Patent ID: 7277946

Claim:
A method in a peer-to-peer gaming network computing environment for providing a game hosting service by a game server computing device adapted to communicate with a member game server of a peer group, the game hosting service provided to the member game servers, comprising the steps of: joining the game server computing device to the peer group by utilizing a gateway computing device to locate the peer group, the gateway computing device providing location information of one or more member game server nodes to the game server computing device, the game server nodes are configured as a proxy node member of the peer group; designating the joined game server computing device as a member game server, wherein each member game server of the peer group being another game server computing device previously joined thereto; notifying at least one other member game server of the peer group of availability as a game hosting service by the joined game server computing device; accepting and responding directly to searches for the game hosting service of the joined game server computing device, which are directed at the at least one other member game server of the peer group by the one or more game client computing devices; locating the game hosting service by way of intercommunication between the member game servers of the peer group; and automatically propagating a downloadable content file index throughout the peer group to the member game servers of the peer group.