 2013 is 8-12 Million systems sold, which at the low end is what the PS3 and XBox 360 did in their first year; and I think there is an outside chance of the Wii U passing 12 million units sold, especially if Sony and/or Microsoft screw up with their systems.

Cheap shots aside, absolutely not. Maybe in 2017. I could see the 3DS being replaced soon though. The GBA was only around for 3 years before its successor was released, just as the Game Boy Color was only around 3 years before the GBA was released.

I home console with a 3 year lifespan? well no. Do you know how long it takes to make a console that isn't rushed? They will probably start on a new console in 2015.