REPUBLIC Polytechnic (RP) students may get a second campus - online.

The polytechnic's school of technology for the arts is looking into building an educational game along the lines of popular online game Second Life, which will allow students to make the world their classroom.

Second Life is an online game whose virtual world allows players to create anything they want - from cars to a nightclub - using in-game tools.

Similarly, RP's game, called Campus Universe, will feature a virtual world modelled after the campus, said Mr Graham Perkins, assistant director at the school.

In it, students will be able to recreate real-life scenarios to experience concepts taught to them in class.

Mr Perkins said his team of six staff are planning the project, which will take about two years to complete.

The concept has already attracted attention from video game luminaries such as Mr Noah Falstein, one of the first 10 employees at Lucasfilm Games; Ms Caryl Shaw, producer of the next game by the creator of The Sims; and Mr Ian Livingstone, product acquisitions director of Eidos, which publishes popular action game Tomb Raider.

Said Ms Shaw: 'The program is very different from anything offered at US universities. If my college had used it, I might have enjoyed learning more.'

They are here for the three-day X Media Lab digital media workshop, which aims to help content producers network with industry experts who can bring their products to market.

Held at the National Library in Victoria Street, the annual workshop is in its third year here.

The company organising the workshop, also called X Media Lab, moved here from Australia as Singapore is a better place to conduct regional digital media events, said director Brendan Harkin.

Mr Livingstone and Mr Falstein will also speak at the Asian Games Developers Summit, which begins today.

The two-day conference at Orchard Hotel has already attracted more than 300 international participants.

Said Mr Allan Simonsen, coordinator of the Singapore chapter of the International Games Developers Association: 'Singapore was chosen because it's an easy place for people to come together. We've succeeded in becoming the Asean centre for games.'