Patent ID: 8795072

Claim:
A method of providing a virtual presentation, the method comprising: using a computer system, representing a toy with a virtual character in the virtual world, said virtual character being controllable according to commands input by a user via the computer system; using the computer system, providing a plurality of different virtual beings in a game activity in the virtual world, wherein the game activity involves the user selecting at least one of the virtual beings during participation by the user in the game activity and as an objective that is to be completed as part of a progression of the game activity to be saved in a user account belonging to the user for subsequent selection by the user from the user account to become a virtual companion of the virtual character; in response to selection of the virtual companion by the user, associating the virtual companion with the virtual character controlled by the user; displaying the virtual companion within a close proximity of the virtual character in the virtual world to establish a relationship between the virtual character and the virtual companion; moving the virtual character to a desired location within the virtual world in response to commands input by the user; and substantially maintaining the relationship between the virtual character and virtual companion to be substantially constant and providing the virtual companion with an animated appearance while the virtual character is moved.