Rumor: Nintendo has Begun Development on a Next-Generation Machine

[Screamapillar]

Soundwave said:

Screamapillar said:
Development on the next machine begins as soon as the latest one comes to market. It takes years to design these machines. This could easily be the 3DS successor, which probably won't even be announced until 2015 and wouldn't release until 2016.

If they've already chosen a SoC design/vendor for the machine, a release is probably more imminent than 2016. That would indicate software development can begin probably this year. 

If Nintendo is smart, they won't release this before a couple AAA software titles are completely polished and ready.  So, I agree, software development should definitely begin this year.  Late 2015/ early 2016 seems likely to me in that case.  That gives a few games roughly two full years of development time.  Luigi's Mansion 3 and 3D Land 2 or whatever the next handheld Mario is.  Those should both be launch titles.