Kotaku: imagine babies

Casual Gamers? Serious Business

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 07:00:00 MDT

Casual gamers want better! Their expectations are becoming high says Ubisoft. According to the company's Games For Everyone executive producer Pauline Jacquey, it's competitors that are raising the stakes. Says Jacquey:

When you’re reaching out to somebody who plays one or two games a year, it’s very easy. You don’t need to follow the rules of previous markets. But as they play more and competitors emerge, you have to rethink the way you do the games. The casual audience is becoming more demanding, for sure, and we need to make sure we’re proving more than what they’re anticipating... Young girls, for instance, are now used to games that are made just for them – and have started thinking they want something better.

Imagine Babies, anyone? Anyone?

Casuals Demanding More [CasualGaming]

Win Imagine Babies From Girl Gamer Mag

Mike Fahey — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 10:20:58 MST

Hey girls! The second issue of Future's Girl Gamer - the UK's first Nintendo-centric games magazine for girls - is coming this March, and have they got a contest for you! Within the pages the pink titled magazine with its pink DS sporting cover girl is a giveaway that you can't afford to pass up, considering your unique role in populating the planet. They're giving away 10 copies of Ubisoft's ~~pet~~ baby simulator, Imagine Babies, along with a shiny new and most likely pink DS to play it on. Combine it with the cover story on Cooking Mama, and you'll snag yourself a husband of strong breeding stock in no time! Hit the jump for the cover in all its glory, along with a little more exposition.

I had no clue they were even doing a Girl Gamer magazine in the United Kingdom, much less one with a pink title and a focus on the Nintendo side of gaming. According to a press release issued by the company, "The debut issue, which was distributed in November proved a fantastic success with readers and software publishers alike". Indeed the launch went so smoothly that we weren't even aware it happened. I am assuming they kept us out of the loop in order to secure valuable girl secrets that we men just couldn't handle.

UK Kotakuites can look forward to seeing the latest Girl Gamer packed in alongside other quality girl publications, such as Panini's Bliss aimed at 12-16 year old girls, and Mizz for the 10-14 set. About the right time for ladies to put aside those hopes and dreams and start picking out baby clothes.

I know what some of you are thinking here. Promoting a game about making babies and being a good mother to children at such a young age in a magazine that tosses around more pink that an explosion at the Pepto factory might give girls a jaded view of the potential they have to do great things in the world. Poppycock I say! What bad could possibly come from teaching young girls about raising babies?

Girls So Want Babies, Clothes and Cooking

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 01:00:40 MDT

Remember Ubisoft's ~~propagation of female gaming stereotypes~~ Imagine series for the DS? Sure ya do! According to French publisher Ubisoft, in-house research showed that pre-teen girls were interested in things like fashion, cooking and caring for animals and babies (and probably baby animals). The Imagine series is aimed at 6-14 year-old females. According to Ubisoft's Shara Hashemi:

We did research, and we are studying the market... that's what the girls actually like, so we should try to fulfill their needs... Those games were really designed for young girls who are just looking for fun games and ways to explore their favorite hobbies... From what we've seen, [the girls] didn't mention anything about being a police officer.

Thus, later this month will see clothes deigning and photo shoot coordinating Imagine: Fashion Designer, cooking with gas Imagine: Master Chef, sick animal vet sim Imagine: Animal Doctor and baby-sitting title Imagine: Babyz. (See that? See how they changed Imagine: Babies to Imagine: Babyz?) Next March, Ubisoft will release another DS title, Imagine: Figure Skater, and there are plans to expand to the Wii. According to Hashemi, "The games are built on ideas and concepts that every girl can relate to and they allow girls to expand their creativity while they're learning real facts and real-life concepts." Can't wait for Imagine: Glass Ceiling!
Ubisoft Talks Imagine [Multiplayer]