I'm excited for the New 3DS, but if the only exclusive software would be more VC games, it would definitely dampen that excitement. It's possible that I wouldn't even buy one if that were the case. Personally, I hope we get more Wii and GCN ports, like Xenoblade Chronicles. That would justify the purchase for me.

I was annoyed and even mad when they announced it. Now though, i think i am quite neutral. It is just that initial reactions tend to be quite intense and then you kind of cool down as time passes.

I would endorse the virtual console stuff too. Backwards compatibility and VC are such underrated features. Nintendo needs to sort out and do a good job with coding this time. So, they don't have to start all over like they did when moving from Wii to Wii U.

Good post, the_dengle.

I feel like you could get a fair bit more out of your 3DS than 1/4th the retail price. And also, by the sound of it, you already have more than 2 3DSs?

I tried selling the original one on Amazon (forget how much they asked) in trade in. But they returned it, saying it was "broken". Little do they know, you have to hold the power button on the old 3DS for a few seconds for it to come on. Needless to say I was pissed off. 

And yeah, lol I have 3 of them :( 
Original, Blue XL, Pokemon X/Y Red ---> It doesn't even matter how pissed I am, I'll still buy it. 

I'd be fine with that, but I strongly suspect that would largely make the system a flop for anyone who doesn't absolutely need the latest and greatest. I don't think the VC has proven to be a particularly big draw (unfortunately). Although having some games exclusive to the upgrade would hardly be novel: the GBA is the only system where that DIDN'T happen, and the first system (the GBC) had quite a few games (over two hundred, no?) which couldn't/shouldn't be played on its predecessor.

I am VERY angry about the new 3DS. The lack of power and the need for a second analog sticks were day 1 problems with the 3DS, so it's inexcusable that they ship one now with these issues fixed halfway through the 3DS's life, and the really irritating part is that the new 3DS is likely to get legitimately better games. I bet the Xenoblade port would be outright impossible on my XL.

The only good thing about it is it lends some credence to the Nintendo Fusion rumors. If Nintendo felt like the 3DS were already cooked or insufficient they would normally release a successor, but instead we get a half-step to buy time.

It doesn't :/

Well initially it said, "I want the New 3DS but I'd be disappointed with this." That was way too long to be visible after voting.

You're just going to have to take my word for it that this is the intended meaning.

I don't mind it so much, a bit salty over the exclusive games, but I'll get over it

Early adopters of any system are always the losers one way another, I don't see this situation being vastly different.

If you are an early adopter you pay more, often substantially more, than later adopters. You have a limited selection of games, poorer OS features, bugs, game droughts, noisier louder systems etc. etc, All things that we aware of but we accept as the price for being an early adopter. The late adopter of any gaming system (often not even fans) pays less, gets more reliable hardware, starts with all the features, has way more games to chose from including budget games and is given a better overall experience. Some things such as software/firmware are improved for the early adopter as well but they never get back the premium they paid for the system or get to swap out their old fat system for the newer, slimmer quieter one.

So far we have one exclusive game announced for the New 3DS and I can't see that changing much until Nintendo sells alot more of them. What's more it's not even an exclusive game, it's a remake. Otherwise what we have is a mid-life hardware refresh like any other. If it matters to you, poney up the dough, otherwise be satisfied with the system that when you committed to buying you knew was, sooner or later, going to get superseded by something shinier and better.