It will be very difficult to match DS in terms of success

But unless PSP 2 can be stronger than PSP why won't 3DS match the DS in sales?

Unless people are expecting the market to shrink or a new portable gaming platform to emerge (that said iphone is kinda like one).

Wow N64 a better version of the NES. Dude N64 was the first 3D console and it also pioneered Rumble technology and other technologies. Now I admit GameCube was a improved N64 with better graphics, but the 3DS is largely independant. Similiar controls but 3D visuals have never been done before and you can't really call it a simply improved DS.

How you can not consider the N64 a revolutionary system is beyond me. Many credit Super Mario 64 for birthing the 3D games industry. Nintendo's consoles are usually revolutionary GameBoy , NES , N64 , DS , Wii and now 3DS Nintendo almost always revolutionalizes the way we play games.

If it changes the way we play or percieve games then it is revolutionary and the 3DS is nothing like the SNES was to the NES. Its not just a graphical update the new 3D feature will change the way we play games in the future.

The SNES was a giant leap over the NES in audio and graphical technology; it had DKC, which challenges titles even now with its beautiful 24-bit rendered graphics - made possible by the SNES graphical chipset, which normally would allow a 32,000 colour palette. Why did it sell less than NES? Sega Genesis dominated for too long in the generation, it took until 1994 for the SNES to really become the IT system (with games like DKC and FF6), and then Nintendo killed it early in 1996 when N64 released.

N64 was the first fully 3D console, it also was the first Nintendo console which took advantage of expansion (RAM, Rumble, Memory card), and had analog control which it popularized. The problem with N64 was that PSX was WAY cheaper, the games were about half the price, and there were WAY more of them - also Square supported PSX exclusively. The N64 had 4 games for its first 6 months while the PSX was advertising that it had over 200 games. Also, NO RENDERED 24-bit GRAPHICS, that is the technique that SAVED the SNES from Sega dominance.

The Gamecube was supposed to be the first motion control system (Nintendo had the patents during the N64 era); everyone competing was worried about the rumoured crazy new Nintendo control - this just didn't come until the Wii. The Gamecube was Nintendo's generation off.

Anyway, I can't see the PSP2 being as successful as the original PSP considering how many people felt burned by the low support for the system - the PSP2 is going into the race slower than the original PSP, the 3DS is going in much faster than the original DS. I think the 3DS will do better, and do it faster than DS did.

Some 90m. I predict that when Apple releases a 3D iPhone the 3DS will lose a lot of appeal compared to the DS or the PSP-2 (which BTW should stand around 50m).

It won't sell as good as the DS, and I guess 80-90 million lifetime.

I think the 3DS will have the biggest opening for a handheld and maybe biggest opening for any gaming device. I think the 3DS will sell 25 million in its first full year. Nintendo will try to go after every gamer to sell their games as well as 3rd party software.