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‘B Bucks’ – buy virtual Barbie Girls gear

June 10, 2008 By

Mattel have started to offer a subscription option for its Barbie Girls virtual world. There are literally millions of active users now so Mattel will be hoping a decent percentage of those will beg their parents to fork out US $5.99 per month to be able to customise their avatars more and spend the ‘B Bucks’ their free account has earned.


(Image from barbiegirls.com)

If you were ever in any doubt about the momentum of virtual worlds, you only need to spend a little time perusing the pre-adult offerings to know where the future lies for online social interaction.

Let’s hear your thoughts – would you pay out for your child to access Barbie Girls VIP? And if not, why not?

A heads-up to GigaOM for the original story.

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Filed Under: Alternatives, General News Tagged With: ,
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  • http://metaverse.acidzen.org dandellion Kimban

    Hardly that I am restrictive in many ways, but Barbie World is a place I don’t want to see my kid. Not even for free. When I heard of the place for the first time, I wasn’t lazy, so I registered and took a short peek in there. And raised many questions and doubts.

    In short, Barbie World is a terrifying world where new generations of consumers are grown. All the creativity is killed and there is even censorship over the chat. No, I really don’t want any kid to play in the world where all the things s/he can say are predefined 60 sentences, most of them containing TM sign.

  • Sara Shatsky

    No, I am not even 13, but since I am a child, I might provide a bit more of an insight. In the SuperB chat, you are not allowed to say any brand but Barbie. They only allow “barbie”, and a few greetings. The outfits are tacky and bad. The outfits they wear are skimpy and their bodies are non realistic.

  • Kani

    My name is Kani, I’m 11 years old and I live in Peru.I absolutely dislike BarbieGirls. First of all, you can’t buy anything unless you’re a V.I.P , which I can pay for, but with $72 bucks per year, I could get the pink Polaroid digicam I’ve been saving for.GOSH! As Sara said, they’re bodies are non realistic! They seem to be a short,tween version of Jessica Rabbit. I would never pay six bucks for a virtual world!

  • http://www.yahoo.com nayra rios

    why cant barbiegirls vip be free can i try it i want it really bad

  • KELSEE

    I THINK V.I.P SHOULD BE FREE

  • dindy

    twtdy

  • Molly

    The VIP thing is so stupid.. why would anyone want to pay 72$ for a virtual, non-realistic,skimpy barbie doll. Also, non VIP’s should be able to atleast buy some colthing, but thats just me. I tryed barbie girl and it SUX

  • Alice

    Girls 6- 13 years old are being transformed into complete monters. I am just 11, a juvenille youngster going in the 6th grade. The avatars there dress there in short, tight clothes with sex involved. Either there butt is sticking out to make others jealous or the breasts are too large. Even thought it is a virtual game the effects are very harmfull. The girls will start texting at a young age

  • meera

    hi i wont free v.i.p but i will be v.i.p now pleaz do free for people pleaz??????????

  • tomeka

    I ent Payin Shit for A Website,thats a fuckin rip-off its still gay even bein a vip,Nerds only do that

  • zidhna

    y cant we be vip for freeeeeee?????

  • http://barbiegirls.com alita

    i wish barbie girls V.I.P was free,i mean it's so boring if your not a V.I.P and my parets are not in a mood
    to pay and says”no”.I WISH IT COULD BE FREE!!!!!!

  • http://barbiegirls.com alita

    WHY CANT IT BE FREEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • http://barbiegirls.com alita

    WHY DO THEIR BODIES NEED TO BE REALISTIC?THEY ARE ANIMATION!!!!!

  • http://eduplace.com/ Jessica

    i think vip should be free! because it's not fair to pay money and in barbie game there alot of clothes and pets and presents! so i want all girls to be vip for free! right girls!

  • Leanne

    Don't ever give the money you collected using ur whole lyf. Think b4 u do anything. Your parents worked hard you're just going to pay too many money just for an online virtual world. Im 11 y/o and from South korea.

  • http://www.barbiegirls.com nadine

    hay girls
    i want to help u all

    so,i will give u a vip account
    screename:texaschick08
    password:ok.:)hehe
    secretanswer:texas

    i hope that this too enough for helping !! thx
    for any questions my email is:
    ndoush2000@yahoo.com

  • http://www.barbiegirls.com nadine

    okay girls i think that ur happy now and u got free v.i.p from me luv ya yall!!! be happy if u need sth ask me for help

  • leanne

    thanks nadine

  • http://www.metaversejournal.com/2008/06/10/b-bucks-buy-virtual-barbie-girls-gear/ bea

    nadine please give me a VIP pls email it on me plaese i love barbie girls~!
    please
    please
    please~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!

