MTV is planning to introduce Virtual Laguna Beach, an online service that promotes the show through three-dimensional characters fans can play, The New York Times reported.

The Virtual Laguna Beach site is a blend of social networking and video games. Brands including Cingular, Pepsi-Cola and Secret have agreed to participate within the avatar-based game.

"You can not only watch TV, but now you can actually live it," Van Toffler, president of the MTV Networks Music, Film and Logo Group, told the Times regarding the game's interactivity.

MTV did not disclose how much they invested in Virtual Laguna Beach.

Dr, Henry Jenkins, a professor at M.I.T., iMedia Summit speaker and the author of "Convergence Culture," told the Times that such virtual communities were a natural step for mainstream media companies seeking a deeper connection to fans.

"It's just layer upon layer of reality and fiction," says Jenkins.