I'm looking it in the optics of being an all-around entertainment provider. The DS wasn't able to generate the excitement for all ages like the NES, SNES, PSX or PS2 did.

I believe that will return at last to Nintendo. It's all I really want.

It's on the verge of becoming the best selling console of all time, it would be hard for its appeal to get any wider, and I don't think the 3DS has a shot of bettering that.

What age group or particular type of gamer is the 3DS failing to appeal to?

The DS is on the verge of becoming the best selling console of all time. It doesn't mean that it was able to excite the greatest portion of gamers.

1) Portables sell more than home consoles because they are individual systems, whereas home consoles are family systems in general. Where in one house 1 Wii is sold, 3 DS' may be bought.

2) The DS was highly successful, but the buzz was not necessarily there for all age groups. For many the PSP filled the gap that the DS couldn't fill, no matter how much the DS sold. Ultimately, this leads to a situation where the DS is accepted by its client base, but snubbed by a clientbase it has failed to reach.

The 3DS is going to succeed at appealing to all the age groups imho, once MH4 is out the market will be united under one banner.

Which age groups though?

I'd say the Vita is still filling a gap for a lot of gamers that the 3DS won't fill. Even the Vita is struggling to appeal to a lot of PS360 gamers, the 3DS doesn't seem to stand a chance with them. The makeup of both userbases doesn't seem to have changed, Monster Hunter alone isn't going to do anything drastic, although Nintendo is stepping on Sony's toes more than they did last gen.

@bold. Exactly. And that's the age group I'm referring to. Yeah, MH4 will have a big impact. If Nintendo secures that market the Vita is hopeless.

So the only age group Nintendo didn't appeal to with the DS was just the age group that plays Monster Hunter?

Even if that is true, which I don't think it is, Monster Hunter is only relevant in Japan. The lack of appeal to the certain age groups you refer to would still exist in the West.

EDIT: Also, Sony seem pretty intent on battling for that market in Japan. God Eater 2 and Freedom Wars should establish a userbase which Capcom wouldn't likely ignore.

@bold. Yeah :) The niche anime games or dudebro games aren't necessary to this strat.

Though the lack of appeal would exist in the West, it would only be a matter of time before the 3DS games successful in japan trickled to western shores.

not really. rich parents who buy their kids everything have more disposable income. 

Even spoiled kids have schedules though. You have to wait for Christmas or a birthday many times when you're a kid to get something.

The amount of games I started buying once I didn't have to rely on my parents to buy me everything increased 3-4x fold. I would just get a game when ever I felt like it if I had money, none of that waiting for the holidays/birthday/summer vacation/a good report card/etc.

This is from 2011, but it isn't changed a lot in last 2 years.

"The Entertainment Software Association has released some interesting new statistics about the demographics of video game players. The average gamer age is 37; 18% of video game players are under 18, 53% are 18 - 49 years, and 29% are 50 years or older."