BB goes VR

The Dutch TV production company Endemol has opened an office in Second Life. I think I already told you I was kind of a sceptical SL visitor, well: this makes me even more :-). Especially when I found out they are going to launch Big Brother there too...

That is right: the first project of Endemol in SL is a virtual and international version of Big Brother, starting 1 December. As from today, candidates can apply for the first virtual reality show ever. The winner gets a tropical island... in Second Life. If you're interested, you have to be willing to be online in the house for 8 hours a day. Every week, SL residents will be able to vote which three contestants have to leave the house, which is situated in SL on big Brother island (where else).

Visitors will be able to look into five transparant units, in which the candidates will be living. SL residents will be able to vote for their favourite contestant, listen to DJs, dance and meet new people. In the meantime, the contestants will be dealing with assignments, such as copy-constructing  famous buildings which will then be auctioned. The profits are to go to a good cause. In the real world, thank goodness...

According to Endemol manager Paul Römer "online communities are becoming ever more important and this project is an exceptional chance to gather information about the virtual world, which is to make it possible to create such communities in the future."

I am curious to see how this turns out. But for the rest I am definitely not interested in being a candidate. I already have a life. A real one, that is... :-)

[via]

Comments

[Sidney]

Your chance to have two lives... ;-)

[Serge]

Actually, Sidney, I am already having trouble enough leading this one life! :-)