GBC came out 8 years later, it was basically a brand new console. DSi is nothing like this, the "exclusives" it had could be largely ignored by the gaming public.
Xenoblade is already a bigger exclusive than anything dsi had. This is the equivalent of the 32x NOT a DSi.
This is spiltting the user base, which I guess to gaf is a no no to everyone but Nintendo. Maybe I am totally wrong and they just massively upgraded the specs to never make a good exclusive for the system, but sorry I am not that optimistic.
But the time EU/NA gets the New3DS, the 3DS ecosystem will be 4 years old - the life cycle of the GBA ecosystem, yet the 3DS ecosystem will still be continuing...
...great news to me!
I've been with 3DS since year one, still having kept my Ambassador status through several systems + transfers, I'm quite enamored by the new revision.
This means no more 'frankenstick' for MH, Xenoblade Chronicles on a portable and whatever mystery software they're cooking up.
This makes 3DS fresh - it's the revitalization for an aging system, proven by the existence of Xenoblade Chronicles, to still not be down for the count and ready to continue kicking ass.