3DS + Vita according to NPD leaks sold approximately 175k in February 2014. Which indicates that 3DS is down year over year again (it sold 183k last Feb). Assuming Vita sold it's usual pathetic 20k or so, that would put the 3DS at 155k guesstimate. 

Compartively at this point in last gen, (Feb 2008) DS was selling 588k and the PSP at 243k. That means even the second place PSP is selling way more at the same point in its life than the 3DS + Vita *combined*. That means the handheld business is only about 20% of what it was last gen.

Lets go back even further to the GBA generation, the GBA alone was selling 353k for Feb 2004. So it's lagging behind the GBA gen too. 

This can't really be a content issue either, the 3DS has had a great library of releases with Bravely Default selling well in Feb and Pokemon X/Y out and also the new cheaper 2DS model this year.

And thats just the US, im sure the drop is equal in Japan and Europe.

Sold 8k less = DOOOM

Considering it has Pokemon X/Y, a cheaper 2DS, Animal Crossing, Luigi's Mansion, Bravely Default and a number of big titles released from this year over last ... the 3DS is not showing the traditional acceleration in sales, the fact that it's actually down YoY is even worse. 

The thing should be in beast mode right now, Nintendo's thrown everything but the kitchen sink at it. 

They are losing kids and general consumers to tablets/smartphones, there's just no doubt about it. 

I think generally speaking too, 2DS is a failure. It was a cheap kids-only iteration and doesn't seem to have caught on at all. I don't think they will release it in Japan period. 

Also it's 8k less for 3DS + Vita *combined*, not 3DS alone (if you're comparing to 3DS' number from last year). 

I think have to be blind not to see this. Unfortunate as handhelds this generation have been great, and I'd argue far superior to their predecessors that had far greater sales. I would not be surprised at all if these end up being last dedicated handheld gaming devices.

Still waiting on a decent mobile game to help me understand the mass migration is due to anything but cheap price and people already owning them for other uses.

3DS is still well ahead of the PSP LTD. Taking an arbitrary 4-week snapshot won't prove much.

Yeah the market is shrinking, but you used the more dramatic "collapsing" term.

Are you talking Japan? Because worldwide actually I don't think it's that far ahead. I suspect 3DS will finish actually right around the PSP's LTD at 80 million or so. This isn't just a 4 week snipet, these sales are consistently way down gen over gen, we can compare Dec 2013 to Dec 2007 or Jan 2014 to Jan 2008 ... it's not any prettier. 

Handheld gaming is stronger than it is has ever been.

Just because many here dislike mobile gaming does not mean they do not contribute to the industry.



Dedicated gaming handheld? Yes. Handheld gaming as a whole? Not at all.

DS + PSP (Feb 2008) = 831k

3DS + Vita (Feb 2014) = 175k

GBA alone (Feb 2004) = 353k

That is a collapse generation over generation, if video game business was a school course, this would be a textbook example of one.