Abstract: A system. The system comprising: a plurality of application servers, each configured to simulate one or more objects in a shared virtual environment, and to communicate with one or more client devices so as to exchange data related to the one or more objects and the shared virtual environment. Each object generates and/or has associated with it, object state data indicative of one or more states of each object. The system further comprises an object state management server, configured to store and distribute object state data of the one or more objects simulated in the shared virtual environment. The object state management server is connected via a network to the plurality of application servers, and is configured to: receive further object state data related to a given object from a respective application server of the plurality of application servers, and to distribute said further object state data to at least one other application server of the plurality of application servers.