[quote name='omster']I guess they expected sales to be much higher.
http://kotaku.com/#!5795812
Probably due to lack of AAA games + price.[/QUOTE]
I again go to the point I made earlier in the thread, which is that the worst thing they could do was name this thing ANYTHING with 'DS' in it. The mass consumer has limited to zero knowledge of the fact that this is an entirely brand-new handheld. After the glut of 'new' DS models, people have been trained to assume anything new with 'DS' in the title is the same basic thing. Anecdotal evidence, but every person I talked to after I bought the 3DS asked almost the exact same question, which was "So, outside of the 3D, is there anything else different?". Zero idea that it wasn't just a DS that happened to have 3D now. This, frankly, is the first huge thing that Nintendo needs to address, especially with the OMGSOSHINY Sony handheld coming this fall.
On top of that, they're selling a (for lack of a better word) gimmick that you can only really experience by physically using a machine.
So, basically, you've got a $250 pricetag, a userbase that's been trained to assume that new models are nothing more than what they already have, a 'gimmick' selling point that can't be replicated by anything short of just playing the handheld, and a lack of anything with Mario or Zelda in the title. It's really not all that shocking that sales are below expectations.
Now, I'm saying that as someone who picked it up day-one, currently has four games for it, and sincerely loves the thing. Loves it. I'm sad that it hasn't really taken off. I can, though, understand why it hasn't... I just hope Nintendo does, as well.