Miss Bimbo
I keep an eye on virtual worlds for kids, as I think they will have a huge impact on online activities and expectations that marketers will need to be aware of. However, Miss Bimbo, as shown all over the BBC TV and the press yesterday, is probably the worst that I’ve seen. Most games targeted exclusively at girls are fashion, shopping and gossip based, usually tied into dolls or some other toy, but Miss Bimbo takes the style to an extreme. In the quest to be the ultimate bimbo, players are offered drugs in the form of diet pills and plastic surgery. This is a game aimed at 9-16 year olds. It boasts a quarter million registered users in the UK which is actually quite small in this space but has only been going 2 months; in France, where it has been live a year, they have 1.2 million. Interestingly, this is the first virtual world I’ve seen that is looking for a link exchange, with their call for ‘partners’.
There’s 2 elements at play here. The first is the responsibility of the site owners in putting out a game that pushes an extreme body image as the one that wins and pushed extreme methods to get there. Why could they have not put in mechanics that meant you won by eating balanced and sensibly and exercising. The second is the company reaction to the bad publicity. One of the founders said he had never considered a negative impact on players, which shows either an astonishing naivity or the blindness that comes with the idea that online worlds for kids make money. Later news reports indicate that the company were going to consider the gameplay, but no confirmation of changes or regret of their choice of options in the game. Given all the publicity yesterday, I’m betting that there will be a few parents checking computers today to see what their kids have got up to. My advice, show them a healthy online game, like World of Warcraft ;)
i love the game and tnk its great
I LOVE THE GAME!!!!!!!
missbimbo.com is a great website! its all a joke, if a kid takes it seriously, so the parent starts complaining, its the parent’s fault! who owns the computer? the parents. who can restrict and allow? mom and dad (or dad and dad, or mom and mom, or just mom or just dad, u get it..) so if u dont think some1 should be on this website then dont allow ur children on it! another thing, the exact media that discusses, and pushes on diet pills, ect… (which are no longer on the website bytheway) is angry bc when some1 else says it, they think its bad, but if they say it it sokay?! no. so the media just should ignore it, and let the website die on its own. do u really think my kids will play it one day? prbly not, but dont ruin aother people’s fun! i just got to level 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;)
`Maddieeeee
What’s really disturbing is the fact that little girls are playing this and thinking there is nothing wrong with it. Take the post above. Obviously a young girl or a very slow adult. Either way a common user of the aforementioned site, I’m sure. Take the name itself. Miss Bimbo. Do we really want our 9 year olds to strive for the title of Miss Bimbo. The subconscious message of this site is to work hard at being vapid, beauty and thin obsessed. To strive to get a rich boyfriend at any extreme? This site is disturbing to say the least.
Kristen, I agree. Looking at the comments, there’s a media literacy issue going on as well. It may be a great game, and I’m not denying that the gameplay and interaction may be wonderful, the activities it encourages you to think about are worrying.
I agree with what “Maddie :)” said, but we need to take something into our hands. It is kids playing the game, not parents.
Ive never played this game, but i still am not sure why ppl are having a problem. This game sounds just like when ppl were saying that rap music was making kids do drive by shootings. Or have you ever heard of the bratz dolls, do you want your kid playing with a brat. It’s the same sort of thing. People have to have something to complain about, this is just the latest. And think of all the publicity the site is getting(considering that i never heard of it before this, lol).
Big deal. So its an extreme dress-up game. I don’t see boys playing Halo and running around thinking they are Master Chief. And what a weak alterante suggestion author. Yeah and World of Warcraft is so much better. Lets kill monsters and chat with strangers for 12 hours a day. Those are wholesome values too and a much better alternative to a fake dress-up game. Gimme a break….
And yeah, I looked at BOTH games. And the key word here is GAME. Parents should be teaching any game is just a game and not reality and anyone who thinks a game somehow relates to reality needs a checkup ASAP.
I have kids and they dont play either of these 2 games because I actually monitor and control what they are doing online. Maybe you parents should try that sometime instead of crying about all the inappropriate stuff on the internet.
hi (N) goodbye
I did some analysis using Hitwise Internet usage data and users of this site do skew towards younger women. More here: http://weblogs.hitwise.com/robin-goad/2008/04/miss_bimbo_who_is_visiting.html
Why is the media making such a big deal outta this? I havn’t played the game before, but as a teen, i personally woulnd’t be inspired to get plastic surgery coz of a game. Its just like a barbie doll you get to dress up and create. let the kids be!
