The dating and relationship stuff you mentioned before – does that include virtual sex?
Yes, it does. There are specific adult-rated areas, such as strip clubs with pole dancers, and folks can get naked here and use something called ‘pose balls’ which are animations of different sexual positions. It’s even possible to purchase add-ons for your character, and yes, these can include the bits you’ll need to make sexual experiences look more realistic (or more fantastic, depending on your whim).
Okay. So this isn’t a game for kids, is it?
Indeed, it’s adults only, but there’s a teen version of Second Life (http://teen.secondlife.com), which is strictly for 13 to 17 year olds and obviously lacks the mature content. It’s also closely supervised.
How much does it cost to play?
A basic account is free, all you need is a computer and a broadband internet connection. You can sign up here and join Second Life’s resident population of 1.3 million straight away. While there are a fair few freebies for the new player, you’ll soon come across many items that require cash to purchase, and to acquire the world’s currency you’ll need to fork out some real world US dollars (converted from pounds on your credit card). How much you spend is entirely up to you.
Also, if you want to buy plots of land in the virtual world, you’ll need to upgrade to a premium account, which costs $10 (about £5) per month. Oh, and if you get virtually married and want a divorce, that’ll cost you $25 (£13). Who’s betting Paul McCartney wished he lived in Second Life?
Published on 22 June 2007
