Barbie Fashion Designer is a dress-up computer game developed by Digital Domain and published by Mattel Media for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS in 1996.[1] The game allows players to design clothing and style outfits. Players can then print off their designs and create clothing for their real-world Barbie dolls.[2]Barbie Fashion Designer was the first commercially successful video game made for girls.[3][4] After its success, many other girl games would be made, leading to the girls' games movement.[3]
Players can design clothing and outfits through selecting different themes, clothing, colors, and patterns from various menus. Once players have designed their outfit, Barbie models their outfit on a 3D runway.[4] The software also came with special paper-backed fabric, markers, and fabric paint so that the designs could be printed off and made into clothes for real-life Barbie dolls.[2] The game complemented the way young girls already liked to play with their Barbie dolls and this has been said to have led to its success.[4]
Release and receptionedit
Barbie Fashion Designer was the ninth best-selling PC game of 1996 in the United States, with 393,575 CD-ROM units sold[5] and $14,044,994 sales revenue.[6]Barbie Fashion Designer went on to sell over 500,000 copies in its first two months of release and over 600,000 within the first year of its release, outselling other popular games at the time such as Quake and Doom.[3][2][4] According to PC Data, which tracked computer game sales in the United States, Fashion Designer sold 351,945 units and earned $14 million by the end of 1996. It was the country's sixth-best-selling computer game of that year.[7] Commenting on its performance that year, a writer for Next Generation wrote that "Barbie Fashion Designer has done an excellent job at expanding the market and scored well with the female population."[8] It was also the top-selling SKU for Christmas 1997.[9] According to Joyce Slaton of GameSpot, "Mattel's successful innovation [was] placing Barbie Fashion Designer on toy aisles rather than in the boy-dominated software section in toy stores".[10]
Despite this success, the game has received criticism for using stereotypical feminine themes. Purple Moon founder Brenda Laurel has said the game “…perpetuated a version of femininity that was fundamentally lame”.[11] However, its commercial success made it a catalyst for the girls' games movement and proved there was a market for video games designed for young girls.[4][3]
Jan Davidson of Davidson & Associates said of the game, "It's interesting how that product sold more in a shorter time than any other product in history, including the best selling games! And it's just a niche for girls (there aren't too many little boys playing with that title, I don't think). So that tells you something. It was an incredible hit from a sales perspective. It also tells us how licensed characters can sell product."[12] In 2023, the game was inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame.[13]
^"Barbie Fashion Designer (Mac)". FEMICOM. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
^ abc"Barbie Fashion Designer CD-ROM". Bullock Texas State History Museum. www.thestoryoftexas.com. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
^ abcdDickey, Michele D. (September 1, 2006). "Girl gamers: the controversy of girl games and the relevance of female-oriented game design for instructional design". British Journal of Educational Technology. 37 (5): 785–793. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8535.2006.00561.x. ISSN 1467-8535.
^ abcdeCassell, Justine; Jenkins, Henry (1998). From Barbie to Mortal Kombat: Gender and Computer Games. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press. ISBN9780262032582. OCLC 42328580.
^Miller, Greg (March 3, 1997). "Myst Opportunities: Game Makers Narrow Their Focus to Search for the Next Blockbuster". Los Angeles Times. from the original on May 18, 2016.
^. Next Generation. February 26, 1997. Archived from the original on June 6, 1997. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
^. May 20, 2001. Archived from the original on May 20, 2001. Retrieved May 12, 2018.
^Slaton, Joyce. . GameSpot. Archived from the original on February 13, 1998. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
^Donovan, Tristan. Replay: The History of Video Games. Yellow Ant. 2010.
