Nintendo Believes "There’s A Future For Dedicated Handhelds"

[AltarofKez]

Snoorlax said:  

AltarofKez said:
They would've already stopped support for the 3DS except that Pokémon Go caused a resurgence of interest in the system, giving it a YOY increase in most markets. So they stretched its lifespan a little longer to ride that wave. Most of the non-Pokémon software is pretty low-key, typical for a platform at the end of its run. The system is clearly being sunsetted, just at a slower pace than may have been expected. The Switch is the future and everybody knows it.

The problem is not Nintendo keeps selling more 3DS systems, the problem is that they're continously hinting that they could see both Switch and 3DS co-existing together in the future which either implies they will keep supporting the 3DS by releasing more games for it OR make a successor which Switch is supposed to be.

This will only slow game production down for both systems and one system will be favored over the other by both consumers and third party developers just like in the WiiU - 3DS days. Again Nintendo doesn't need to shut down all services and end production on 3DS they need to stop releasing these big games for it and instead focus on bringing big games, both first and third party, to Switch.

Not sure why you think there's so many big 3DS games coming.  Metroid on 3DS is a remake, Switch is getting Prime 4.  Mainline Pokemon is aiming at Switch for 2018.  Monster Hunter is coming to Switch.  Layton isn't Nintendo's property.  The 3DS is mostly getting remakes, spin-offs and multiplats.  Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon releasing now is similar to Black 2 and White 2 dropping on the DS a year and a half after the 3DS launched.  That didn't signify that the DS would coexist with 3DS for years or that the 3DS was not its successor.

Switch is getting the big games.  3DS doesn't even have any first-party software listed for release in 2018 except Sushi Striker at this time.