Imagine Games from Ubisoft -- Bad Influence?

Odysseus 2

Anyone heard about those games from Ubisoft? You know, the ones that are called "Movie Star" and "Master Chief" and "Ballet Star"?

I tried playing one of these games. As a fifteen year old girl, I was appalled. It was like a total stereotype of what girls "should" like. How do they know I don't like Resident Evil like 99% of the population?

Coincidentally, I do like fashion games and girl games, but these Imagine games were just over the top. I mean, I play The Fashion Fantasy Game, but that's a game that actually teaches real fashion concepts and has a realistic simulation of the fashion business. But Movie Star kind of makes people think throwing up is necessary to be successful.

Helix

dont buy them then

jill_valentine

I used to work in a games shop, and to be honest, they do bother me a little bit. Everything about them makes me uneasy, and I didn't feel good about selling them.

Odysseus 2

I can't imagine selling one of these games either. It's like standing in the street handing out flyers about how "jesus will end the world in 2012". Can you imagine?

By the way, here's the link to the other game I was mentioning:

http://www.fashionfantasygame.com/

A lot of people say it's cheap, but hey, at least it offers something the Imagine games can't -- education.

Alice123456

I checked out the fashionfantasygame and it is truely the best! I can't believe how many different designs I can make...it's unbelievably awesome.
I entered the aprils fool day contest...vote for Alice. I even answered the quiz and got it right! There isn't anything like this game.:)

niallon

I die a little when I sell one of these, the latest abominations are "My Secret World" and "Imagine Boyfriend" amongst others, really terrible messages. The worst was Xmas 07 when Imagine Babies was being lapped up by kids as young as six or seven, do we really need to start preparing women for child care that young? Wrong...

jill_valentine

Oh Jesus, Imagine Babies, yeah. Honestly, I'd rather see a kid leave the store with Grand Theft Auto than Imagine Babies. There's just something really insidious and bleak about that whole series, but Babies is the most depressing.

robo

I have seen them in every game shop and wondered also would they be helpful to kids...now I know that Killzone, Residential Evil etc are not very productive or helpful for kids growing up, but I think those Imagine games are just as bad.

Odysseus 2

I just heard Ubisoft is coming out with a babysitting game of some sort. Excuse me, but wasn't babysitting once considered to be work?

BrianSmithee

What's the link to the Fashion Fantasy Game?

CiDeRmAn

One would assume the games in question are not, in any way, targeted at 15 year old women, like the OP, instead they are aimed at little girls who role play this stuff all the time.

Sure, we want to see girls grow up to have higher aspirations for themselves than "Fashion Model", "Ballet Dancer" or the rest, but everyone, as a kid, saw themselves in some fantasy role, be it Chef, Parent, Vet, Astronaut or simply a builder like Bob.

A bit of perspective here, I seriously doubt there are many children unable to say no to these games when they have finally outgrown them, plenty of other games for "tweenies" to play, be it Professor Layton, Final Fantasy or even Mario and the rest.

And I have never seen a 15 year old playing "Ballet Star", nor should you be playing Resident Evil though, it is 18's.

Aside from the legally binding age ratings on games there are no barriers to who should be allowed to play what.
And if the offending games didn't sell to a certain age group, almost cetainly the under 10's, then the company wouldn't sell them.

Really OP, don't be so touchy, no one is assuming you must play "girly" games, any more than I am precluded from playing anything except FPS and racing games, although, it has to be said, I love FPS and racing games!


And maybe the odd game of Nintendogs, just for good measure!



And the Babies game is just plain creepy, a but like the dancing baby that did the rounds a while ago, *shudder*

RedXIV

I was thinking about this, about how people are disagreeing with giving kids an idea of childcare at such a tender age. But weren't we selling them baby dolls for years before DS baby games? OP may not like these games but thats understandable, they aren't aimed at keeping her interest, they are aimed at a far younger generation. I was promoting the DS for Xmas and a HUGE number of parents bought games like that and when approached, one said "better this than that robbing cars game".

I can kinda see the logic now. Even if you disagree with the ballet and child minding games, they are able to teach far more socially acceptably lessons than the likes of GTA Chinatown.

To be honest, the most worrying thing to me in this thread was the fact a 15 year old girl sat down to play one of these games obviously geared towards smaller kids :P

Odysseus 2

Brian, here's the link:

http://www.fashionfantasygame.com/

Yeah, it's practically a MySpace page, but you know what? It still keeps me more entertained than any of those Imagine games. And it also teaches real fashion business concepts (but obviously school is the best way to learn fashion).

And I disagree with the guy who said Resident Evil is only for 18+. I played RE once and it didn't affect me, aside from scaring the sheet out of me.