GAME CONSOLE AND PROCEDURE FOR OPERATING A GAME CONSOLE

摘要

A games console comprising an audio-video output operable to output video signals of the games console to a television screen; a network interface for accessing a packet-based network; a memory storing a communication client application and a video game, the video game comprising an API for communicating with an API of the communication client application; and a processing apparatus, coupled to the memory, the network interface, the audio-video output, and the game controller, and arranged to execute the communication client application and the video game; wherein the communication client application is configured to: allow a user to conduct bidirectional communications with other users via the packet-based network; receive, from the API of the video game, a signal indicating an occurrence within the video game; utilize the signal from the API of the video game to identify a delineation in the video game; and defer output of one or more notifications to the user of incoming communication events received, over the packet-based network, from the other users during the video game until the delineation in the video game.