A system enabling location-based activation of applications, comprising: one or more servers comprising a memory and a processor (202, 314), the one or more servers storing and providing a persistent virtual world system including a virtual version of a real-world space, the virtual version comprising an application virtually attached to virtual-world entities positioned according to real-world coordinates, and the one or more servers being configured at least to: compute the state of the virtual-world entities; characterized in that the one or more servers are configured to: receive a location of a user device; responsive to detecting a user device entering a trigger zone associated with the application based at least in part on the location of the user device, send a minimum amount of application graphical representation to the user device via a wireless network, wherein the minimum amount of application graphical representation includes one or more still images or dynamic images animated in a loop that show a representation of the application; responsive to detecting user interaction with the minimum amount of application graphical representation, signal the user device to download a minimum amount of application data that is sufficient to enable user interaction with the application and provide the minimum amount of application data to the user device to enable user interaction with the application; responsive to detecting the minimum amount of application data has been downloaded, determine two or more media streams, wherein determining the two or more media streams signals the one or more servers to perform heavy-load computational tasks on respective application media content to be delivered to the user device and to send the media content and instructions to perform lightweight computational tasks thereon to the user device. compute the state of the virtual-world entities; characterized in that the one or more servers are configured to: receive a location of a user device; responsive to detecting a user device entering a trigger zone associated with the application based at least in part on the location of the user device, send a minimum amount of application graphical representation to the user device via a wireless network, wherein the minimum amount of application graphical representation includes one or more still images or dynamic images animated in a loop that show a representation of the application; responsive to detecting user interaction with the minimum amount of application graphical representation, signal the user device to download a minimum amount of application data that is sufficient to enable user interaction with the application and provide the minimum amount of application data to the user device to enable user interaction with the application; responsive to detecting the minimum amount of application data has been downloaded, determine two or more media streams, wherein determining the two or more media streams signals the one or more servers to perform heavy-load computational tasks on respective application media content to be delivered to the user device and to send the media content and instructions to perform lightweight computational tasks thereon to the user device. receive a location of a user device; responsive to detecting a user device entering a trigger zone associated with the application based at least in part on the location of the user device, send a minimum amount of application graphical representation to the user device via a wireless network, wherein the minimum amount of application graphical representation includes one or more still images or dynamic images animated in a loop that show a representation of the application; responsive to detecting user interaction with the minimum amount of application graphical representation, signal the user device to download a minimum amount of application data that is sufficient to enable user interaction with the application and provide the minimum amount of application data to the user device to enable user interaction with the application; responsive to detecting the minimum amount of application data has been downloaded, determine two or more media streams, wherein determining the two or more media streams signals the one or more servers to perform heavy-load computational tasks on respective application media content to be delivered to the user device and to send the media content and instructions to perform lightweight computational tasks thereon to the user device.