1. A method comprising: determining, at a server system, a number of avatars in an area of a virtual universe associated with an environmental chat associated with an avatar; determining, at the server system, a chat distance associated with the environmental chat associated with the avatar based on the number of avatars in the area of the virtual universe associated with the environmental chat, wherein the chat distance is inversely proportional to the number of avatars; and modifying, at the server system, the chat distance in response to detecting a change in the number of avatars in the area of the virtual universe associated with the environmental chat.
1. A method comprising: determining, at a server system, a number of avatars in an area of a virtual universe associated with an environmental chat associated with an avatar; determining, at the server system, a chat distance associated with the environmental chat associated with the avatar based on the number of avatars in the area of the virtual universe associated with the environmental chat, wherein the chat distance is inversely proportional to the number of avatars; and modifying, at the server system, the chat distance in response to detecting a change in the number of avatars in the area of the virtual universe associated with the environmental chat. 7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: determining whether the area of the virtual universe associated with the environmental chat comprises an environmental chat obstruction, wherein, if the area of the virtual universe associated with the environmental chat comprises an environmental chat obstruction, modifying the chat distance associated with a subsection of the area of the virtual universe associated with the environmental chat based on a location of the environmental chat obstruction with respect to the avatar associated with the environmental chat.