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Get ready for Miss Bimbo

Miss Bimbo challenges girls to make their bimbos beautiful - by any means.

In today's Guardian, Karen McVeigh delves into the controversy surrounding the internet game Miss Bimbo,

in which girls as young as nine are encouraged to "buy" their virtual dolls breast operations and facelifts.

Well, despite the protestations of its creators who adamantly insist that it's 'harmless fun', the first thing I was struck by when logging into the service was that my bimbo, a looker kitted out only in her white knickers, was already almost a stone overweight. How to cope? By popping diet pills or checking into the plastic surgery clinic, of course.

Fat has been a gaming issue in the past (see Keith's take on it during the launch of GTA: San Andreas), but that game was intended for people over the age of 18. Miss Bimbo, which has already caused a massive outcry in France where there are 1.2 million people playing it, has amassed a following in the UK of 200,000 9-16 year olds.

What responsibility do developers have to a game's audience?

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