GayWired.Com writes about The L Word in Second Life for their first installment of Lesbian Gaming. I don’t usually reblog articles about Electric Sheep projects but this article captures the core of what we were trying to do when we designed the project. Second Life’s biggest strength is in communities. When Showtime asked for our opinions about which show they should do a Second Life project around I answered with one question…. “What show has the strongest Internet community?” Dunbar’s number shows that strong communities are small (150 people). When they begin to grow bigger than 150, they often splinter into a number of sub-communities, often with the same core values and interest. In this case… The L Word and a lifestyle choice. From the article:

So far The L Word in Second Life experiment seems to be working. What was at first just a pretty, but empty corner of the game is now populated by a growing crowd of virtual visitors. Events at the L Word dance club and ampitheater are increasingly packed—and during a live concert or a celebrity visit, the island is now so overloaded that sometimes you can spend half an hour just trying to get in. Players that only weeks ago trotted around in horrid spiky newbie hair and flat, oddly colored skins are now evolving slowly into sexy, L-Word-esque butch and femme divas. Strangers who shyly shouted “Hi” as they crash-landed into the island are now laughing over virtual coffee with new friends, creating and hosting their own events, and exploring the realms of virtual love.

One of the most delightful aspects of The L Word in Second Life is the sheer diversity of avatar looks among the ladies who attend events. Unlike many locations in SL, The L Word island plays host to female avatars of all shapes, sizes and styles—instead of being dominated purely by Barbie-doll types with cleavage ready to explode out onto the floor at any moment. Though, of course, most of The L Word girls aren’t going to object to a bit of curvaceous booty swaying over the dance floor in a tight-cut gown or two (we love you femmes!).

For those looking for fun gals to hang out with in game, groups like The Lesbian Mafia (several members are featured in the images in this article) have sprung up for players interested in socializing with like minded folks. Mafia members (women only) gather to play Russian roulette, mud wrestle, go bowling, play virtual poker, dance—and whatever else the girls happen to feel like doing. The Mafia has even built its own headquarters for events and hanging out. The Mafia has hundreds of members and continues to grow rapidly—and it is only one of several groups to spin up out of The L Word in Second Life phenom.