Second Life is a privately-owned, partly subscription-based 3-D virtual world, made publicly available in 2003 by San Francisco-based Linden Lab.
There are over 350,000 ‘residents’, with players constructing online game residents called ‘avatars’ which interact with each other, the Second Life environment and its economy.
The band’s website says Duran Duran have commissioned their own custom-designed avatars which will create ‘in-world’ concerts and media appearances, taking place alongside the band’s media, public and live engagements in the real world.
Keyboardist Nick Rhodes commented, 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 band members have appointed London virtual world designers Rivers Run Red to create the five Duran Duran avatars and the band’s bespoke universe. The project launches in late August.
The Second Life virtual world is Duran Duran’s latest technological endeavor. In 1997, they were the first artists to make a song available for digital download on the web, and the first band to produce a pop video made entirely using Macromedia Flash software.
