The 3DS was actually supposed to come out for holiday 2010, they just didn't have games finished for it (surprise, surprise).
Nintendo needs a new money maker, they can't rely on a declining 3DS to carry the entire company and the Wii U might as well be a dead corpse that's dragging everything down with it.
That's why I think the economics of it just make sense.
Also I don't think Nintendo has the time you guys think they do, they need to answer the rise of the smartphone/tablet, in the same way the DS was pushed to market to provide an answer to the PSP. Every single day Nintendo is losing kids to the tablet/phone revolution, milking the 3DS as their only portable platform as 2014 and 2015 goes on is only going to make them looking increasingly outdated and out of touch with what's happening in the market place.
I don't think they have a choice really. Honestly the Vita will probably soon start outselling the 3DS on a weekly basis in Japan too, so there's that as well. The system is being hit hard by YoY declines there. I suspect you may see a 3DSi this spring/summer (model revision) starting with Japan first, then a new portable entirely in fall of 2015, one that's capable of handling ports of Wii U games.
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