Showing the influence of virtual words on the real one, Reuters reports that HBO has bought the rights to a documentary shot entirely within Second Life, paying a six-figure sum to the author.

Set to be shown during 2008, the documentary tells the story of Douglas Gayeton and his Second Life avatar Molotov Alta who “disappeared from his California home” and began issuing video diaries from within the game.

There will be a total of 7 mini-episodes of “My Second Life” that explores a different subsculture within the virtual world, according to HBO. This ranges from cyberpunks to neo-luddites to sex slaves to king of the hobos. Those interested can check out the pilot episode on Youtube.

In a partnership of legendary proportions, acclaimed game designer Warren Spector (System Shock, Deus Ex) and film director John Woo (Hard Boiled, The Killer) have collaborated to make Ninja Gold, both a feature film and a video game.

Not much is known about the project yet, but the basic storyline revolves around a member of an ancient ninja tradition dealing with modern-day warfare. Apparently, it has been inspired by real world events. “The game concept is actually based on facts that the Yakuza and the Russian mob are involved in tons of gold being stolen in South Africa,” said producer Terence Chang.

“The idea actually started with John Woo,” said Spector. “He wanted to do something involving traditional ninjas in a modern-day setting, and the idea just resonated with me. I was intrigued with the idea of what happens when the traditional and the contemporary come into conflict.”

Though the film and the game will be independently developed, they have been intended as companion pieces from the beginning. “My thought from the start was to develop something that would work just as well in games as in movies, and I know John was thinking along the same lines,” Spector said. “This was an attempt to create a concept that would work in, and be developed for, a variety of media simultaneously. That’s something new for games–and for movies.”

No release date is pegged on either the movie or the game yet, though Woo plans on starting production on the film next year, pending the creation of a script.