So, go back to the 3DS announcement and how VGChartz users were all excited over it.  The device was posted as a possible device to create harmony among the users here.  It was like EVERYONE was penciled in here as a lock to get it.  Now, we are a year plus later after launch, and the 3DS sales were considered as bombing, with Nintendo set to slash prices like 1/3 off.  Things aren't as it seems.  Ok, maybe I am missing something, but it would seem to me that looking at user excitement on here over an announcement is a poor predictor of how a system will do.  Am I off?  I would also say that the Vita has had raves on here to, and a bunch of excitement.  If this continues, I don't see things possibly going well for the Vita.  Again, am I off here?

Well, we ARE all gamers. Of course we're gonna be excited over it...

I expect very strongly the same thing will happen to Vita. But don't forget- 3DS broke almost every pre-order ecord there is.

3DS is also still very likely to be a major success - consoles don't have to roar out of the gate to sell well in the end.

And? It still underperformed so heavily that price had to be slashed by a whooping $80.

I'm still excited for the 3DS and I still believe it would have been a success. It just needed to get a holiday season behind it. I paid $250 for mine and I've bought three full retail games and a few eShop games since buying it on June 25. I don't feel slighted in the least by the price drop, either. It just released at the wrong time of year.

--And it wasn't just VGChartz users. At E3 2010, EVERYBODY was hyped for the 3DS. I think the demo games at retailers did a lot to extinguish the hype since the early games displayed did little to show how impressive the 3D could be. The internet and internet hype are to blame, here. Just like how we were all so hyped to see Snakes on a Plane (to this day, I still haven't seen it), internet excitement doesn't always translate into real world excitement.

People were excited for Snakes on a Plane?????????????????????????????

IT'S SNAKES. ON. A. PLANE.

I have not monitored other places, just here.  But I would figure that this place was common for others.  On the other side, not sure if anyone thought the Wii would be a big success.  Maybe there is a version of Internet groupthink going about.

My biggest problem i see with the 3DS is that, the big buyers are Parents for there kids. So Christmas is there big selling period but the device but there could be the problem of:

1. Parent confusing it with a DS and not seeing it as a new device, also with all the scare mongering about 3D harming eyes, i doubt many would want to give there 5-10 year old a 3DS.

2. The ipod touch would be in far greater demand by kids because iphones are everywhere and more than likely seen friends playing with a iphone touch or there parents iphone lately.

Top it off with core gamers (us) seeing an far superior device in the PSV launching very soon with a great price with some good software lined up for it.

the 3DS has a chance of being a failure and under preforming this hoilday season despite what appears going to be a massive marketing campaign.

Sales should pick up when it gets some worthy releases. No one's going to buy a console if there are no games for it. Right now, the only worthy games IMO are OOT 3D and SSFIV 3D. The former is remake to a great game, yes, but how often do remakes push consoles? Not often. The later is just a inferior 3D version of game that wasn't that big to begin with.

Sales will pick up when Nintendo steps up and makes some worthy releases for the console.