compare it to the GBA closer. In Americas (primarily North America), the GBA sells over 40 million. In Japan, it’s just over 16 million, same with Europe. It’s low because it only got 3 1/2 years before the DS came out, not exactly a long lifespan before the successor comes out. Now, the 3DS is over 5 and in Americas is 19 million, not even half of what GBA did, in Europe it’s 12, and in Japan, over 21 million. This thing only succeeded because of Japan. Take them out, and the lifetime numbers of just over 30 million in 5 years isn’t looking so great.

compare it to the Game Boy Advance, a system that only got 3 1/2 years before its successor came out, and the 3DS fails to reach those numbers 5 years later in every region except Japan. Japan is why this thing is so high, take them out, this thing is barely over 30 million after 5 years, not exactly a raging success.

The 3DS will fail to reach Game Boy Advance levels, a system that only got 3 1/2 years on the marketplace in every region except Japan, the smallest of the three. If it weren’t for Japan, the 3DS would have been considered a flop, barely topping 30 million after 5+ years.

most came from Japan, not the West, if it weren’t for Japan, the thing would be struggling in the 30’s right now.

As a hardcore PSP users, it was pretty sad for me to admit that these handheld consoles will soon become pretty useless. Tablets and even smartphones (if the screen is big enough) can do everything consoles do, alongside other extras. Yes, the 3DS might have something special, but let’s be serious, it’s way easier to play on a mobile device…

For Nintendo, the 3DS is about off 30 million units to its next lowest selling handheld. That doesn’t make 55 million a failure per se, just in relative terms to Nintendos high water mark. However, the Vita in the realm of video game hardware AND its creator being Sony. 10 million is qualifiably a failure. I LOVE MINE! However, sales wise, even with Sony pretty much abandoning it, it’s a failure commercially.

A device like the Vita in the hands of Nintendo might have had a very different kind of life.

I think that is insanely poignant. If Nintendo could have somehow, someway had the Vita hardware selling at 3DS price points we would be talking about a VERY different handheld world. With that monster list of releases you blasted off that the 3DS boasts on the beautiful, sexy Vita – it blows my mind!!