You forgot the /s at the end of your post

I mean it's obvious

Well, yes, they should hope so since this is their best bet of a decent installed base for the Switch when all is said and done.

I think 2018 will be the year they shoot for that. You can already see the signs. Look at Fire Emblem: they announced a new one for 3DS, then FE Warriors is only for N3DS, and then the 2018 FE appears to be a Switch-only game. And SMT for Switch currently gives no indicztions of a 3DS version. So yeah, they'll gently transition to a single ecosystem over the next 12 months. This will also give them time to sell at 300 before lowering to 250 or so to draw in more of those handheld-centric gamers. And if 2018 also brings a Pokemon and Monster Hunter game? And maybe a Yokai-Watch game? Oh it's on then.

You're joking...

However, switch is really not 3DS successor... Switch mini lite or whatever will be called,  ( or even a non switch device which will take the same games though ) is.

 3DS owners who are interested in home console gaming will find switch the perfect console, but  the 3DS ownerS who only want a handheld, not...

Is Nintendo expecting the 23m who bought og 3DS at 169$ and 7m who bought 2DS at 79-100$ to purchase switch at 299$? I don't think so...3DS sales anemic perfomance when it was priced at 250$ is the proof.

In 2018  or 2019 ( depending on 3DS legs ) they should release a smaller switch, perhaps weaker in order to be cheaper, with a dock and the joycons, of course  because if its dockless and without joy cons,  that wouldn't be a switch, obviously! (  For  199-220$ )! Later, a handheld only device which will take the same games with switch for 139$169$ and I would hope that it would be able to run all the games of switch!

The first one will be destined to those who like the hybrid concept but they want a more portable and more affordable  switch the second one, to kids that are known to mishandle their items, hence  needing a durable product and to those who desire a handheld only console ( even though the first one could be enough for these people,  who would ignore the unwanted for them hybrid nature of the system, if the price is  normal for a portable console  ) .

Although, there is another problem... 3DS owners are used to pay 30-45$ for their games, will they pay 60-70$ for the switch games?  Those who will use switch as home console too for sure, howbeit you expect a handheld console only gamer,  to not just spend 299$ for the console but also 60-70$ for the games?

This basically confirms Pokemon Stars for Switch.

That goes without saying, right? Switch is a successor to both 3DS and WiiU. It's the result of the consolidation of all Nintendo's internal development units.

Nintendo wants 3DS owners to eventually migrate to its newest portable system, just as it wants WiiU owners -- all seven of us -- to migrate to its newest home console.

So Monster Hunter will be on a handheld/console, intriguing.

Don't be silly. All Wii U owners are also 3DS owners

Pretty obvious, of course they want people to move to the Switch.. I'm sure Nintendo would like to see people that didn't own a 3DS or Wii U to get a Switch as well :p

Sure...

Lapsed DS gamers... They're not few!

A portion of them should return! The Pokemon Go effect on 3DS sales supports that.

Also, some lapsed wii gamers, which also are not few,. Switch unlike wii u is a huge evolution over wii  and doesn't seem to casuals like a peripheral to wii as wii u to wii... hahah

I hope that some of the hardcore gamers that had the revolutionary wii as a secondary console ( even if they purchased it first ) to come back too.

The capability of playing outside or anywhere inside you home, what you were playing on tv lying on the sofa,  makes the product very enticing.