Since fashion Doll Barbie made her 1959 debut at the American Toy Fair in New York City, N.Y., she’s been a powerhouse gold mine for the Mattel Company.

She’s done everything: gone into space, flown jets, been a veterinarian, a doctor, a teacher, and more. You name it, Barbie’s done it.

Now Barbara Millicent Roberts has a new item for her impressive resume: video game mogul. She’s collaborating with Xbox on creating an Xbox Series S console designed like her signature dream house.

Looking for Barbie and The Xbox

Casino Alpha reports that searches for “Xbox” rose 751% after the Barbie/Xbox mashup announcement. That’s seven times more than the usual average number of searches in one day.

It probably doesn’t hurt that Xbox offers a range of prizes that fans can win, including Xbox-themed Barbie dolls, that Barbie dream house console, and Barbie-themed wireless controllers. In fact, searches for the designer console have risen 933% worldwide. Online console photos have pushed searches for “Xbox Series X” up 121%.

Movies and Merchandising

Past Barbie movies went direct to video. The upcoming live-action flick, Barbie, will hit the big screen in July, starring Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken. But Barbie merch has been on the market for a long time.

She’s appeared — with and without Ken — on lunchboxes, notebooks, in coloring books, as a paper doll, and her clothing closet is legendary. According to Good Housekeeping, she’s had an estimated 1 billion outfits made for her since 1959.

Besides Ken, other members of Barbie’s “extended family” have also been popular. Her little sisters Skipper, Stacie, and Kelly appeared through the years, along with her English cousin Francie.

In 1968, Mattel introduced Barbie’s African-American friend Christie, who has been in the Barbie lineup ever since. Barbie friends also include doll versions of celebrities, including Cher, Elizabeth Taylor, Twiggy, and Niki Minaj.

Tudo Turicenau, CEO of Casino Alpha, says, “Barbie’s marketing push has created headlines worldwide with new collaborations being announced every day, from toothbrushes to Airbnb stays at Barbie’s house.”

Barbie is big business, no question. The doll sold 350,000 units in its first year of release, Good Housekeeping reported, and still sells a unit every three seconds somewhere in the world.

Changing With The Times

Barbie’s design and marketing team introduced novel and potentially controversial versions of the doll over the years, including Share a Smile Becky, who appeared in 1997 and used a wheelchair. Barbie has also been released with different body styles, including a “curvy” edition.

Earlier this year, CNN reported that Mattel added a doll with Down Syndrome to the Fashionista line, to help raise awareness, and so more children could have a doll that looked like them.

Before Barbie, children played with baby dolls and toddler-style dolls. Barbie introduced the concept of a young adult fashion doll, and she’s advanced and changed as the times have changed around her.

As more women entered the workforce, Barbie got in, too. In fact, she’s had over 200 careers, including several runs for president. According to Smithsonian Magazine, in 2021, Mattel introduced a six-doll line honoring those in research and on the front lines who worked to stop Covid-19.

Barbie The Gamer

Xbox is introducing Barbie’s and Ken’s movie cars for driving in-game on Forza Horizon 5. Barbie has a stylish 1956 pink Corvette Convertible, while Ken’s 2022 GMC Hummer is also available for play in the Xbox game.

Forza Horizon 5 also includes video features about the game’s creators and their connections with Barbie. The video is set to debut in a livestream from the World of Barbie on July 14 — a week before the film hits theaters.

Barbie’s and Ken’s onscreen outfits are also reflected in a line of interchangeable SCUF Instinct Custom Controller faceplates for the Xbox wireless adapter. Fans can choose from five designs to reflect their Barbie love.

Whether she’s tooling around in her Corvette or solving the world’s problems, Barbie has gained some serious street cred since 1959. She’s not just a chick in a striped swimsuit anymore. She’s a legitimate American pop culture icon.

This article was produced by Media Decision and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.