It's not uncommon for a free-to-play MMORPG like IGG's Voyage Century Online to have an item mall, but when was the last time that IGG told you that you could acquire certain item mall products in-game?

Well, the company is doing so now. You may read what IGG has to say after the jump.

This is an interesting application of Second Life technology and programming. If you've ever been asked "How's the weather where you are?" inside a game, there's now a way for you to show that person exactly what it is.

A collaborative effort between Aimee Webber Studio and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has brought the development of a 3D visualization of America's weather data into the world of Second Life. While it's set to really show its stuff in November, the pictures speak volumes for how the system is meant to work.

The system picks up weather data from NOAA at eight-minute intervals, decoding the information and representing it as a model inside the game. As the report mentions, "All sorts of cloud cover and precipitation models are available as well as special weather conditions such as thunderstorms and tornadoes. Temperature is represented by warmer and cooler shades of color."

It probably isn't going to be the revolution that accurately tells you just how long you can stay online before a hurricane hits your town (eight minute delay and all), but it does show just how games and the technology behind them can be used in more ways than previously imagined. At the very least, you've finally got an answer to that weather question. Expect a full launch in the middle of November, when the visual model tells you it's going to get chilly.