THE SIMS VERSUS BARBIE DOLLS - E3 FOOD FOR THOUGHT

THE SIMS VERSUS BARBIE DOLLS ....food for thought as we head into E3 week in Los Angeles.....Welcome to the New Dollhouse by Seth Scheisel in The NY Times talks about how more girls are abandoning their dolls and playing games like The Sims online. Here are links to other studies on this phenomena:

barbieinablender.org/ gallery.php

Barbie in a blender...a study in free speech....and a symbol of the future of Barbie? Mash-up/mix-up Barbie --- just as all toys and games will be in the future -- or even are [email protected]!

Girl Gamer Website Interview

New Persuasion: I Love My Shrinky Dinks

However, a full 75% toys featured at 2006 Toy Fair had microchip . newpersuasion.typepad.com/new_persuasion/ 2006/03/i_love_my_shrin.html - 41k - Cached - ABCNEWS REPORTS: .

The good news is that as microchips have come down in prices, toy makers are able to make more advanced toys that are still affordable. At least 75 percent of the toys at this year's event will have some sort of microchip in them. Watching how parents spent more than $200 on iPods for their children has given toy makers more confidence in offering higher-priced toys packed with high-powered technology.  AND THESE TOYS ARE NOT CHEAP....

"Let's Dance" Barbie doll $54.99. Butterscotch, the 40-inch robotic pony from Hasbro Inc. is priced at $299.99, while Lego Systems Inc.'s Mindstorms NXT !

While Mattel Inc.'s "Let's Dance" Barbie doll will be priced at an affordable $54.99, other toys will be priced over $200. Butterscotch, the 40-inch high robotic pony from Hasbro Inc. is priced at $299.99, while Lego Systems Inc.'s Mindstorms NXT a robotic kit that enables the user to create an even more powerful robot than the original Mindstorms introduced in 1998 will be priced at $249.

Mattel Barbie Talking Townhouse.

Barbie Talk With Me Telephone Answering Machine

Barbie Photo Designer Digital Camera & CD-ROM.

Barbie Sing With Me Microphones BE-113

Barbie Cool Looks Fashion Designer CD-ROM

Barbie Bake With Me Oven

Barbie Secret Talkin Electronic Scrap book

Barbie Rock 'N Roll Radio House

Barbie Talk With Me Telephone Answering Machine

Plus the most popular game EVER (The Sims) owes its popularity almost entirely to WOMEN ... I want to see young girls playing games as much as young boys do ... www.gamegirlz.com/spotlght/grrl-gamer.shtml - 25k - Cached - Similar pages Differences between guy and girl gamers examined - Joystiq However the trends of girls playing videogames are increasing every year and If ... EA tried to can The Sims numerous times before launch, and it would have ... www.joystiq.com/2005/09/22/ differences-between-guy-and-girl-gamers-examined/ - 90k - Learn A New Language While Playing <i>The Sims</i> : Diggers Realm Edutainment has been around for awhile, but The Sims and it's following of players just seems like a perfect match for learning a new language. www.diggersrealm.com/mt/archives/000609.html - 51k - Cached - Similar pages» 2006 » March Will Wright, creator of the Sims and the soon-to-be-released Spore, ... As we play, we learn. And as we grow, our play gets more complicated. ... dream.sims.berkeley.edu/~dperkel/wordpress/?m=200603 - 17k - MORE BARBIE DOLLS CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET THAN HOUSES BBC News | The Economy | Guru predicts web surge Cached There are likely to be more Barbie dolls connected to the internet in ten years than Americans," he said. Everyday products such as doorknobs could be ... news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/the_economy/521065.stm - 24k - SUPPORTING THAT FORECAST: From About.com -- back in 2000: "the latest tech toy is the Barbie Magic Genie Bottle and CD-ROM that lets girls interact with a 3-D adventure game using a Genie Bottle connected to their computer." WIRED: February 20, 2004 -- more than 70 percent of all toys at the NY Toyfair include a microchip. Cached - Similar pages Associaed Press 2/22/2005: industry analysts estimate that at least 75 percent of toys debuting this year will have a microchip. Jim Silver, publisher of the Toy Book, a New York-based industry magazine, now calls the toy business "the family entertainment business." "The lines have blurred between toys and electronics," he said. Cached - Similar pages