On the October 24 episode of CBS' hit drama CSI: NY, the crime procedural will feature a murder investigation that meanders into the virtual world of Second Life.  Gary Sinise's detective will track a real-life killer all the way into the popular world of Second Life, a real online dimension where millions of users create avatars and co-exist in a fully functional civilization.  Second Life is actually one of the most interesting technological phenomenons of recent years.  For a fee of $10 a month, anyone can sign up for a Second Life account and fully immerse themselves in an entirely virtual world.  In a recent episode of Law & Order: SVU entitled “Avatar,” the NBC drama had a similar storyline which utilized an entirely imaginary online world.  CSI: NY, however, is using the real thing with Second Life's cooperation.

Second Life is freaking insane.  I only recently became aware of this phenomenon, and though at first it appeared to be just another MMORG (massive multi-player online role-playing game) like World of Warcraft, it is anything but.  Second Life isn't a game.  There are no points, no quests, no winners.  The craziest part of Second Life is that it contains its very own economy.  Not a fake economy, either.  A real one.  There are people who buy land, set up businesses and actually make money.  Sometimes, a lot of money. 

As part of the CSI: NY episode, fans will be able to follow a link on the CBS homepage to join a novice-friendly version of Second Life and investigate the case.  It won't be officially solved until an early February episode of CSI: NY, but this level of online interaction on TV crime procedurals has heretofore been non-existent.  CSI creator Anthony Zuiker explains his motivations for this project: "The days of watching TV at 9 o'clock on-air live are pretty much over with. We really have to figure out a way to make sure the younger generation and the older generation embraces the new way of how to watch entertainment, and that's cross-platform. And the best experience you can possibly have right now is Second Life."


-Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer
Source: PCWorld
(Image Courtesy of CBS)