The Pussycat Dolls began life as dancers before turning to pop

Hasbro said the group's record label Interscope had plans to market the band to a "much older target" than realised by the firm at the time of the deal.

The Pussycat Dolls hits include Don't Cha and Stickwitu.

The move comes amid criticism from US campaign group Dads and Daughters, who had complained about the doll deal.

'Unhealthy behaviour'

Joe Kelly, president of Dads and Daughters, which organised a letter-writing campaign to protest against the dolls, said he was pleased with the outcome.

"We asked Hasbro executives to imagine encouraging their own six-year-old daughters and grand-daughters to engage in developmentally unhealthy behaviour," he said in a statement.

"It appears they did that, and then made the right decision for their families, our families, and the company," he added.

The Pussycat Dolls burst on to the music scene in 2005, but had been together for ten years as a burlesque dance revue act based in Los Angeles.

The sextet soon made a name for themselves by inviting guest appearances on stage for the night - these included stars such as Gwen Stefani, Britney Spears and Pink.