BBC to open "Second Life" for kids

The British Broadcasting Company (BBC) will be opening an online world aimed at children from seven to twelve year olds. Much like the much publicized Second Life online world, the BBC version, called CBBC World, will let kids explore areas and talk to each other. However, the BBC will not introduce chat rooms or any private areas, presumably to protect children.

Currency, another interesting feature of Second Life, will not be included in BBC’s online world. Second Life citizens can use "Linden Dollars" to purchase items and buy virtual real estate. Real currency can be exchanged into Linden Dollars and vice-versa. Depending on the amount of Linden Dollars bought and sold in a day, the exchange rate fluctuates from 250 to 350 Linden Dollars per U.S. Dollar.

A BBC spokesman says that the new world, "will give children a chance to move around a safe, secure world where they can not only interact with familiar characters but have an opportunity to make that world a more fascinating place with their own imaginations."

This isn’t the BBC’s first foray into online games. Last May the company bought a virtual island inside of Second Life and began holding concerts and other mass events. In one concert, attendees received a virtual radio that allowed them to listen to music while wandering around Second Life.