The cross-pollination of TV and MMO gaming is definitely on the rise.  Today we have word that an upcoming episode of CSI: New York will feature a crime involving Second Life. 

This special episode will take “the plot of an upcoming CSI episode into the virtual environment of Second Life.” The production company has established a private sim (or “island”) in Second Life, and characters from the series will actively pursue the perpetrator of a “first life” crime through the virtual world. Additionally, the virtual presence will allow viewers to participate in the drama by visiting the lab, the scene of the crime, and other locations from the series. The producers have apparently crafted fully rendered views of exact scenes seen in the TV series, and the action will move more or less seamlessly from one world to the next. Naturally, a cliffhanger is involved.

We've also got word via the Hellgate official site that on October 23rd, Hellgate will be featured on the new supernatural thriller show, Reaper. 

All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The names of this woman, as well as her gigantic cat, have been changed to protect the innocent.

It seem that this is becoming increasingly common.  There was a recent episode of Law and Order that featured a virtual world very similar to Second Life, there's the Make Love Not Warcraft episode of Southpark, and there's also the "NeverQuest" material in the Simpson's game and TV show.  As MMOs grow in popularity, this trend is likely to continue.

You can read a bit more here and here, and of couse we are hosting the Simpson's NeverQuest video in our very own Theatre of Doom.