NEW YORK: Global news and information company Reuters Group Plc. is opening a virtual news bureau in the simulation game Second Life, an online world with a thriving economy and thousands of virtual citizens.
Reuters is opening the bureau as part of its strategy to get into new digital platforms to deliver next generation news and information to its clients.
Reuters said it will start publishing from Wednesday text, photo and video news from the outside world for Second Life members and news of Second Life for real world readers who can access it at: http://secondlife.reuters.com/
Created by Linden Lab in San Francisco, Second Life is claimed to be a parallel universe on the internet. Like the city-building game SimCity, Second Life is a virtual, three-dimensional world where users can create and dress up characters, buy property and interact with other players. There are some 900,000 users of the site, who have signed up to build homes there, create societies and live out alternative versions of lives they imagine to live -- in a three-dimensional, computer-created scenario.
The players spent an estimated $350,000 every day at the site, which allows the players to buy and sell goods and services using a virtual currency, called Linden Dollars. There is an online marketplace allowing the users to convert Linden Dollars into real dollars, which is a source of earning real money out of the game.
Reuters said its correspondent Adam Pasick, who is based in London, will be its virtual bureau chief for Second Life. He will be represented by an animated character, called Adam Reuters, in keeping with the game's naming system.
Several corporations like Toyota, Sony BMG, Sun Microsystems and CNET are among those participating in Second Life. Adidas and American Apparel sell virtual clothes and accessories.
Reuter newscasts can be accessed by Second Life citizens using the Reuters News Center, a mobile device that users can carry inside the virtual environment. There will be reports on the economy and cultural activities in Second Life as well as links to Reuters news feeds from the outside world. Second Life residents can also discuss the stories at a facility called Reuters Atrium, which is essentially a community center, with other members of the community.
