Pyramid scheme or genuine alternate reality? The critics and the gamers are divided, but Second Life's obvious publicity draws have certainly proved attractive to external companies previously, given the real-world concerts, TV shows, shops and other elements present in the game.

Who would have thought that a real-world country would actually start relating to the game as another nation or place in the literal sense, however, with Sweden announcing plans to deliver an in-game 'embassy' to Second Life. The Scandinavian nation is the first to do so, and tourism and promotion are of course the aims of the new 'embassy'.

The Swedish Institute are behind the new initiative, with director Olle Waestberg hopeful that the embassy would be a new way of reaching youngsters, providing information about Sweden. The game already boasts real-world shops operating in the game's virtual economy, though the embassy won't be able to offer passport services and the like, just acting as a source of information in the main. Second Life boasts three-million inhabitants worldwide, with real-estate in the game often changing hands for vast sums of real-world cash.

More on this soon.

By Luke Guttridge