It will be forever. As the years go on. More and more new kids will just have a smartphone. No attachment to a handheld ever. And then that's it. Can anyone here say they saw kids with a 3DS or a VITA? Either walking down the street, in a train, or in a Pizza place? In recent times, I sure haven't. The people who like them will quit naturally, or force quit.
Because, at some point. Nintendo will have to either give up making handheld games. And just make them on your console. Or just put stuff on smartphones. It may take another 10 years. Or even 20. But if nothing is invented that forces people to buy one. That's it. Nothing really beats $1 or free. If parents are willing to buy them that phone. Forget everything else. Even if they say they have one. If it's not on them. They're making a decision to pick the phone, over the handheld. That will just make them not care about it, after a bit. Since no one really likes carrying a handheld and a phone, together.
My opinion: The NX will just speed this up. If the handheld isn't actually special. And all the games work on the console. I'm not buying the handheld, at all. And the majority will do the same. So the line could self terminate.
