Did you know there's actually a Barbie MMO? BarbieGirls.com is the kinda thing that makes hardcore gamers groan, but there is -- a pink-festooned, dolls-getting-manicured, 'tween girl-focused MMO, and moreover, it's ridiculously popular. In its first 60 days, it signed up three million users. Now it's up to four million -- that's half of what Second Life has drummed up in its entire lifespan -- and growing at a rate of 4500 a day.
In order to play the full version, you've gotta buy a Barbie-shaped MP3 player (shown) that acts as a USB key. It costs $59.99. Would you buy this for your kid (even if it's a theoretical kid as of yet)?
Not to be left out of the competition, the freaky skank dolls of Bratz are getting in on the action with Be-Bratz.com, another 'tween girls' virtual world with a real-world component -- you buy a $29.99 Bratz doll-slash-USB key, and it comes with some pink computer peripherals (a mouse and pad) that look like Japanese sex toys.
As nauseating as the whole bubblegum-fashion explosion for adolescent girls can be to us "mature" adults, you can't fault Barbie for keeping up with the times. These virtual worlds for kids -- the things I've been looking at on Worlds in Motion like Habbo, Puzzle Pirates, Nicktropolis and Toontown -- are absolutely huge, able to generate way more hits and user activity than even the most popular MMO targeted at our set. This is big biz to corporations and advertisers right now, but even if it weren't, I guess it's sorta cool to see the evolution of the way children play with dolls keeping pace with technology. The coolest part, though, is the comments I sometimes get on my Worlds in Motion articles:
this site is very cool i like it the only problem is with many of us girls is that some of us cant afford to get the barbie beta mp3 player and that sucks when we play the game because we dont have the codes i think it would be much better if we did not have the codes to put in i really want a pet and i cant get it and maybe some new different looking cloths PLEASE PLEASE TAKE LET US AT LEASE GET A PET WITH OUT THE MP3 PLAYERBratz should be illegal, though. What kinda 'tweens dress like that?
