Mattel today brought its venerable Barbie doll family to the Internet, unveiling a family of Barbie dolls that also function as MP3 players and Mattel hopes, drive traffic as well as money to a new free web site www.barbiegirls.com. The new family dubbed Barbie Girls, includes a hand-held, four-and-a-half-inch MP3 player that connects to a free Web site. The site will let kids to create and interact with virtual characters who shop, decorate, play games and chat live with other girls.
The MP3 player, which also comes with accessories, will be available at retail stores July 1 for $60.Mattel hopes that by blending girls’ love of music, fashion and the Internet; it will keep 10-year-old girls interested in the iconic name and away from rivals such as MGA Entertainment’s sassy Bratz dolls – a line of big-headed, skinny dolls with scant, trendy clothing and Apple’s iPod music players and Ganz’s Webkinz, furry animal toys that come alive online. Anticipating the inevitable privacy and content concerns Mattel’s site says: ” Our sophisticated word filter keeps this chat appropriate for girls and prevents personal information – such as your child’s name, phone number, and address – from being given out to anyone unknown to you.” Mattel says the site employs a limited vocabulary of 2,000 words the girls can use so that sexual language, profanity or hurtful words such as “stupid” or “hate” can’t be used.
