In its first quarter 2008 earnings call yesterday, toy company Mattel CEO and chairman Robert Eckert discussed, among other details, Mattel's BarbieGirls.com and the MMO's transition to a subscription-based model.

Originally intended as a vehicle to sell Mattel's Barbie Girl MP3 Player and promote the Barbie brand through other cross-marketing opportunities, the 'tween-targeted virtual world ran on a free-to-play, pay-for-goods model.

Though he declined to state any specific pricing for the new subscription model, Eckert acknowledged that the announcement will have to come soon: "Its one of those things where people are moving very quickly. I can tell you we will be competitive with our pricing but we don’t want to get out in front of it so that others can see it too soon. We’ve been studying it and I don’t think there’s going to be any big surprise in there for anybody."

When asked if he believed the business model transition and the phasing out of the Barbie Girls MP3 player would have a significant effect on Mattel's first and second quarter numbers, Eckert responded, "No, I think any impact will be minor."