if you're a fan of Nintendo at all, I think we all need to have a talk and realize something. Throw away all speculation of what the NX will be or how powerful or how much 3rd party it will get. Forget talks of acquisitions or hardware that docks or hardware that's unified or whatever. There's something much more broad that needs to be addressed: whatever the NX is, it MUST succeed. It can't fail. If it does, that's it.

Now that obviously comes with some caveats. Obviously, "that's it" doesn't mean that's it for Nintendo. Frankly, Nintendo is making moves to where it will be successful with or without the NX. And there's the issue. If the NX fails, that's it for Nintendo as a company who's primary audience is people like us. Consoles are on the way out, and if the NX fails, Nintendo will be in a position where it just won't be financially viable to try it again. And honestly, by that point, I can see them putting all their eggs into the mobile basket, possibly making an Android-based micro console, because there won't be a console basket to put in. Nintendo would 100% change their focus to a different demographic that what it currently targets.

So even if the NX isn't what we all want, I hope it's at least popular enough to sell well. Even if it's another console like  the Wii which targets casuals, the Wii at least still had games that catered to people like us. If the NX fails, I don't see Nintendo doing that still. I think they will be plenty successful financially because of the way they're increasing their brand, but if that doesn't translate to respectable hardware sales, Nintendo as we love them now, is gone. And while I wouldn't blame them, it would make me sad. I'd rather have the software line up we have with the Wii u than what we would get the generation after the NX failed.

I think everybody, even sony and Microsoft fans, should hope that the nx is successful. The gaming industry is bigger than fanboy console war lines, and a healthy one that covers all demographic bases is better for all parties.
If nx fails..... I don't want to see what nintendo would lower themselves too if this venture isn't profitable.

Yeah, I'm feeling the same way. They can't afford to mess up again. Maybe they can still do handhelds, but I still want their console games. : ( I hope the NX is a good console for everyone, and not just Ninten fans...

Yea without Nintendo, gaming would become a lot less fun for me so I really hope the NX will be successful enough for Nintendo to try again. Of course, if the NX isn't something that I am interested in, I won't buy it but I really hope Nintendo will always makes games

I already have a feeling that the NX is going to be another case of "Don't care about the hardware, but I care about the software" kind of deal I had going on with the Wii and now with the Wii U. Of course, I would want Nintendo to be successful because I love many of their games, though.

How much does it need to sell and how much profit does it need to make in order to be considered successful?

I think it will.
Not because i'm a Nintendo fan... i just think Nintendo has understand the lesson.

(P.S well, maybe not "successful", but a console with the great sales? yes. )

If it's a Fusion console like everyone is saying, then it will be very unlikely that the console fails.

Agree. Let's hope they make a system that resonates well with the market.

Well, if it replaces the 3DS and the Wii U it should sell at least more than 3DS + WiiU hardware combined to be considered successful (60 million for now, but until NX launches that number will grow).

70 million devices (handhelds and home consoles combined) lifetime sales would be the absolute minimum to stop the downward spiral, more than 100 million devices could be considered successful (DS + Wii combined were 250 million devices, but that will never happen again).

Software sales also shouldn't be lower than 3DS + WiiU software combined.