  • Barbie Girls Team

    To all the people who are non vip just please shut up.

  • saras

    well thx

  • karen

    i am not so sure why everyone is against the vip. it cheaper than buying a magazine. my daughter is 6 and loves it when we play barbie.com together. she is learning that to buy new clothes ect she has to earn the money through finishing the games ect.
    i enjoy spending time with her playing in this virtual world. i like that messages are kept to barbie talk only, no one can say stupid things to my daughter, all vip players are equal.
    i think all the negative comments from children are because they dont hve vip access. sorry guys but my daughter and me love it.

  • sara shatsky

    They might be animation, but if that Barbie was brought to life, she would be way to skinny and hardly real.

  • MEMEBEE4

    i need help the password does not work please help me

  • sara shatsky

    That sounds wonderful!! If you and your child enjoy it, you should keep doing that. I am just speaking my opinion.

    Sara

  • Kaylee

    i think it really unfair that they dont let pepole that arent member be to play and buy a pet a be a vip! I think that soon no one is going to go on because it is going to get boring after a while! Then they will lose buisness! so i think they should let everyone be a vip!

  • Kaylee

    my mom is going to write to barbiegirls.com and complain !who knows they might give me a free account because my mom complained! i think you should also gie it a try!

    Peace<<<<333333

  • Kaylee

    well your account is banned so i cant go on!

  • http://www.t8.com.au katie

    i think that it is relly silly to have vips but it very fun but i don’t like paying

  • http://www.t8.com.au katie

    who made that rule

  • http://www.t8.com.au katie

    cool i am so makeing my mum do that i hope we are in luke
    are you an v.i.p?

  • http://www.t8.com.au katie

    no way

  • http://www.t8.com.au katie

    you must be a great mum

  • http://www.t8.com.au katie

    no

  • http://mataversejournal.com princessalexa

    yes your right

  • http://mataversejournal.com princessalexa

    it is banned from barbiegirls

  • megan

    why cant barbiegirls V.I.P be free cause it gets really boring sitting there doin nothin ad most girls get sick and tired of it.

    LIKE BORING!!!!!

  • megan

    its not free thow.

  • Paula

    hello, Nadine.
    My name is Paula
    Please, helpe-me, give-me a new vip account because this is invalid, my email:
    cap.almeida@hotmail.com

  • bri

    your person is banned so no i am not happy

  • kamryn

    can u send me another v.i.p. account the other one does not work any more

  • http://www.ubergizmo.com kiran

    can you please make the screename and the password easier. and not for free. and that not fair. can you pleaseeeeeeeeeeee make a barbie girls for free or I am going to complained.

  • nobody

    what happened with it?
    good luck (finger crossed)

  • jasmine

    i get the whole point in paying.its sooo freaking boreing! iam gonna do a test that will be spread ALL over the net.
    reply yes if you want us to pay for vip member ship
    or type no if u dont want us to pay for vip member ship.
    my vote:NO!!!
    -jas
    p.s. i hate mattel! they get enough money already! sharletains!

  • Pingback: Virtual Worlds and Australia 2008 Part 1 : The Metaverse Journal - Australia’s Virtual World News Service

  • Anonymous

    SHURUP

  • Anonymous

    I LOVE BARBIEGIRLS BUH I REALLY AM A V.I.P

  • Butterfly22344

    The Barbie Girls site does have a lot of cool features and stuff to do for little girls if your just bored at home or something. Though there is some sticky parts with this site. For instance, “Guys” on barbie, since when is Barbie for boys and girls? Last time I checked the website, it said “Hottest online hangout for GIRLS.” These “guys” will be on Barbie Girls and they will go over to random girls and say “Wanna go out?” Then the girls most of the time say yes! It really irritates me though there's nothing I can really do except report them, doesn't do much. Also the SuperB Chat feature blocks a lot of words, which is okay, but it blocks harmless words, even the little emoticons now. Anyway, most of these girls use the words that you can say to make mean words or comments, which is possible. For instance they type “Bit~, Shout up, etc.” Then I report them =) It's probably because of these people that the site blocks mostly every word you can think of. I wish that these little brats wouldn't have to act like this on the site. If you use BarbieGirls.com my name on it is Butterfly22344, look me up if you can. =D

  • u dont neeed to know

    that is not that true i am only 10 but every one has there opinion so think what u want but rember it is not only ur opinion that count ok.PS:My name is cassie berisford and i live in ohio.

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