Patent ID: 8239769

Claim:
A method, comprising: receiving one or more user commands from an input device; transmitting, to at least one server, the one or more user commands to identify a plurality of preference-based virtual objects based on the one or more user commands, wherein the one or more preference-based virtual objects comprise at least one of avatars, seasonal virtual objects, ring tones, and gift cards; identifying one or more of the plurality of preference-based virtual objects by matching, wherein the matching includes at least one of matching a profile of a user with one or more profiles of similar users within a community, matching one or more programs selected by the user with one or more similar programs within the community, and matching based on one or more recommendations from at least one of a host service provider, a third party, and a community poll; receiving a user command selecting at least one of the one or more preference-based virtual objects that was previously identified by matching; receiving one or more preference-based virtual objects in response to the identification of the one or more preference-based virtual objects; and outputting, to a display device, the one or more preference-based virtual objects in response to receiving one or more user inputs to display the one or more preference-based virtual objects to the display device.