Nintendo will work out when they'll have a decent launch lineup for 4DS, and then release it 18 months before that. Second quarter 2016 is my bet.
Mhhh, could be Q2 2015 for Japan and later for the west?
I think that the main "misteries" are related to:
- QOL: will this be an actual console? if so, will it be launched in 2015, right?
- Willl the "OS" mean very similar consoles, with the same power/games? if so, it would be better (possible?) to launch both 4DS and SuperWiiU at the same moment?
Yeah the 3DS only had 2 big games this year outside of Japan which is why it's not doing well despite having a killer year last year. Nintendo needs to learn how to support its platforms in the late stages. What they did for the Wii during its last 2 years or so should be considered a crime.
In any case, it would bum me out if the line-up you outlined was the 2015 line-up. It's basically just a bunch of localized year (or two) old niche games and a remake.
3DS isn't on fire in the West but I think that the YtD will still be somehow decent and that next year with the launch of the revisions and probably the price cut of the old models could be repeated. I don't want to provoce another "ok-good-bad" debate, I'd just say that launching a new handheld in 2015 would not be a better idea than continue supporting the 3DS with the launch of the N3DS, MH4G, FFExplorer, FFighters, YW, Steam, probably Zelda MM3D and Pokemiibo and so on (please note that we cannot judge the lineup now, we all know that especially for 3DS, especially from Nintendo, games could be revealed near launch)
seriously, with the N3DS launching next year in the West, I can't see them launching the 4DS too.