Ty Girlz was one of the first virtual worlds targeted towards young girls. It was launched in April 2007, as an extension of the Ty Girlz range of dolls. Essentially, this is a collection of dolls accompanied by an online virtual world. Every Ty Girlz doll comes with a unique code which can be used to activate an online account at their web site. This opens up an all new virtual world for users of Ty Girlz dolls. If somebody purchases another Ty Girlz doll, it will be added to the existing account and the user will also get a bonus, which will allow him/her to avail some services or buy some goodies for the dolls.
Ty Girlz targets young girls between the age group of 5-9 years. Young girls are absolutely smitten by the virtual world they see replete with cute little things like trendy clothes, salons and boutiques where they can try new hair styles, their own room for Ty Girlz dolls and what not. However, most of these features are recent additions. Prior to this, the virtual world was fairly empty and lacked the vibrancy and color that it has today. Besides this, the original form of the Ty Girlz did not go too well with parents for they found the dolls to be a bit too trashy. Their clothes were skimpy, loud and not suitable for little girls.
However, over the years this has been consciously toned down and the Ty dolls have become appropriate for the age group they target. To ensure that parents have no objection to their kids playing with these dolls, the company has also taken some other measures. Online accounts are only activated once a confirmation e-mail form the parents account is received.
Ty Girlz also regulates the kind of vocabulary used in the virtual world. Only a predetermined set of phrases and words can be used. This is done to make sure that no abusive terms are used anywhere. Thus, Ty Girlz has made every possible effort to make their dolls more acceptable to parents. However, parents still seem to have some reservation about the whole concept. Dolls with names like Sizzling Sue and Dazzlin' Destiny dressed in miniskirts with the latest hair styles and jewelry just doesn't seem like the ideal game for little girls. It is only obvious that parents will be apprehensive about the values that their kids are learning at such a tender age.
If we set aside these concerns, the virtual world offers a lot for young girls. Nearly everything starting with the hair to the clothes to the shoes excites them to no end. There are tons of clothing options like a princess dress, the school look, the casual look etc. There is a separate code for clothing which comes with the physical dolls and activates the clothing options in the online virtual world.
The users can then shop all over the virtual world and it is precisely this thrill for clothes that keeps little girls addicted. To buy these clothes, one has to win games and earn virtual money. These games are fun and make the experience more enjoyable.
If you haven't fallen in love with this virtual world just as yet, then there is more to come. Little girls also get their own rooms, which can be decorated with colorful and adorably cute furniture. Users could build the room of their dreams.
Other than the huge cute factor, Ty Girlz's game plan ensures that users don't get bored and keep returning to the virtual world. The all too alluring fashion goodies can be bought by Ty dollars (or Ty $, as the makers put it), and the fastest way to earn those dollars is by winning games.
The virtual world, along with the dolls is a hot favorite among young girls. They love the dresses, the hair, the games and their fairy tale like world. Ty Girlz does well to maintain their interest, despite the fact that the virtual world could use some daily spicing up or regular updates. The major problem with the Ty Girlz is how parents react to the dolls and the values they preach. But if parents can negotiate the value system offered by Ty Girlz, it can be a whole world of exciting fun for young girls.
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