The library is weak and its pricey compared to other portable consoles. PSP and DS have more rounded out libraries, are significantly cheaper, and still have life in them. So obviously those are gonna deter sales from 3DS.

Regardless, 3DS is gonna be a huge hit even if initial sales aren't meeting expectations.

My thoughts exactly.  My son sells electronics and whenever he mentions 3DS the first reaction is - I/my kids already own a DS.   People by and large are oblivious to it being a new system, and assume it's a DS with 3D added on. 

Price and lack of compelling software are also major hurdles.

The public just dont agree with the 3ds, it could be the price, it could be the 3D or it could be that DS gamers have moved on to Iphones and such. Only time will tell, wait for a price drop  to really speculate, when that happnes and sales are still low then we can all agree that it is time for nintendo to start shiting bricks.

If you have to explain it to consumers, its a flop

Im not buying one right now cause theres no games. Ill wait for the Super mario, mario kart, paper mario games. Already own star fox and ocarina of time. Not worth 250 bucks right now for remakes of games I own. I like the 3d alot so that doesnt bother me.

I personally am waiting for some games that I want to play.  So release some must-have games and I think people will buy the handheld.

I think its time for Iwata and Miyamoto to step down and quietly retire (and take Sakmoto and a few others with them), they are no longer helping Nintendo, instead their direction is a danger to Nintendo's future and its shareholders, they clearly don't understand the consumer or the market.

They clearly know some consumers (as they are all different, it is impossible to know them all) and have sold the system to them. All products are explained through advertising and it is how these are shown that makes the difference. The 3DS needs to hit a critical mass and doing so in April was always going to be a challenge. Nintendo have a lot of cards left to play.

 Wii and DS were very easy for consumers to get, it required very little to get people interested, the 3DS shouldnt; need Nintendo trying to push consumers to use it and appreciate it.

You say they have cards to play, nothng they have shown indicates that they even understand the problem the market has withthe 3DS.

Currently the 3DS is looking like the PS3 of handhelds as far as launches go.

The assumption being made was that consumers would buy the new hardware simply because it was new, or perhaps simply because it was Nintendo, when the reality is that software sells hardware and currently there obviously isn't enough compelling software to sell the hardware to the early adopters.

I'll even argue that the best games to play on the 3DS are currently DS games, for which you do not need a 3DS to play.

Nintendo probably should have thrown out something other than NintenDogs and Pilot Wings as their initial titles.

Unfortunately since they just released Pokemon Black/White, that market's been tapped for the next year or two, but an exclusive Pokemon on 3DS would have moved a lot of hardware even though it would have been at the expense of upsetting a lot of Pokemon fanatics who would have to buy a new handheld to play.

Truth is, there currently isn't a single title on the 3DS that could be called a killer app that legitimately makes use of its hardware upgrades (specifically 3D) in creating an experience like no other that requires being played on the 3DS.

Until that happens it's just going to be a matter of slow adoption over time with sales picking up as the library expands.