That article was fair and a good read. Ask anyone about a video game, and the first franchise that comes to mind (beyond a possibility of Halo or Call of Duty) is Mario, Zelda, Pokemon, or the like. There's no doubt about it.
No one should ever have to be worried about Nintendo. Even if the 3DS happened to sell lower than expected, Nintendo would still be fine. When Nintendo released the GBA (I believe), they had a backup plan just in case it failed. They would preserve their income and business assets, and I'm sure they have a similar buffer for the 3DS.
Like everyone has said, once the first-party games come out and the third-parties are able to fully utilize the 3DS' capabilities, the 3DS will take off. It'd be really great if Nintendo could drop the 3DS price to coincide with the NGP release next year as well.
Not to say that the worries are groundless. The 3DS is Nintendo's most expensive offering ever, the battery life is merely adequate, and its main capabilities may pass over the heads of younger children. But I still wouldn't be freaking out about it.
