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Activision plays with Barbies

By Tim Surette, GameSpotPosted May 23, 2006 10:30 am PT

Publisher dresses up deal for game-making rights to Mattel's popular brand; Activision will also republish older Barbie titles.

Activision's recent wheeling and dealing has netted the company a superspy and a superbabe. Just weeks after acquiring the rights to the James Bond license from Electronic Arts, the company has signed on another big-name license--albeit one on the opposite side of the spectrum.

Santa Monica, California-based Activision today announced that it has signed a multiyear agreement with toy company Mattel to make games based on the world's best-selling doll, Barbie. The license was previously held by Vivendi Games. Five games have been announced to fly under the Activision banner as part of the deal. Two of the games will be all-new and are expected to be released this fall, and three will be reissues of previous Barbie titles.

The Barbie Diaries, released earlier this month on DVD, will be the foundation of a new PC and Game Boy Advance game, and Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses will be the setting for a new PlayStation 2, PC, and GBA game. The three rereleases include Barbie Fashion Show, Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus, and Barbie Beauty Boutique--no specific platforms were mentioned.

No pricing or rating information on any of the games has been released.

45 Comments

  • gnbfd

    Posted May 27, 2006 1:17 pm PT

    Why not just buy the rights to Barney & Friends?

  • aponly

    Posted May 24, 2006 10:50 am PT

    Both of my girls (aged 8 and 3), love the Barbie computer games. The more I get them playing, the less my wife will bother me with playing too many games, because she will see the whole family being assimilated into gamerdom.

  • NeoJedi

    Posted May 24, 2006 9:02 am PT

    Activision is acquiring a lot of big name franchises and are getting bigger and bigger every day.

  • rvinsc

    Posted May 24, 2006 7:48 am PT

    Only kids would like to play that, I'd never buy any Barbie crap.

  • Narwaffle

    Posted May 24, 2006 1:38 am PT

    I'll have to buy it straight away!

  • Angel_Belial

    Posted May 23, 2006 8:07 pm PT

    What is it with people? Oh yes, it's such a crime to release games that actually suit what a lot of young girls are interested in. Come off it. This is a good way to get females playing video games - you know, by actually making them feel included in the market.

    I don't blame girls for liking what they like, such as Barbies and girly things...after all, those are the things they're encouraged to like from birth, just like boys are encouraged to like guns and super heroes.

    Guys are always complaining that there should be more female gamers out there, but the replies I've read to this news article certainly contradict that. Good on Activision, I say.

  • nintendorocks

    Posted May 23, 2006 8:01 pm PT

    Why would Activision even want the Barbie liscence? I really doubt those games sell. Not many girls who play with Barbies are also interested in video games.

  • nacho4511

    Posted May 23, 2006 7:43 pm PT

    wow barbie. I wonder how many eight year old girls own a game system????????

  • TryMe01

    Posted May 23, 2006 5:59 pm PT

    thats great if GameSpot have to review them!!! lmao!!!

  • marc_man3001

    Posted May 23, 2006 5:36 pm PT

    Score for activision? lol

  • smbius

    Posted May 23, 2006 4:55 pm PT

    If Activision makes a gripload of money with Barbie...so be it...fine.

    they just need to use the revenue and 95% of their resources to make good games. Barbie can be crap since tons of Babie fans will buy it.

  • Bombbay12345

    Posted May 23, 2006 4:25 pm PT

    Do people actually play Barbie games?

  • WolfSkill5544

    Posted May 23, 2006 3:45 pm PT

    OH MY GO!!!! They are gonna spend that much money on making Barbie games, instead of focusing more in new and better games.
    That's so lame. Now I see why some companies lose so much money by end of their fiscal year.

  • Kasrkin_BA

    Posted May 23, 2006 3:25 pm PT

    If they made a 'Barbie: Fight to Hell' then I'd buy it. Imagine playing Barbie while fighting demons and infamous evil people like Hitler, Genghis Khan and Sarah Jessica Parker. The possibilities are endless with a license like that!

  • mumotuma_man

    Posted May 23, 2006 3:16 pm PT

    why make barbie games? thats not even the same audience... very few seven-year-old girls like video games... i dont see the logic...

  • EvanO_O

    Posted May 23, 2006 3:09 pm PT

    Barbie Horse adventures FTW!

  • sstravisd

    Posted May 23, 2006 2:43 pm PT

    Barbies? WTF....

  • Strike_Zer0

    Posted May 23, 2006 1:24 pm PT

    Whoa screw saving for a PS3 I'm gonna save for this instead! XD

  • LordsWarrior

    Posted May 23, 2006 1:20 pm PT

    Ok.....own up...whos tracking this game?

  • JLCrogue

    Posted May 23, 2006 1:07 pm PT

    I can't wait to play with my barbie!! ROFLMAO!!... jk

    Barbies are for n00bs!

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