I would be surprised if even 50 million peoplein the world owned both. There was not a lot of overlap in the types of audiences they had at all. Most people who bought a DS were not Nintendo fans, and most people who bought but Wii were definitely not Nintendo fans, let alone gaming fans. Those people had no reason to buy both because the systems had nothing to do with each other and shared absolutely nothing in common outside of the core Nintendo IP. The branding was completely different, and the iconic software was different. The type of person who bought Wii Sports and Wii Fit were not the type of audience who were interested in Brain Age and in Nintendogs.

What if they multiplatform games on the switch and ds? If they are trying to merge handheld and console...isnt that a first or second step?

I'm a little confused as to what you're asking. What they are doing is merging their software developement divisions. It's not about merging the hardware, it's about merging the platforms so that their software goes to only one. I don't know what multiplats have to do with that.

Everyone complains about how lackluster the X1/PS4 line up is, but everyone says if Nintendo does not follow the exact same formula they will fail?

I have a PSBox1 already. They are literally the same thing save for A FEW games. I want something different and Nintendo is doing that. With that in mind, Switch is a FANTASTIC idea in my book.

No, they are saying that if Nintendo doesn't get multiplats, it will fail.

I like what I've see so far personally.

But look at the far and away best selling titles for both platforms amd you'll see some coincidences. Yeah Wii Sports may be up top, but the was the pack in game. 

I'm not discounting that people who bought both were in the 10s of millions. I'm discounting that that is "most."

I try to say this to anyone saying the Switch will sell like hotcakes if launches at 250 to 300 dollars. Do you wanta  home console? Get a 250 bucks PS4 with Uncharted or a X1 with a game for the same price. Do you want to play on the go? An off-contract good mid range phone like a Moto G costs that. On a plan, you can get a freaking flagship.

Switch has to be so cheap that anyone, even people with PS4s or X1s, will get it without thinking too much as a second console or simpluy to play casually because they like Pokémon Go or Mario Run. Actually, the whole point of promoting their products with mobile shovelware goes down the drain if the price to make the jump to a Nintendo console is high.

The DS has a huge development community. Is this Nintendo attempt to bring their mobile and home console development community to one platform. If so then the Switch will sell very well. I personally know I probably will purchase the device because I travel enough to justify a nice portable gaming system.