• Associated Press , Tuesday, February 27, 2007 11 AM

Real-world real estate might be suffering, but there's a building boom happening in the virtual world Second Life -- in the commercial sector. Whether it's a marketing/advertising thing, a way to gauge word of mouth by engaging consumers, or a way to find and talk to potential recruits, building a second home in Second Life is hot with real-world companies.

The boom is a good thing for companies like Electric Sheep, which specialize in constructing virtual products. Launched by a handful of people about two years, Electric Sheep now employs over 50 -- and it needs more."There's an incredible amount of demand," company CEO Sibley Verbeck Verbeck says. "Our biggest problem is hiring great people."

Electric Sheep may have secured $7 million in funding from CBS Corp. on Monday, but they're not the only ones building homes in Second Life. Millions of Us is one of its main competitors, having done projects for General Motors Corp., Sun Microsystems Inc., Warner Bros. Records, Microsoft Corp., and others. So what does all this cost? Reuben Steiger, the company's CEO, says an initial build might cost a client between $75,000 and $100,000. Another $50,000 might pay for six or so events at the site and monthly support fees could add another $10,000 a month to the cost.

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