Topic: Is the 3ds Finally Dying?

The 3ds has been out for a long time and when the Switch started to become a huge success people would wonder if it was going to replace the 3ds. Nintendo then confirmed it would continue to support the handheld through 2019 and beyond, stated by Kimishima.
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2018/04/kimishima_says_ninte...
But I'm now starting to doubt that statement looking back now. Last year the 3ds did not get that many games.
An article was done by Kotaku with their annual series of consoles "The State Of" where they analyze what has happened throughout the current year for said console.
Link: https://kotaku.com/the-state-of-nintendo-3ds-in-2018-1830920352
Lets take a look of the games that were released last year for the 3ds:
January: Kirby Battle Royale
February: Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology
March: Detective Pikachu, The Alliance Alive
May: Dillon's Dead Heat Breakers, Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux
June: Sushi Striker: Way Of Sushido
July: Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
August: Wario Ware Gold
October: Luigis Mansion port
That about covers it for the notable games that were released last year. We got some new games but also some ports of existing ones. Notice how there weren't that many 3rd party games released, Atlus seems to be the only company supporting the 3ds this far into it's lifecycle. And the first party games are mostly remakes/ports along with some new titles.
Now let's look at this year:
January: Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey
February: Yo-Kai Watch 3, Etrian Odyssey Nexus
So far this year doesn't look so bad, until you realize there were no mention of the 3ds in the latest Nintendo Direct. I'm not sure whether we'll get another direct in the future or we'l just have to wait til E3 but I don't imagine we'll get many announcements then.
Another major thing to mention is the decrease in sales, both in software in hardware. The Switch has completely overshadowed the 3ds when it comes to hardware and software sales. Meanwhile the 3ds is getting worse, even in Japan where handheld consoles are most popular there.
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/01/disappointing_3ds_so...
So with the decrease in upcoming games, software and hardware sales, I think the 3ds is pretty much heading towards it's grave.
What do you all think? Please share your thoughts.

As 3DS will retired, for me it's the beginning of my journey to get Japanese Only 3DS games and two PAL games (Dillon's Dead Heat Breaker & New Style Boutique 3: Styling Star).

Wasn't there another thread like this somewhere around here...?

@Delibheel How recent was it? Cause you might be referring to my previous post on this topic i posted a while back https://www.nintendolife.com/forums/3ds/how_long_until_the_3ds...

@iLikeUrAttitude It's fine to use that one. The new limit for reviving old threads is a year from the last post.

@Octane Is there any reason for the change? I personally thought six months was generous.

@GyroZeppeli No, but any thread that's not been posted it for over a year should close automatically. At least, in theory, I don't think it has been put into effect. But it means users shouldn't be able to necropost anymore, and it saves us a lot of time arguing about when it is fair to revive a thread and when it isn't.

@Octane That’s a pretty good compromise. I still don’t really know where these users dig years old threads up anyway.

@GyroZeppeli Yeah, that's always a good question. I know some people use the sub-forums, and if you go to the Wiiware sub-forum for example, there are a bunch of old threads on the bottom of the page because hardly anyone uses it anymore.

The 3DS, like the DS, GBA and Game Boy. Like the NES, SNES, N64 and Gamecube, like all systems that sold millions of units and hundreds of millions of units of software, will never really die.

But it is on the verge or retirement. And no big surprise there, it is almost eight years old. How many other 8 year old gaming/computer devices are still being supported at this point? Not many. 8 years for an electronic device is like 80 years for a human.

All game systems go through the same essential lifecycle.
1. Launch until 5 years after launch
At the start they are a shiny new thing and people get very excited about them. Lots of software is released and lots of money is made.

2. 6 to 10 years after launch
Then something newer and shinier comes along and people start to lose interest. Machines start being passed down to younger siblings or sold to raise funds to buy a new machine. By year 6 or 7 the active user base consists mainly of kids who have not yet convinced their parents to buy them a new machine.

3. 10 to 15 years after launch
Then comes a few years in which the machine is almost totally forgotten. Software is no longer being released and the machine can no longer be bought in stores. This is the phase during which the machine and most of its games can be had very cheaply at yard sales and second hand stores because people are just getting rid of them.

4. 15 years and more from launch
Once a machine is about 15 years old it suddenly starts to become cool again. The people who owned it at launch become nostalgic about it and wish that they still had it. Others who are retro gamers start to become interested in it. The price of the machine and its games start to rise again. Copies of rare games in good condition become worth $100 or more. Usually these games were totally ignored because they launched in years 6-10 when people had mostly moved on to a newer machine.

We are obviously in phase 2 with the 3DS now. I am keeping my tub full of games, and still buying new releases in anticipation for Phase 4 I expect that some of the RPGs that I have on cart for 3DS (and especially Vita) will be worth a lot someday when collectors are going nuts trying to get them.

I'm more than happy with the 3DS. If it gets more (good) games i'll gladly buy but if it gets no more games i'll be satisfied with the current huge library of games.

Right now i have my eyes set on Kirby and Persona Q2 but i have a feeling these are the last two good games that will be released for the 3DS.

Is Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn still currently set to be the last Japanese 3DS retail release (Person Q2 already released there)? Or has a new retail release been announced since last I heard?

@Mrtoad
At this point we cannot say if Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn will be the last physical game in Japan. It is possible that some other games will be announced. It is also possible that Nintendo may have 1 or 2 more titles up their sleeve. If the Christmas season comes and goes with nothing new being released then I will admit that the 3DS is done as far as its game library goes.

Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn is currently set to be Nintendo's last game for the system. The likelihood of them announcing another one after that game is released is pretty low. Last month's Nintendo Direct was the first EVER "Nintendo Direct" (as in, not a Mini or a Wii U Direct or anything like that) to not feature the Nintendo 3DS at all. Sad as it may be, it looks like the transition period from Nintendo 3DS to Nintendo Switch is about to conclude.

Yes.

Owned mine since it released in 2011, and those past 8 years have been great.
There'a limit of what you can do with the same hardware for so long, and Nintendo really did their best.

Personally, I think that Nintendo with the 3DS should try and focus to casual gamers. Its simple design is one thing the Switch doesn't have. I think they could coexist with each other well.