I remember when Fox showed Maple Story as such a sell-out game…
I know Miss Bimbo is inappropriate for kids. But if you think of it this way, you probably won’t complain as much:
Kids need to know that Miss Bimbo is just a game (not real). And if they don’t, parents need to teach them it is. It’s just like boys playing shooting/violent games but nobody’s really complaining… So are you saying that boys can handle things better than girls do? Girls tend to preform better than boys. Their maturity level, intelligence, and discipline… are about 2 years ahead of boys. So parents just have to teach them the reality and the bias behind all of this.
Andrew,
I agree with you that parents need to be involved with kids (especially pre-teens) on line but one of the issues is that some parents really have no idea about the online world (for example, yesterday’s reports on social networks, children and parents complete ignorance about these services). That lack of knowledge can lead to a lack of guidance. It may be easier to keep them away from ‘adult’ sites (there’s software tohelp with that) but their expectation may be that a ‘kids’ site is OK.
Which brings me back to the game design; I do believe it was irresponsible of the designers to do what they did. They too hold a duty of care in this situation.
Overall, media literacy is low; if it wasn’t, spammers and phishers would have a far harder time. It does not help that the mainstream media attitude is usually to spread fear rather than try and educate.
ME PERSONALLY I LOVE THE GAME AND THERE IS NONTHING WRONG WITH ME IM STILL IN SCHOOL BUT IM IN HIGH SCHOOL SO ITS OK WITH ME BUT WHAT PARENT WOULD LET THERE 9 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER PLAY THIS GAME EVERYBODY IS MAKING A FUSS ABOUT THIS GAME WHEN REALLY THEY SHOULD BE LOOKING AT THE PARENTS THERE LOOKING TO BLAME SOMEBODY WHEN THEY SHOULD BE BLAMING THEMSELVES LETTING THERE CHILD PLAY A GAME CALLED MISS BIMBO ITS NOT RIGHT AND THEY NEED TO STOP I LOVE THE GAME IM IN TO FASHION AND DRESSING UP AND BESIDES ALL THESE VIOLENT GAMES THESE BOYS PLAY WHY ARENT THEY ON THEM CALLING IT INPROPIATE GET OFF THE GAME STOP LOOKING FOR PEOPLE TO BALME PARENTS GET ON YOUR JOB AND WATCH WHAT YOUR KIDS ARE DOING ON THE INTERNET
Oh COME ON! Its a game! sure it promotes things! but they are “VIRTUAL” That is why its called a VIRTUAL GAME Virtual meaning NOT REAL! Besides like others have said, Its the kids playing and the parents can stop them from doing that! Media needs 2 get over it!
This is the shit i love to play this shit all the time i like to get bigger boobs everyday
Does anyone know how I can access this game?? I don’t think anything is wrong with playing this game. Television shows “Bimbo’s” all the time…with thier implants and money and sex…….so whats the difference between this game and what the media displays in everyday life??? Get over it and let people have fun!!
i agree strongyl it’s not a big deal it’s just a joke.. i love playing virtual games online… i mean it’s fun completing challenges it doesn’t have anything to do with real life unless the age group is relaly young and kids are impressionable.. it’s like playing with your dolls basically. my lifestyle is nothing similar to what missbimbo.com has.. it’s a silly game where u can pretend to do whatever u want. regardless i do go tanning get my hair done a lot and like to shop. .there’s nothing wrong with that but i think the plastic surgery is a little controversial.
i lov miss bimbo. but l think they sould make an age limit, so that little peeps don,t go on an see the amazingness!!!!!!!!!!!!
i think it is veryn gd and i am glad someone made it lol x
this website is amazing i like it so much :) keep it up
has anyone seen the new changes on Miss Bimbo? they have made it look more cartoonish, and even though I used to love playing it, it now seems too creepy because the dolls are young and yet their boyfriends look like they can be their fathers…some grandfathers :/
I love MISS BIMBO