Photo: Mattel
We all know Barbie to be the doll who can do and be anything. Barbie’s been a dentist, an astronaut, a teacher, a fashion designer, a vet?she’s done it all. But it wasn’t until now that Barbie got into game developing.
That’s right?Mattel has now joined the 21st century and has released a game developer Barbie. She comes complete with a tablet, laptop, headset, a realistic outfit and the coolest glasses. Her desk setup is pretty sweet too: He-Man and She-Ra action figures are lined up on her shelf, she’s got a mug ready for her coffee or tea, and her screen displays an awesome new game she’s working on (it even shows some of her coding!).
This is a huge improvement over Mattel’s 2010 release of Computer Engineering Barbie, which was a massive disappointment. Not only did Computer Engineering Barbie come equipped with pink everything (headphones, computer, glasses, EVERYTHING!), the doll came with a book called Barbie: I Can Be a Computer Engineer. Its anti-feminist undertone drew unwanted attention for Mattel that lead the company to issue an apology for publishing it in the first place. The book portrays Barbie in a negative light as she gives Skipper a computer virus and seeks out the help of two boys for her school project (ugh!). A page from I Can Be A Computer Engineer. Photo: Mattel
Mattel has finally got it right. Game Developer Barbie is an independent woman who doesn’t need boys to help her....