Patent ID: 8843557

Claim:
A system configured to facilitate communications among users belonging to affiliations spanning two or more online games accessible via virtual environments, the system comprising: one or more processors configured to execute computer program modules, the computer program modules comprising: a group module configured to manage affiliations within individual ones of the two or more online games, a given affiliation within a given online game comprising a discrete group of users with a relationship having a functional significance within the given online game that has an impact on game play within the given online game, wherein the affiliations comprise a first affiliation within a first online game between a group of users including a first user and a second user, the first affiliation having a functional significance that has an impact on game play within the first online game, and a second affiliation within a second online game between a group of users including the first user and the second user, the second affiliation having a functional significance that has an impact on game play within the second online game; an overarching group module configured to manage one or more overarching affiliations, individual ones of the overarching affiliations encompassing affiliations from different online games that include substantially the same group of users, such that the overarching affiliations comprise a first overarching affiliation between the group of users including the first user and the second user encompassing the first affiliation in the first online game and the second affiliation in the second online game; a communications interface module configured to provide a communications interface for presentation to individual users, the communications interface being configured to enable a given user to observe in-coming communications and provide out-going communications; and a synchronous communications module configured to facilitate synchronous communications via the communications interface between users belonging to common overarching affiliations, wherein the first user and the second user are enabled to exchange synchronous communications while the first user is engaged in the first online game and the second user is engaged in a second online game.