Barbie Girls

From FAS Virtual Worlds Almanac

Barbie Girls
Developer(s)	Mattel
URL	http://www.barbiegirls.com
Software license	Proprietary
Status	Active
Setting	Fantasy
Platform	Web Browser

Use and Demographics
Primary use(s)	Community, Marketing
Target Audience(s)	Girls, Children

Features
User-generated content	No
Property/Object Ownership	Yes
Land Ownership	No
Private spaces	Yes
In-game currency	No
Real Money Trading	Yes

Graphical and Content Features
Physics-based	No
Complex 3-D, such as a realistic human body	No
Scripting for objects	No
Duplication of content for multiple users	Yes

Communication
Text Chat	Yes
Private Messages	Yes
Can block users in text chat	Yes
E-mail Integration	No
Voice Chat	No

Management and Privacy
Code of Conduct	Yes
Moderators	Yes
Chat Logging	Yes
Age Restrictions	Yes
Age Verification	Yes
Privacy Policy	Yes
Restricted Access in Designated Areas	Yes
Communication Filtering	Yes

Contents 1 Screenshots 2 References 3 External Links 4 In the News 5 Scholarly Research 6 Communication

Screenshots

References

External Links

In the News

• Stefania Olsen, Barbie's last online stand?, CNET News, 18 May 2007.

Scholarly Research

Communication

Communication in Barbie Girls is heavily regulated, in order make the virtual world safer for children. There are three modes of chat: B, Secret B, and Super B. In B chat, users can only choose from a pre-written list of statements, and are unable to create new questions or responses. In Secret B chat, which is between two users who have registered their physical Barbie Girl devices with software on one of their computers, users can create their own messages. However, Secret B chat messages are filtered automatically for content. In Super B chat, any two users can create their own messages which are then filtered for content; however, parents can choose to disable this function. Both of the filters are designed to prohibit the exchange of personal information (such as telephone numbers and addresses) as well as topics which Mattel has deemed inappropriate for this age group.