| Stardoll | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Stardoll AB |
| Publisher(s) | Stardoll AB; Mattias Miksche |
| Engine | Adobe Flash |
| Platform(s) | OS Independent (Web Based Flash) (Flash 7 Required) |
| Release date(s) | 2004 |
| Genre(s) | Ages 8+ |
| Mode(s) | Superstar (Paid account) or Non-Superstar (Free account) |
| Rating(s) | 7/10 -Google |
| Media/distribution | Web interface |
Stardoll is a browser game for girls and boys based around the paper doll concept. Launched in 2004, the website was attracting a reported 200 thousand unique users a month (as of September 2009); as of September 2011 there were over 124 million users worldwide. Users can dress up dolls using a range of tools and can participate in interactive activities depending on the type of account they used. There are also "educational" games included in the site which are claimed to improve quick thinking.[1] Members can create clubs,In which they communicate with friends.
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Stardoll first appeared as Paperdoll Heaven in 2004 as the personal page on paper dolls of creator Liisa Wrang (a 57-year-old Finnish retired housekeeper[2]) grew from its original home on Geocities.[3] It expanded in 2006 after receiving venture funding from Index Ventures[4] and Sequoia Capital.[5] Relaunched in 2006, the site targets a demographic of girls and boys between the ages of 9 and 17, who can either register for free or sign up for a paid account (called a 'Superstar' account) that opens a number of aspects on the site.[6] The site also has user-run fashion magazines, clubs, instant messaging, and virtual shopping. Each Stardoll member is supplied with a personal page and message one another via a built-in chat. The site has drawn interest from celebrities and fashion designers, some of whom are represented on the site either as one of the figures that can be dressed up (such as Avril Lavigne and Hilary Duff)[7] or through use of their respective fashions labels.[8] It has been named a Webware 100 winner by CNET.[9]
Some critics of Stardoll and similar sites have expressed concerns with the commercial aspect of Stardoll.[10] The site has also experienced controversy around their use of celebrity likenesses without permission from the celebrities' management.[11]
In November 2011 the Stardoll by Barbie doll line was introduced. This contains eight different dolls, with two of them each being from the Starplaza stores Fallen Angel, Bonjour Bizou and Pretty 'N' Love, and the remaining two being from a new store called Doll Space. There were also three 'Hot Buys' fashion packs released. Each doll contains 100 stardollars and a weeks' Superstar subscription.
Well known people with verified accounts are identified as "Real Celebs" on Stardoll. As of the July 8, 2011 listing on Stardoll they included the following: [12]
Stardoll also makes one-off stores for various promotions like movies, TV shows, stores etc. and also makes 'Hot Buys' which are new items are released for a certain period of time. A new range of items is announced each month, and these items are often inspired by real life brands like Topshop, Forever 21 and H&M among other brands that include designer brands.
In the summer of 2010 and again in the summer of 2011 Stardoll released several couture shops that users could buy. Every shop item was superstar and highly priced; and are now highly valued, since each store was available for one month only. (List in order of shop release)