A Tooting web designer has defended his internet game where players can give their virtual character boob jobs and diet pills.
Creator Nicolas Jacquart said the new craze, missbimbo.com, is just "harmless fun".
The site, which currently has 199,918 registered users, describes itself as the first ever virtual fashion game.
It states the aim of the game is to "Become the most famous, beautiful, sought after bimbo across the globe."
Players must find their bimbo a place to live, a fun job, shop for the latest fashion and even resort to "meds" or plastic surgery to become the reigning bimbo.
They must also keep a constant watch on their bimbo's weight as under the site's rules contestants must keep their bimbo "waif thin".
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Gamers use virtual cash, which they can top up by with £1.50 texts or transferring funds, to pay for their bimbo's luxuries like hair appointments.
“The breast operations are just one part of the game and we are not encouraging young girls to have them.”
Nicolas Jacquart
The 23-year-old creator said: "It simply mirrors real life in a tongue-in-cheek way."
He added: "The breast operations are just one part of the game and we are not encouraging young girls to have them."
The French entrepreneur has also pointed out that the bimbos' happiness levels improve if they eat fruit and vegetables which he says reinforces a healthy eating message.
But the game has been criticised by parents' groups, healthcare experts and charities supporting those suffering from anorexia and bulimia.
They fear the website sends a dangerous message to the game's users - mostly girls aged between nine and 16.
Bill Hibberd, a spokesman for parents' group Parentkind, said young girls were unlikely to appreciate the game's irony and instead see the characters as cool role models.
It seems to me that the makers of this game are being very naive. I realise its marketed as just a bit of fun and nto to be taken seriously, but it seemd they havent taken into consideration how impressionable young girls are,as if the images portrayed in the media arent damaging enough already.I think its harmful. I just hope parents will be sensible and wont buy this for their kids
It seems to me that the makers of this game are being very naive. I realise its marketed as just a bit of fun and nto to be taken seriously, but it seemd they havent taken into consideration how impressionable young girls are,as if the images portrayed in the media arent damaging enough already.I think its harmful. I just hope parents will be sensible and wont buy this for their kids
This is ridiculous. Every single site that's been complaining about this 'serious issue' has conveniently managed to 'forget' anything remotely good about this game. If a little kid takes the site seriously can't the parents just get their kid off the site? Or are they more infuriated by their lack of control over their own children than the actual game?
This game is a blatant joke the entire way through and if someone somehow manages to miss that... wow. Just, wow.
The sites been shut down now.
Well done, suckers.
This is ridiculous. Every single site that's been complaining about this 'serious issue' has conveniently managed to 'forget' anything remotely good about this game. If a little kid takes the site seriously can't the parents just get their kid off the site? Or are they more infuriated by their lack of control over their own children than the actual game?
This game is a blatant joke the entire way through and if someone somehow manages to miss that... wow. Just, wow.
The sites been shut down now.
Well done, suckers.
Posted by: shak, nottingham on 12:26am Wed 26 Mar 08
I think if this game leads young girls onto a wrong path, then what about games that promote crime e.g dope wars. this is a game that deals with a huge amount of cash which you can use to buy drugs weapons etc and become a billionaire dealer. Also I would like to highlight that if such games are bad for the younger generation, then what about teaching children sex education at the age of 10-11. Is that acceptable?
I think if this game leads young girls onto a wrong path, then what about games that promote crime e.g dope wars. this is a game that deals with a huge amount of cash which you can use to buy drugs weapons etc and become a billionaire dealer. Also I would like to highlight that if such games are bad for the younger generation, then what about teaching children sex education at the age of 10-11. Is that acceptable?
As I recall, I wasn't even allowed online when I was 7,8,9,10 whatever years old because my parents knew what was on the web and were RESPONSIBLE. If you're letting your kid who hasn't even gone through puberty yet go online and not watch what they're doing, you're the real problem. There's a thing called parental controls. There's a few ways to do this. 1: Don't let your 'children' go online until they're old enough to know how to use it, 2: watch what your kids do online, 3: learn to use the computer yourself and the parental control settings it comes with. Simple. Don't moan and complain about 1 out of 1484973497359734 billion sites out there that can influence your kids. There's more than just the internet that can send the wrong message. I've seen cartoons on kids channels with graphics so detailed like large breasts on the women, evil eyes, swords and killing. Personally, I'd focus a little more on the killing and torture kids see these days on tv,online and in video games. So your kid learns about breast implants, do you think they're old enough to go get them? If they grow up and do get them, they're reversible and don't hurt anyone else but if your kid goes and kills the neighbor kid because they practiced so much on the video game you bought them for christmas, they have no more life and they live with that. You live with that. TV, magazines and even the kids your kids go to school with can influence them, it's up to you as parents to teach them right. If you can't do that on your own then maybe you shouldn't have children. It's a website, a game and it's not nearly as bad as some garbage out there so give it a rest and parent your child rather than expecting nothing but sunshine and lollipops online for them to learn from.
As I recall, I wasn't even allowed online when I was 7,8,9,10 whatever years old because my parents knew what was on the web and were RESPONSIBLE. If you're letting your kid who hasn't even gone through puberty yet go online and not watch what they're doing, you're the real problem. There's a thing called parental controls. There's a few ways to do this. 1: Don't let your 'children' go online until they're old enough to know how to use it, 2: watch what your kids do online, 3: learn to use the computer yourself and the parental control settings it comes with. Simple. Don't moan and complain about 1 out of 1484973497359734 billion sites out there that can influence your kids. There's more than just the internet that can send the wrong message. I've seen cartoons on kids channels with graphics so detailed like large breasts on the women, evil eyes, swords and killing. Personally, I'd focus a little more on the killing and torture kids see these days on tv,online and in video games. So your kid learns about breast implants, do you think they're old enough to go get them? If they grow up and do get them, they're reversible and don't hurt anyone else but if your kid goes and kills the neighbor kid because they practiced so much on the video game you bought them for christmas, they have no more life and they live with that. You live with that. TV, magazines and even the kids your kids go to school with can influence them, it's up to you as parents to teach them right. If you can't do that on your own then maybe you shouldn't have children. It's a website, a game and it's not nearly as bad as some garbage out there so give it a rest and parent your child rather than expecting nothing but sunshine and lollipops online for them to learn from.
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