System for providing virtual spaces for access by users

A system configured to provide one or more virtual spaces that are accessible to users. The system may implement a markup language to communicate information between various components. The markup language may enable the communication of information between components of the system via markup elements. A markup element may include a discrete unit of information that includes both content and attributes associated with the content. The implementation of the markup language may enable the instantiation of virtual spaces, and the conveyance to users of views of an instantiated virtual space via a distributed architecture in which the components (e.g., a server capable of instantiating virtual spaces, and a client capable of providing an interface between a user and a virtual space) are capable of providing virtual spaces with a broader range of characteristics than components in conventional systems capable of providing virtual spaces that are accessible to users. This may enable users to access virtual spaces from a broader range of platforms, provide access to a broader range of virtual spaces without requiring the installation of proprietary or specialized client applications, facilitate the creation and/or customization of virtual spaces, and/or provide other enhancements.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION(1) The invention relates to systems configured to provide virtual spaces for access by users.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION(2) Systems that provide virtual worlds and/or virtual gaming spaces accessible to a plurality of users for real-time interaction are known. Such systems tend to be implemented with some rigidity with respect to the characteristics of the virtual worlds that they provide. For example, systems supporting gaming spaces are generally only usable to provide spaces within a specific game. As another example, systems that attempt to enable users to create and/or customize the virtual worlds typically limit the customization to structures and/or content provided in the virtual worlds.(3) These systems generally rely on dedicated, specialized applications that may limit customizability and/or usability by end-users. For example, systems typically require a dedicated browser (or some other client application) to interact with a virtual world. These dedicated browsers may require local processing and/or storage capabilities to further process information for viewing by end-users. Platforms that are designed for mobility and/or convenience may not be capable of executing these types of dedicated browsers. Further, the requirements of dedicated browsers capable of displaying virtual worlds may be of a storage size and/or may require processing resources that discourage end-users from installing them on client platforms. Similarly, in systems in wh