Having made the decision to purchase a Nintendo dsi as a Christmas present, someone has told me Nintendo plan to discontinue the dsi next year. Does anyone know if this is true? If so, that brings me to wonder how long they will continue to make the games for - obviously don't want to buy something that can't be used in a year or so!

I thought they already discontinued the DSi and were concentrating on the 3DS

I doubt it.
For one it has only been out a short time and secondly the name "DSi Ware" would be rendered near redundant.
Plus it's one of the best ways to play DS games (D-Pad is amazing on it) as the 3DS' resolution is larger.

edit:
"In a statement provided to Eurogamer Nintendo denied that it has discontinued the DSi: "We plan to still manufacture and supply DSi consoles in a range of colours in the UK in 2011. On an on-going basis, continuing supply is based on retail and consumer demand." "

source: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-01-11-rumour-nintendo-...

The DS line like all game sytems before it will eventually be discontinued. However the PS2 lasted along time after the PS3 (I think its still going). So yes Nintendo will discontinue it, when? Only Nintendo knows.

As long as the line remains profitable for Nintendo to produce (and based on the Black Friday numbers, that answer is yes) and developers continue to support the DSi, whether through retail releases or DSiWare (and considering we're still getting 2-3 DSiWare releases a week, that answer is also yes), the DSi will still survive. It will eventually succumb to the 3DS line, no doubt about that now that the 3DS is becoming a success, but for the foreseeable future it will be on the store shelves.

Thanks for your replies. The present is for someone whose ds lite has broken and wants something she can use her present games on, as well as mess around with the camera element, but obviously I want to know new games for continue for a while longer! She doesn't seem to be interested in a 3DS, so this seems the perfect option!

Even if they discontinue the DSi, I wouldn't worry about not being able to find games for it as there's a wealth of great games everywhere you go.

Hey, what's that?
Oh, it's an eBay~

the DSi will be around for as long as that system and the games are available for it. it's been an amazing success so far. long may that continue.

Until a 3DS redesign gets here, no.

Fixed it for ya.