Moneyhatting Monster Hunter certainly helped...

I'm the first to say the market has changed ... massively. But that doesn't change the fact that (well) there is a massive change. 

Saying we can't compare numbers is saying like we can't compared current Nintendo consoles to older Nintendo console because older Nintendo consoles didn't have to compete against Sony and Microsoft. Well yeah, I think we can all understand that circumstances changed. 

And actually I don't think the 3DS will even hit 80 million. Not even in 6 years. It will probably end its lifecycle between 70-75 million based on how quickly it's year to year shipments are shrinking from Nintendo. 

With Nintendo entering the mobile market, they really have no choice but to succeed so all the mobile gaming combacks are irrelevant so there. Anyway, Nintendo has obliterated the handheld competition simply because they have killer apps every time: Pokemon, Dragon Quest, Mario and so much more. Your console needs games to sell...duh. Which is why PSV is a miserable failure (Although gaining a bit more traction in Japan as of late) Sony doesn't support it with enough software. There is only a handful of million sellers and they sell a million exactly, unlike 3DS where games have reached well over 10 Million in software sales. Nintendo just has better software. And again, Nintendo will be entering mobile shortly so the mobile taking over posts sound stupid already. Even if the games aren't Candy Crush of GOW, they will bring in money on their games because handheld games is where Nintendo has always excelled in. Touch based gaming was made popular with DS, they are no stranger when it comes to this type of stuff.

The interesting thing is that America is the only region to show a massive decline from GBA to 3DS. Here is 2001-2004 & 2011-2014.

Japan

GBA-15.48 vs 3DS-18.70

Americas

GBA-32.82 vs 3DS-16.77

Others

GBA-17.44 vs 3DS-14.93

So Japan is slightly up, Others is slightly down and Americas is massively down. I'm pretty sure mobile is pretty huge in Europe/Japan so I'm not sure we can put the blame solely on mobile.

They didn't money hat Monster Hunter.

Even its own supporters can't put "games" on the list...

There is no other explanation. No other explanation.

I find it humorous that the same people who throw up their arms at the thought of the PS4 winning the console war because the other two shot themselves in the foot are the same people who are sitting here saying the 3DS has no competition and that's why it's winning. And vice versa.

Also, it does have competition. The one that is the best handheld in the martket...?

I don`t get it. Doesn`t the Vita fit in this market, or is it its own thing? o:

It seems people don't know the difference between no competition and poor competition. Every Nintendo handheld has had competitors, Lynx, Gamegear, TurboExpress, Neo Geo Pocket, WonderSwan, N-Gage, Zodiac, etc. Just because Nintendo absolutely dominated doesn't mean their weren't competitors.

I don't think we'll see it hit 80mil either.  Market size now is more comparable to 3DS, there's only 70 to 80 mil to go around total.  Vita will eat up at least 15-20mil of that.  Puts 3DS in to 60 to 70mil range.