GoLive MystiKats complicates playing dolls

These days Engadget is a male-only operation (it wasn't always that way), so unfortunately we don't have a female perspective on 21st century dolls. That said, based on our thick-skulled testosterone-infused research, we've just come across a new concept doll that strikes us as a bit too involved for a toy that can be perfectly enjoyable even when simple. The new GoLive MystiKats Interactive Fashion System combines regular dolls, a dock, and a proprietary handheld media player that takes "themed cartridges." (According to the company's site, each of the four characters have particular powers, like telekinesis, which were bestowed upon them by a mysterious "kat" on their 18th birthdays.) Once you place a doll in the dock (or to use the company lingo, the "GoLive Share"), then connect the media player, the doll will "come to life," allowing you to play with the doll, um, on a TV screen. But there's one catch: the "interactive game play" only lasts for five hours. Now we're no experts, but we'd be willing to bet that we easily spent more than five hours interacting with our analog He-Man and G.I. Joe dolls action figures as kids. However, maybe that's the whole part of the shrewd plan: suckering parents into buying more cartridges. Either way, GoLive MystiKats are supposed to be available online and in stores for $100, but it's unclear how many accessories you'll get for that single Benjamin.

[Via GizMag]

[Tek @ Oct 5th 2006 1:37PM]

I think what they could possibly mean for "5 hours" is "5 hours worth of gameplay." You can only change a hairstyle, shoes and outfit so many times with the presets before you've exhausted the options. I don't understand why doing any of this on a TV screen is more exciting. Part of the fun of "playing dolls" is that you can make them slap other dolls, cheat on husbands, drive away in expensive cars, and cook in gourmet kitchens without any computing in "real time" with "interactive" features from your friends' dolls. It'll be gimmicky enough for girls to want it for all of one month, but it won't last enough for thousands of separate cartridges to sell.

[Matt @ Oct 5th 2006 1:38PM]

i hate dolls

[Mills @ Oct 5th 2006 1:49PM]

can someone say creepy? just look at that little girl.....

[RedBull Runner @ Oct 5th 2006 2:14PM]

Hmm, special powers given to them on their 18th birthdays... by a "kat"... umm... does one of those "powers" go something along the lines of being legal?

Just wondering.. :)

[Pete @ Oct 5th 2006 2:14PM]

Ahhhh, the childhood memories of playing dolls with my sister....my Transformers interacted surprisingly well with her Barbies :-)

[John Stracke @ Oct 5th 2006 2:17PM]

I, for one, welcome our new robotic overdolls.

[Camp @ Oct 6th 2006 4:40AM]

Get that ghey overrated Slashdot joke off of Engadget now kthx.

[telepheedian @ Oct 5th 2006 2:46PM]

So can it design web pages?

[Joe Smith @ Oct 5th 2006 4:14PM]

Or Doom?

[Benson Leung @ Oct 5th 2006 4:58PM]

I'm very confused... isn't GoLive an Adobe trademark?

[Sarah @ Oct 5th 2006 5:14PM]

I like the concept of a technological doll marketed to girls, but seriously, there are about a million more engaging ways to combine what amounts to a video game and a doll than a "GoLive Share" (what 7-year-old kid is going to respond to that sort of obtuse marketing-speak?!).

Next time they should try partnering with Nintendo DS and make a game/doll combination that's actually innovative (the DS Lite already comes in a cute shade of pink).

Oh -- and by the way, the misogynist tone to some of the comments here is pathetic and lamentable -- Engadget crowd, you can do better.

[Pete @ Oct 5th 2006 3:08PM]

But does it run linux?

[laura @ Oct 6th 2006 10:21AM]

i agree with sarah that there are much better ways to integrate tech into toys than this weird doll. btw, couldn't they make the doll prettier and less sleazy looking?

[80sBaby @ Oct 10th 2006 1:25PM]

These dolls look a lot less sleazy than the Bratz dolls! And isn't it about time that they start creating toys that don't take ALL the imagination out of playing.

