Everything Rol/Kramer is saying here is dead-on accurate. Despite the fact that this is April 1st.
Just remember all the people that are predicting this stuff beforehand, and when it plays out this way, then re-evaluate your perception on how consoles fail or succeed.
3DS will become market leader, but will sell MUCH less than DS. NGP will be a significant player, but will sell MUCH less than PSP. If the current gen systems sell 180m and 80m, maybe the next gen ones will sell 100m and 50m. Roughly speaking, it will be that kind of a decrease.
And this will NOT be because of tablets/smartphones. Tablets, smartphones and Facebook will NOT develop to replace games-first devices and platforms, even though many analysts will claim that this is what is occurring. Instead, 3DS and NGP will fail on their own merit.
Maybe what would be best for Nintendo is if NGP comes out for $175 with Gran Turismo and Monster Hunter at launch, plus a response to Brain Training bundled with the system, and goes on to crush 3DS. Then Nintendo would have to regroup and come back with a true successor to DS instead of a handheld successor to N64. (Hint: this won't happen.)
"[Our former customers] are unable to find software which they WANT to play."
"The way to solve this problem lies in how to communicate what kind of games [they CAN play]."
Satoru Iwata, Nintendo President. Only slightly paraphrased.
