Patent ID: 8622837

Claim:
A method for validating devices in a gaming network, the method comprising: receiving game data generated by at least one device in the gaming network, wherein the game data is received as a part of a passive data exchange, the at least one device configured for play of a network game in a network game environment, wherein the passive data exchange occurs as a part of the network game play and does not require the at least one device to execute instructions apart from the network game play; executing the instructions stored in memory, wherein execution of the instructions by a processor: identifies at least one game metric from a library of game metrics, the at least one identified game metric associated with the network game, identifies at least one aspect of the received game data that does not correspond to the at least one identified game metric from the library of game metrics, and generates a query to the at least one device that generated the game data, the query regarding the at least one identified aspect of the received game data that does not correspond to the at least one identified game metric; sending the query to the at least one device that generated the game data; receiving a response to the query, the response being sent from the queried device; and executing further instructions stored in memory, wherein execution of the further instructions by the processor: identifies that the response received from the queried device indicates that the at least one identified aspect of the received game data that does not correspond to the at least one identified game metric is authorized, and determines that the queried device is valid for continued play of the network game when the received game data from the queried device does not correspond to the at least one identified game metric, the determination based on the response to the query indicating that the at least one identified aspect of the game data that does not correspond to the at least one identified game metric is authorized.