Comcast opens Second Life "theme park"

Comcast now has its own Second Life world.

It's actually an online theme park- and it's called Comcastic Island.

No, you won't be able to pay your Comcash bill in Linden Dollars (or even in U.S. currency) but you will be able to participate in a racetrack, Jet Ski track and jet pack course.

Alex Weprin of television industry trade publication Broadcasting & Cable reports there will also be an entertainment center featuring Second Life and real world music and bands, an expo center and café featuring virtual cuisine, and Comcastic Labs which promises additional “speed themed experiences” for visitors. Many of the attractions will feature Comcast products and services.

So why is Comcast doing this? Obviously to drive broadband subs by adding a suite of experiences feasible only at high-speed.

Of course Comcast's publicly stated reasons are a bit lighter on the strategic and a bit more intense on the warm-and-fuzzy:

“With millions of users across the globe, virtual worlds like Second Life are quickly becoming hot gathering spots for young, tech-savvy consumers, and Comcastic Island is a great way for us to connect with that audience in an inventive and interactive way,” said Page Murray, Senior Vice President, Marketing Communication and Support, for Comcast.  “We’ve designed Comcastic Island to be engaging and to show the better experience our services offer, from racing against a friend to watching a concert—the types of experiences that work best with our high-speed Internet service.