VoIP to get its Second Life

The popular virtual online world Second Life is to get an upgrade to include voice communication to allow users to chat without having to type.

VoIP communications are set to launch server-wide "in a couple of weeks" according to Linden Labs, which runs Second Life.

Chief executive Phillip Rosedale told IT website The Register: "This thing has a positive impact for everybody on Earth. We should roll out this 3D existence as fast as we possibly can."

The VoIP capability has been in beta since March this year and is set to boost the communication abilities of users in the virtual universe.

Previously the only methods of interacting with the avatars of other users were though emotes or text chat, which could be done either through server-wide instant messaging or chatting using location-specific typed conversations which can only be 'heard' by avatars within a certain distance in the world.

However, this comes at a time when the initial optimistic predictions for Second Life to cause a social revolution is seemingly coming to an end, with Reuters reporting a slump in users of the service in June.