Patent ID: 8549440

Claim:
A method that provides a virtual presentation comprising: receiving, over a communication network, a first registration code provided to a first toy animal, the first registration code having been entered into a website to be registered; transmitting, over the communication network, content for the user computer to display a virtual character on said website to represent a toy animal on the website after successful registration of the first registration code provided to the first toy animal; granting the user control of the virtual character on the website and enabling the user to select a friend on the website after said successful registration; controlling said virtual character on said website in response to receiving user control commands; receiving a selection of the friend over the communication network, the selection comprising at least one of: (i) a second user that controls a second virtual character on the website, and (ii) a second virtual character on the website that is controlled on the website by a second user; subsequent to receiving the selection of the friend, associating the friend with the user and transmitting the second virtual character, said transmitting in a format that allows said second virtual character to be displayed by the user computer on the website to be viewed by the user; providing the user access to a chat function that enables the user to enter a communication to be conveyed between said virtual character and the second virtual character associated with the friend on the website, wherein the chat function includes a user interface comprising a displayed set that comprises a plurality of pre-scripted phrases from which the user is to select a desired phrase to be conveyed to the friend, wherein the communication includes one or more of the pre-scripted phrases from the displayed set; and providing to the user who registered the first registration code additional content, beyond the chat function, for the virtual character as a reward for registering a subsequent registration code provided to another toy or an accessory for the toy animal via the website, wherein the additional content comprises access to additional resources of the website beyond resources provided in response to successful registration of the first registration code.