An avatar or avatar environment to visualize data may be provided within a social networking system or service, for example as part of the Internet, and/or within a desktop widget, panel, gadget, or the like. The avatar may further evolve or alter its appearance, animation, or other visual or audio characteristics in response to the data or other input such as athletic activity performed by a corresponding user. In particular, the avatar of an embodiment may respond to and provide visualization of athletic or sport performance data.

An invention that provides discovery and transfer of assets in a virtual universe is provided. In one embodiment, there is an asset transfer utility, including an inventory component configured to display to a user within a virtual universe an inventory containing a plurality of assets owned by other users within the virtual universe, each of the plurality of assets listed anonymously. A search component is configured to search the inventory containing the plurality of assets. A selection component is configured to select a set of assets from the plurality of assets based on the search. A transfer component is configured to transfer the set of assets between the user and an owner of each of the set of assets.

Technologies and implementations for managing an experience during play of an interactive electronic game are generally disclosed.

Systems and methods are provided for building digital objects using component modular objects, such as block objects. The block objects have properties defining their appearance and interaction characteristics. When two or more block objects are placed together to form an object, their interaction characteristics define how they behave and so how the computer system will handle the representation of the block objects and the new object.

A method is given for providing a visualization of a scene corresponding to game play. The method includes steps of receiving at a visualization server information about a scene corresponding to game play at a client computer, receiving additional information about the scene at the visualization server; and constructing a visualization at the visualization server based on the scene, the constructing based at least in part on the received information and the received additional information. In another embodiment, the visualization may be composed by the user rather than being a scene corresponding to game play. In a further embodiment, a method is given for providing a visualization of a scene corresponding to game play, including: receiving at a visualization server information about a scene corresponding to game play at a client; modifying the scene information; and constructing a visualization at the visualization server based on the modified scene information.

A videogame may be provided to one or more users in which characters controlled by users earn fans that impact the videogame similarly to fans in real life. For example, a character may earn virtual currency, be invited to participate in events and/or teams, obtain sponsorships, and/or experience other impacts associated with fanbase size. The videogame may include one or more primary objectives presented to the user. The performance of the primary objectives by the user may impact the progression of a character being controlled by the user through the videogame. The videogame may further include provide one or more fan objectives within the game which can be performed by the character being controlled by the user to earn fans to be included within a fanbase associated with the character in the game.

Methods, systems, and computer programs are presented for rendering images on a head mounted display (HMD). One method includes operations for tracking, with one or more first cameras inside the HMD, the gaze of a user and for tracking motion of the HMD. The motion of the HMD is tracked by analyzing images of the HMD taken with a second camera that is not in the HMD. Further, the method includes an operation for predicting the motion of the gaze of the user based on the gaze and the motion of the HMD. Rendering policies for a plurality of regions, defined on a view rendered by the HMD, are determined based on the predicted motion of the gaze. The images are rendered on the view based on the rendering policies.

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, an apparatus having a processor to detect a gaming accessory stimulation associated with a programmable layer of a number of programmable layers. The processor identifies a substitute gaming accessory stimulation of the programmable layer of the number of programmable layers of the gaming accessory. The substitute gaming accessory stimulation of the programmable layer is associated with the gaming accessory stimulation of the programmable layer of the number of programmable layers, according to a user profile of a number of user profiles associated with a user account. Other predetermined associations of stimulations of the gaming accessory with other substitute accessory stimulations are recorded in other user profiles of the number of user profiles, and the substitute gaming accessory stimulation is provided to a computing device to manage a gaming software application. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Methods and systems for executing games are provided. One example method includes executing at a server of the gaming system a first game logic and a second game logic. The first game logic is for a first game stream to a first user and the second game logic is for a second game stream to a second user. The method includes providing a first virtual driver for the first game logic and a second virtual driver for the second game logic. The method includes executing a hardware graphical processing unit (GPU). The hardware GPU having a non-virtual driver that communicates with each of the first and second virtual drivers. The non-virtual driver is configured for receiving data associated with the first game and the second game using the first virtual driver and the second virtual driver, respectively. The hardware GPU is configured for rendering video frames for the first game and the second game. The method includes encoding the video frames for the first game and the second game using an encoder. The encoded video frames including the first and second game streams to devices of the first and second users connected to the gaming system over a network.

An avatar or avatar environment to visualize data may be provided within a social networking system or service, for example as part of the Internet, and/or within a desktop widget, panel, gadget, or the like. The avatar may further evolve or alter its appearance, animation, or other visual or audio characteristics in response to the data or other input such as athletic activity performed by a corresponding user. In particular, the avatar of an embodiment may respond to and provide visualization of athletic or sport performance data.