Patent ID: 7846025

Claim:
A gaming system, comprising: a game console that includes a hard disk drive configured to store data associated with the game console and a processor configured to execute a video game, the game console configured to: receive video game data from portable media when installed in a game controller, the video game data including a name of a saved game, a graphical representation of a last displayed location in the saved game, a state associated with the saved game, and a date and time that the saved game was saved, the state of the saved game including a description of at least one of a game level or the last displayed location in the saved game; retrieve authentication information from the portable media in the game controller to initiate a video game session and execute the video game, the authentication information being associated with both a user and the video game; communicate the authentication information to a distribution center to authenticate an identity of the user to join the game console with a network gaming environment; execute the video game using the video game data read from the portable media in the game controller when the game console is authenticated; receive user commands via the game controller when the video game is executed; update the video game data in the portable media at the game controller; and an additional game console configured to: receive the video game data from the portable media when installed in a different game controller corresponding to the additional game console; retrieve the authentication information from the portable media in the different game controller to initiate a different video game session and execute the video game; communicate the authentication information to the distribution center to authenticate the identity of the user to join the additional game console with the network gaming environment; execute the video game using the video game data read from the portable media in the different game controller; receive user commands via the different game controller when the video game is executed; and update the video game data in the portable media at the different game controller.