Second Life is an online 3D digital world, which is imagined, created and owned by the residents. The gamers create virtual alter egos, called Avatars, which live in this imagined world. The Duran Duran band member Avatars have been commissioned - but not yet revealed - so that the band will be able to be seen performing inside the game.

"Second Life has brought a third dimension to the Internet; it is the new frontier where dreams have become reality”, says Duran Duran keyboardist Nick Rhodes in a statement on the bands official website.

"When the video revolution began we instantly saw the opportunity to experiment and explore a new form of expression to enhance the musical experience. Second Life is the future right now, offering endless possibilities for artists."

The project is, according to a website statement, the centre-piece of a new online strategy for the band designed by the London-based 3003 Group, Duran Duran's strategic marketing agency, which will also include a one-stop, global mobile downloads shop and a new, state-of-the-art band website, in the run-up to the release of their upcoming Epic Record's album in the New Year.

There are already companies taking advantage of the many commercial opportunities available in the virtual world of the Second Life. For example, American Apparel has had an exclusive offer only for Second Life Residents. When you make a purchase in the in-world American Apparel store, you’ll get a notecard in your inventory with a promotional code offering a real life discount at their online store.

More than 370,000 people have so far created Avatars for the Second Life. Second Life is a privately-owned, partly subscription-based 3-D virtual world, made publicly available in 2003 by San Francisco-based Linden Lab - a company that was founded by former RealNetworks CTO Philip Rosedale.

Related Links:

http://www.duranduran.com

http://secondlife.com

http://lindenlab.com