Look Out Webkinz, Here Comes BarbieGirls

I've written previously that my kids love Webkinz, and that I'm pretty comfortable with the site.  Sometimes the kids offline Webkinz obsession can lead to some troubling behavior, but overall I'm okay with this Ganz product.

I am not yet completely sure how I will respond when my daughter asks for a BarbieGirl, however.  According to this article in the New York Times, Mattel is jumping on the web enabled toys bandwagon in a big way with this new line.  Their concept is essentially a BarbiePod – an MP3 device shaped like a doll (not a fully bodacious Barbie, but a more modestly proportioned young chicky) complete with earphones and a dock that allows you to interact with the website.  The site is already up, but many of the interactive features and games will only be accessible with the purchase of the toy.  The starter rig will go for a hefty $60, and of course there are add-on outfits that will unlock further web content.

Do I really want Barbie and her corporate handlers plugged directly into my daughter's brain? Some people evidently do.  Over three million people have already registered on the website, although the toys are not yet or sale and Mattel has not advertised the site at all.  Such is the power of the Barb.

We'll give BarbieGirls a full review on DadLabs in August.