'L Word' virtual world in works

July 17, 2008 Showtime has inked a deal with virtual world technology company The Electric Sheep Company to create a standalone Web-based virtual world for drama series "The L Word." The L Word virtual world, which begins testing next month and formally launches with the debut of the series' new season in early 2009, will be the first to use Electric Sheep's new WebFlock, a Flash-based solution that eliminates the lengthy downloads and other technological barriers that have prevented some virtual worlds from attracting the mass market. "We'll also have celebrity guests as well as speed dating events and birthday party kits," he said.

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