[Regina @ Nov 16th 2006 6:10PM]

As a mother of 2 girls (3 and 5), who love their Mystikat dolls, I think that this toy idea is great. I too don't like the idea behind Bratz. I agree that they are sleezy, and won't let my girls get any. But the Mystikats are very classy, and they love the styles. My girls love video games, but are too young to play most that are on the market. They are either too complex or way too mature and contain content that they are definitely not going to be exposed to any time soon. This toy seems to give them a video game that they can grasp, and also gives them the dolls that they love so much. I already have doll packs reserved for my girls for Christmas.

[pat @ Dec 26th 2006 12:56PM]

Regina do your daughters dolls actually work? I purchased the Kalani for my daughter and the TV component does not respond at all I pit new batteries and followed all directions. I tried it on different TVs in my home it still does not do anything on the TV but tell you to put the doll in the chamber which we have done several times.My daughter is in tears because of this toy I cant seem to reach anyone at the manufacturer I just feel like my daughters christmas was ruined.Please
advise if you can maybe we are doing something wrong.

Thanks
Pat

[hong kong phony @ Nov 17th 2006 12:46AM]

This isthe worst piece of garbage ever invented. What makes them think that a girl is gonna spend five hours of their life everyday dressing their creepy, MystiBratz dolls on tv rather than dressing them with their actual dolls in their hands. Someone should grab that little model girl with the Andre the Giant hands and use it to Iron claw and choke the hell out of the creator of this God awful horror piece. Jesus!

[Claire @ Dec 1st 2006 12:20AM]

The fashion design on these dolls are horrible. The idea is horrible because "why would I buy this when I already have a Gameboy and a PSP?" $100 for a videogame system without third party support is too expensive when I can get a DS for like $20 more and have a wider library of video games that last longer than 5 hours. And what's with the whole pedo side of this? Why do they get magical on their 18th birthday? Talk about catering to the pedophiliacs out there. It's bad enough that these Bratz dolls are promoting our daughters to dress like hoes, now they are making them age rapidly for the dirty old men! Ewww! I bet the games suck too. Considering the designers are probably sexist pigs, they think that us girls are dumb idiots who would want to play mall shopping games or random puzzle games. Why can't these corporate zombies see that girls play games too? These Bratz dolls suck!

[Claire @ Dec 2nd 2006 2:19AM]

By the way... here's their commercial:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tV-m7gEYLK4
Doesn't it sound like a transvestite is talking? I dunno... It's kinda ickie...

[laineysmommy @ Dec 29th 2006 8:04AM]

I am having the same problem with the Siva doll I bought for Lainey. I too tried the customer service # and wasn't even able to leave a message much speak with a customer service rep. I am wondering if mabey no one was there because it's the day after Christmas.

[avasmom @ Jan 12th 2007 2:24PM]

I have bought, returned, and purchased another Siva for my daughter. When we insert the cartridge, it tells us to put the doll in the docking station, but nothing happens. It seems like the infrared eyes aren't working. The handheld unit seems to work fine, the doll has the correct clothes on, we have new (duracell)batteries...it all should work. This is the same problem that I had with the first one I purchased, so I wonder if I am doing something wrong.
Thanks for any help you can provide.

[Laura @ Jan 13th 2007 8:03PM]

These dolls are junk. We are now on our third mystikat doll and it isn't working properly either. I expected to get a higher quality product for the amount of money I spent.

[Peter @ Feb 3rd 2007 3:31PM]

We had the same issue and returned the doll...it is Feb. 2 and they claimed it was shipped two weeks ago! I will be contacting the CA Attorney General's Office next week if no reply. When you call their 800#, it's option 5 then LET IT RING TILL AN OPERATOR PICKS UP! Email [e-mail]! Let them know what's going on! Parents of crappy products unite!

[toy package @ Mar 23rd 2007 8:21PM]

As an ex-employee of Playhut... Let me tell you that these dolls are absolute crap! I would not recommend anyone paying $100 for a toy that does not work. (and the company does not plan on fixing the problem) Not to mention almost the entire company is run by a bunch of morons. One of the most unethical & unprofessional places I've ever worked. I'm not surprised the person in the last comment above me mentions that they have not received their products. The owner is a lair, he likes to rip people off and should be in jail. Beware of any Playhut products.

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