Abstract: An interactive virtual world having avatars. Scenes in the virtual world as seen by the eyes of the avatars are presented on user devices controlling the avatars. In one approach, a method includes identifying a location of an avatar in a virtual world, and a point of gaze of the avatar; adjusting, based on the point of gaze, a lens that directs available light received by the lens so that the lens can focus on objects at all distances; collecting, using the adjusted lens, image data; and generating a scene of the virtual world as seen by the avatar, the scene based on the collected image data, the location of the avatar, and the point of gaze of the avatar.

Abstract: An interactive virtual world having avatars. Scenes in the virtual world as seen by the eyes of the avatars are presented on user devices controlling the avatars. In one approach, a method includes identifying a location of an avatar in a virtual world, and a point of gaze of the avatar; adjusting, based on the point of gaze, a lens that directs available light received by the lens so that the lens can focus on objects at all distances; collecting, using the adjusted lens, image data; and generating a scene of the virtual world as seen by the avatar, the scene based on the collected image data, the location of the avatar, and the point of gaze of the avatar.

Abstract: An interactive virtual world having virtual display devices and avatars. Scenes in the virtual world as seen by the eyes of the avatars are presented on the user devices controlling the avatars. Media contents are played in the virtual display devices presented on the user devices, as if the media contents were virtually played in the virtual world and observed by the avatars. Real time communication channels are provided among the user devices to facilitate voice communications during the sharing of the experiences of viewing the media content in a close proximity setting in the virtual world using user devices that are remote to each other in real world.

Abstract: An interactive virtual world having virtual display devices and avatars. Scenes in the virtual world as seen by the eyes of the avatars are presented on the user devices controlling the avatars. Media contents are played in the virtual display devices presented on the user devices, as if the media contents were virtually played in the virtual world and observed by the avatars. Real time communication channels are provided among the user devices to facilitate voice communications during the sharing of the experiences of viewing the media content in a close proximity setting in the virtual world using user devices that are remote to each other in real world.