Just thought id post this here, some may have heard about it before, but i think its an interesting piece of console. [:D]
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php'section_name=new&aid=3452
could be a potential gateway to a brighter future for gamers, game devlopers, but not publishers [;)]
I dont think it is that interesting, its just another typical PC chucked in a fancy case with controllers with another fancy name for it and marked as a console [;)].
Consoles dont do anything for me anymore, i rarely play my GameCube, the poor thing. I suppose it has a chance but only time will tell...
Rahnem: I have read it, but since they've actually released some sort of concrete specifications it is much harder to doubt them. Plus you never know, the guy in charge might actually be wanting to do something good and proper business like...
However there's no way in hell that I'm going to be buying one of those things... Not even if its totally free... (well then I might get one, and just crack it open using the contents for something else).
[url]http://www.penny-arcade.com/view.php3?date=2003-01-22&res=l[/url]
Seriously though, I've been taking Infinium a lot more seriously since their pre E3 press release. Its an interesting idea and they seem to be backing it up with facts rather than the "its a console that plays PC games" crap that we were getting previously.
Daemin: The guy probably wanted to do good business in his last ventures. Problem is I don't think he has much business sense.
At best I think it will have limited success in America, at worst be a complete failure.
I don't think the idea is that bad, but such a huge market shift needs a big fish to peddle it and I don't think Infinium have the resources to do it.
However, I could be completely wrong and off base. [;)]
Dunno what real arcade and xbox arcade offer... i thought real arcade was mainly small web-based and other small games, not AAA etc. titles. In which case Phantom is completely in a different sector.
They don't really need to release a list of hooked up developers, since basically any PC game that has been released will run on their console, they don't need to get developers to develop for their system, they just have to get rights for distribution (which i believe they have for most publishers). I recall BF1942 was one of the earlier games that they said would be available.
CYer, Blitz
Ahh the Infinium Phantom. I went by their booth and checked out the goods. Looks like a pipe dream to me. Having talked with people who have delt with these guys, I'm not confident this thing will be successful. Although their T-Shrits they gave out were interesting. On the front was a picture of their Phantom Logo, on the back it said "It does exists." At least they have some humor about the whole thing. Anyway, I have a lot of friends in the biz and so far none of them have mentioned they are supporting this thing.
On a related note, under each phantom was a big grey box about 3x the size of the phantom itself. I'm not sure what it was for, but I wouldn't put it past the guy to have rigged some smoke an mirrors to help his publicity (HardOCP just being 1 of many negative things to happen to the phantom)
Anyway, I guess only time will tell if it's A) real and B) successful.
I believe that the console (Phantom) will have a limited success, not as much as a regular console because its just a PC, and most gamers have PC's as well as consoles. Some families might get that because the content controls will be stricter and parents would have more control.
However a certain issue hasn't been raised yet, if it's a PC, and it will be running a product of Windows (presumably), then what about viruses? I'm guessing that it'll automatically update to the latest patches, but there is still that issue of virii.
Virii shouldn't be a major problem. They will be running a highly stripped windows kernel (can't remember which but i beleive it has been stated. Probably a stripped win2000 kernel), that won't support anything that isn't required for games. This automatically rules out most of the security issues in windows related to network connectivity (no RPC or file sharing). The only ports they will have open will be the ones to actually play games, and the ones required to download games/patches. In both cases, fairly tight controls are maintained over which ports are open, and how those ports are used (ie. secure connections? or at least some sort of athentication of ip addresses of other phantoms etc.) this basically rules out the rest of the non-user interaction related virii attacks. Finally, (as long as it is a games-only machine), there is no case of user-interaction related virii exploits, as there is no email, web browsing etc. that can cause the virii to be downloaded and run. Perhaps the worst case scenario is causing virii to be run by hacking the games and modifying the packets to cause nasty code to be executed, but really that can happen on any platform, PC or console.
Lastly, a bad person could hack the infinium software distribution systems so instead of transmitting the latest battelfield game you end up downloading a virus :P
But yeah, i don't think it's such a big issue...if they do things correctly.
CYer, Blitz
If it's a games only system no one will care, especially if it's just going to play games that a PC can play. That pretty much sums it up for me :)
It's certainly an interesting idea, but consoles have to play to their strengths. Usually those strengths are good, high quality developers, understanding of the market/audience for the console and well researched marketing.
This thing is barely on the radar as far as every average joe PC, PS2, X-Box etc owner is concerned.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?section_name=pub&aid=3533
Looks as though Kevin's hired Andy Schneider to head the marketing of infinium. November 18th is the day of judgment so it seems [:P]
Just thought I'd dig out this old thread, now that November 18th has come and gone.. And what's the news we get from Infinum, apart from an actual release?
quote:Official filing reveals that Infinium's coffers are nearly empty
A new regulatory filing from Florida-based firm Infinium Labs has revealed that the company needs to find fresh funding of around $11.5 million if it is to launch its Phantom game service next year as planned.
[url="http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=5643"]Oh dear[/url]...
Ok, we might be getting some closure with the Phantom console...
quote:"The company believes, based on past performance, that there is a high likelihood that sufficient capital will not be available ... and many or all of these milestones will be missed and the launch date will again shift and/or the company will go out of business..."
([url="http://games.slashdot.org/games/05/05/20/1835255.shtml?tid=235"]From Slashdot[/url]). I wonder if Kevin Bachus (one of the creators of Xbox) is kicking himself for joining Infinum Labs/Phantom.
quote:But in an interview with US website tradersnation.com last week, Infinium president Kevin Bachus stated that the Phantom will indeed launch in the US "later this year."
He went on to say the company was confident of the machine's money-spinning potential, identifying "three streams of revenue" - the hardware, the content and the subscription fee.
"Between those three revenue streams, we feel very confident that we're going to be able to not only deliver value to the consumer but to our shareholders as well," Bachus said.
[url="http://gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=9139"]Refusing to hand in the towel just yet [:0][/url]
So what do you know, the phantom might actually be real. However I don't see this as a real big benefit, as it will ultimately reduce freedom for the rest of us. Game developers might like the idea, publishers would also - depening on the pricing scheme - but as a game player I don't really like the idea. Although I bet that it will only take a few months before the thing is hacked and modded and then I wonder what they will do.