Patent ID: 8769010

Claim:
A networking system, comprising: an entertainment device operable to communicate over a data communication network and operable to run a first application; a social networking server operable to communicate over the data communication network and operable to supply a second application to a social networking client over the data communication network, the second application being configured for use on a different platform than the first application; and the social networking client being operable to communicate over the data communication network and being operable to run the second application once received from the social networking server, but being inoperable to run the first application; and in which in response to a first predetermined event during operation of the first application, the entertainment device is arranged to communicate an alert message to the social networking server over the network, the alert message identifying a user of the social networking client to receive the second application; the social networking server is arranged to supply the second application to the social networking client of the identified user in response to the alert message from the entertainment device; in response to a second predetermined event during operation of the second application, the social networking client is arranged to communicate an acknowledgement message to the entertainment device; and in response to receipt of the acknowledgement message, the entertainment device is arranged to modify the operation of the first application; wherein the entertainment device is arranged to modify operation of the first application only if the acknowledgement message is received within a predetermined period following transmission of the corresponding alert message.