Abstract: An entertainment device comprises a display generator arranged to generate for display a representation of an on-line virtual environment, that on-line virtual environment being able to host interactions between a user of the entertainment device and other users of one or more remote entertainment devices, a network communications arrangement operable to receive data representative of the actions of the other users within the on-line virtual environment and to receive data indicative of any supplementary data files interoperable with the on-line virtual environment that are associated with one or more remote entertainment devices of one or more of the other users, a data file searcher operable to search the entertainment device for any supplementary data files indicated by the received data, a data file acquisition arrangement operable to acquire, from a networked device, a copy of a supplementary data file indicated by the received data that was not found on the entertainment device, and a data file integrat

Abstract: An entertainment device comprises a display generator arranged to generate for display a representation of an on-line virtual environment comprising one or more avatars corresponding to users of one or more remote entertainment devices each interacting with that online virtual environment, a network communicator operable to receive data representative of the actions of other users within the on-line virtual environment and to receive content sourced from one or more users of the one or more remote entertainment devices interacting with that online virtual environment, an input device operable by the user to instigate a reporting event and a content identifier operable to generate information indicative of content sourced from one or more users of the one or more remote entertainment devices and that was available to the entertainment device when the reporting event was instigated, and in which the network communicator is operable to transmit a report to a remote device comprising said generated information.

Abstract: In a modular on-line virtual environment, in which each module of the on-line virtual environment has a plurality of parallel instances each able to host a limited number of users, a server arranged to administer the modular on-line virtual environment comprises a network communications arrangement operable to receive data representative of the actions of users within an instance of a first module of the modular on-line virtual environment, and to transmit to each user within that instance of that module data representative of the actions of each other user within that instance of that module, behavior analysis means operable to analyze user behavior within that instance of the first module, in which if the behavior of two or more users satisfies a predetermined criterion then the two or more users are classified as belonging to a social group comprising the two or more users, module instance selection means operable to select an instance of a second module for a user when that user moves within the modular o

Abstract: One embodiment of the invention provides a method of transferring real-time multimedia data in a virtual environment between a plurality of entertainment devices each having a peer-to-peer communication device operable to transmit data to and receive data from other entertainment devices. Each entertainment device has an associated avatar within the virtual environment, and each entertainment device has a corresponding client index. The method includes generating, at a first one of the entertainment devices, a target list of client indices associated with entertainment devices to which the real-time multimedia data should be forwarded and dividing, at the first one of the entertainment devices, the target list into a first subset of entertainment devices and a second subset of entertainment devices.

Abstract: An entertainment device comprises a display generator arranged to generate for display a representation of an on-line virtual environment, that on-line virtual environment being able to host interactions between a user of the entertainment device and other users of one or more remote entertainment devices, a network communications arrangement operable to receive data representative of the actions of the other users within the on-line virtual environment and to receive data indicative of any supplementary data files interoperable with the on-line virtual environment that are associated with one or more remote entertainment devices of one or more of the other users, a data file searcher operable to search the entertainment device for any supplementary data files indicated by the received data, a data file acquisition arrangement operable to acquire, from a networked device, a copy of a supplementary data file indicated by the received data that was not found on the entertainment device, and a data file integrat

Abstract: An entertainment device operable to connect to a first on-line virtual environment comprises a group membership selector operable to select members of a group of entertainment devices connected to a first on-line virtual environment comprising a plurality of connected entertainment devices, a server evaluator operable to evaluate a plurality of servers of a second on-line virtual environment according to one or more criteria whilst the entertainment device is connected to the first on-line virtual environment, a server selector operable to select at least a first server of the second on-line virtual environment based upon the evaluation whilst the entertainment device is connected to the first on-line virtual environment, and a storage arrangement operable to cause the storage of server selection data defining the selected server.

Abstract: In a modular on-line virtual environment, in which each module of the on-line virtual environment has a plurality of parallel instances each able to host a limited number of users, a server arranged to administer the modular on-line virtual environment comprises a network communications arrangement operable to receive data representative of the actions of users within an instance of a first module of the modular on-line virtual environment, and to transmit to each user within that instance of that module data representative of the actions of each other user within that instance of that module, behaviour analysis means operable to analyse user behaviour within that instance of the first module, in which if the behaviour of two or more users satisfies a predetermined criterion then the two or more users are classified as belonging to a social group comprising the two or more users, module instance selection means operable to select an instance of a second module for a user when that user moves within the modula

Abstract: An entertainment device comprises a display generator arranged to generate for display a representation of an on-line virtual environment comprising one or more avatars corresponding to users of one or more remote entertainment devices each interacting with that online virtual environment, a network communicator operable to receive data representative of the actions of other users within the on-line virtual environment and to receive content sourced from one or more users of the one or more remote entertainment devices interacting with that online virtual environment, an input device operable by the user to instigate a reporting event and a content identifier operable to generate information indicative of content sourced from one or more users of the one or more remote entertainment devices and that was available to the entertainment device when the reporting event was instigated, and in which the network communicator is operable to transmit a report to a remote device comprising said generated information.