^. 2000-08-16. Archived from the original on 2000-08-16. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
^"World Video Game Hall of Fame Inducted Games". The National Museum of Play World Video Game Hall of Fame. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
Further readingedit
Carpenter, Nicole (July 3, 2023). "The untold history of Barbie Fashion Designer, the first mass-market 'game for girls'". Polygon. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
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Barbie Fashion Designer is a dress up computer game developed by Digital Domain and published by Mattel Media for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS in 1996 1 The game allows players to design clothing and style outfits Players can then print off their designs and create clothing for their real world Barbie dolls 2 Barbie Fashion Designer was the first commercially successful video game made for girls 3 4 After its success many other girl games would be made leading to the girls games movement 3 Barbie Fashion DesignerMac OS cover for the gameDeveloper s Digital DomainPublisher s Mattel MediaPlatform s Microsoft WindowsMac OSReleaseNovember 1996 Contents 1 Gameplay 2 Release and reception 3 See also 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External linksGameplay editPlayers can design clothing and outfits through selecting different themes clothing colors and patterns from various menus Once players have designed their outfit Barbie models their outfit on a 3D runway 4 The software also came with special paper backed fabric markers and fabric paint so that the designs could be printed off and made into clothes for real life Barbie dolls 2 The game complemented the way young girls already liked to play with their Barbie dolls and this has been said to have led to its success 4 Release and reception editBarbie Fashion Designer was the ninth best selling PC game of 1996 in the United States with 393 575 CD ROM units sold 5 and 14 044 994 sales revenue 6 Barbie Fashion Designer went on to sell over 500 000 copies in its first two months of release and over 600 000 within the first year of its release outselling other popular games at the time such as Quake and Doom 3 2 4 According to PC Data which tracked computer game sales in the United States Fashion Designer sold 351 945 units and earned 14 million by the end of 1996 It was the country s sixth best selling computer game of that year 7 Commenting on its performance that year a writer for Next Generation wrote that Barbie Fashion Designer has done an excellent job at expanding the market and scored well with the female population 8 It was also the top selling SKU for Christmas 1997 9 According to Joyce Slaton of GameSpot Mattel s successful innovation was placing Barbie Fashion Designer on toy aisles rather than in the boy dominated software section in toy stores 10 Despite this success the game has received criticism for using stereotypical feminine themes Purple Moon founder Brenda Laurel has said the game perpetuated a version of femininity that was fundamentally lame 11 However its commercial success made it a catalyst for the girls games movement and proved there was a market for video games designed for young girls 4 3 Jan Davidson of Davidson amp Associates said of the game It s interesting how that product sold more in a shorter time than any other product in history including the best selling games And it s just a niche for girls there aren t too many little boys playing with that title I don t think So that tells you something It was an incredible hit from a sales perspective It also tells us how licensed characters can sell product 12 In 2023 the game was inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame 13 See also editList of Barbie video gamesReferences edit Barbie Fashion Designer Mac FEMICOM Retrieved March 31 2018 a b c Barbie Fashion Designer CD ROM Bullock Texas State History Museum www thestoryoftexas com Retrieved March 31 2018 a b c d Dickey Michele D September 1 2006 Girl gamers the controversy of girl games and the relevance of female oriented game design for instructional design British Journal of Educational Technology 37 5 785 793 doi 10 1111 j 1467 8535 2006 00561 x ISSN 1467 8535 a b c d e Cassell Justine Jenkins Henry 1998 From Barbie to Mortal Kombat Gender and Computer Games Cambridge Massachusetts MIT Press ISBN 9780262032582 OCLC 42328580 Screen Digest Screen Digest 1997 p 132 Top Selling CD ROMs Ranked by Unit Sales in 1996 The Wall Street Journal Almanac 1998 Ballantine Books 486 11 November 1997 ISBN 9780345405210 Miller Greg March 3 1997 Myst Opportunities Game Makers Narrow Their Focus to Search for the Next Blockbuster Los Angeles Times Archived from the original on May 18 2016 1996 PC Best Sellers Next Generation February 26 1997 Archived from the original on June 6 1997 Retrieved November 2 2018 GrrlGamer GameGrrl May 20 2001 Archived from the original on May 20 2001 Retrieved May 12 2018 Slaton Joyce The Games Girls Play Who Says Girls are Afraid of Mice GameSpot Archived from the original on February 13 1998 Retrieved November 2 2018 Donovan Tristan Replay The History of Video Games Yellow Ant 2010 A Conversation With Jan Davidson 2000 08 16 Archived from the original on 2000 08 16 Retrieved 2020 11 01 World Video Game Hall of Fame Inducted Games The National Museum of Play World Video Game Hall of Fame Retrieved 5 May 2023 Further reading editCarpenter Nicole July 3 2023 The untold history of Barbie Fashion Designer the first mass market game for girls Polygon Retrieved July 10 2023 External links editBarbie Fashion Designer at MobyGames Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Barbie Fashion Designer amp oldid 1165558454, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
