i was inspired to make this thread when i randomly came by this:
http://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=573697
New Nintendo System: Nintendo DS
this was a thread made around 9 years ago, when the DS was first revealed.
the thread was filled with responses like these:
"Proprietary bullshit that only a few titles will support?
Where the fuck are my pompoms so I can ... beat the shit out of Nintendo with them. 
Stupid, stupid company. Just like they gambled on FFCC's GBA connectivity (and connectivity in general) taking off like a rocket, here comes another gimmick that has only one purpose: to inflate Nintendo's earnings.
I'm sorry, but this isn't going to make a dime for developers and will probably end up costing them added expense.
Genius!
No wonder Nintendo fans are losing franchises left and right (Blood Rayne, Jedi Knight, Baldur's Gate, etc)."
"It's like with the FFCC connectivity. Sure, you dont have to pause because of the GBA, but everyone still has to wait around while you go through your inventory because you're still on one TV screen. As you said, sounds good on paper, but it's just tacked on bullshit to fatten Nintendo's pockets.
This just dealt a crushing blow to my confidence in Nintendo."
"Because one VirtualBoy wasn't enough..."
"Um, what the fuck?
Nintendo must have been looking for something "the exact opposite of MEGATON", and this was what they came up with."
"TFR
It is the MEGASUCK!"
"1Gigabit = 128MB
Looks like Sony's going to take away a market from Nintendo yet again."
"Heeeeey... It's Virtual Boy 2! 
"
...and much more.
however, contrary to what the people who posted things like these believed, the DS went on to sell over 150 million units, making it the best selling handheld gaming console in history, and the second best selling video game platform period, a few million shy of the PS2.
and then i came by this one:
http://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=953436
Retro Studios layoffs, Raven Blade canceled, Nintendo fanboys cry selves to sleep
albeit this being a smaller thread, it still showed how people thought Retro Studios would just make boring generic games and close down in a 1 or 2 years time, with posts like this one:
"Yeah, it's a shame. I've had my doubts on Retro since it was formed being as they haven't put a any games yet. My guess is that after Metroid there may be a third round of layoffs and a rebuilding process of some type. Obviously the big N has enough cash to throw around for another 2nd party studio the act upon their whim, and they wanted another studio or they wouldn't have thrown together Retro. Hopefully we'll see some good stuff down the line but as I said before I have my doubts."
and contrary to popular belief, Metroid Prime, Retro Studio's debut title, was, and IS STILL considered one of the best games of all time, with Retro Studios becoming one of the industries' most respected developers.
so why am I posting all this? well, look at the title of the thread.
"It's Amazing how things can turn out."
the point being, sometimes very unexpected things happen, i feel that this is a point that needs to be brought up when discussing Nintendo today, especially because they're known for having unexpected home-runs before, from DS to Wii to 3DS.
