Phantom Console : Not really dead, nor a console

Submitted by Daemin on
Forum
General Chat

I've just been reading through some internet news sites and come accross our friend, the Phantom console in some articles. Specifically:

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?section_name=pub&aid=1911
and
http://newsforge.com/article.pl?sid=03/07/09/2042207

It seems that the console is just a really stripped down pc running Windows XP, with the one thing that makes it unique is that it uses encryption to "safely" store downloaded games on its hard drive. This kind of seems redundant to me because the Xbox fits that area nicely - being the "PC Console", although I get that the main thing behind the phantom is its delivery system, where basically people will rent PC games out which they cannot pirate. If this thing kicks off the ground I'd hate to see normal PC games die in favour of the Phantom console...

Although it seems that they have done their research and gotten some decent funding, so the console is pretty much here to stay, although if it'll sell enough to be worth it I don't know. I'd guess they would target the North American and Korean markets mostly because of the broadband penetration?

Submitted by Blitz on Sun, 13/07/03 - 1:46 AMPermalink

Yeah, they have no hope in regions that don't have easy access to unlimited (or at least very high limits ~20/month) broadband plans.
CYer, Blitz

Submitted by redwyre on Sun, 13/07/03 - 4:19 AMPermalink

I think it's safe to say we will never see it...

Submitted by souri on Tue, 15/07/03 - 12:37 PMPermalink

I'm still waiting on that console that Dick Smith was going to release, to compete with Playstation 2!!

Submitted by Jason on Tue, 15/07/03 - 11:13 PMPermalink

quote:Originally posted by Souri

I'm still waiting on that console that Dick Smith was going to release, to compete with Playstation 2!!

Lol! Go Dick Smith!!
[:0][xx(]

Submitted by Daemin on Tue, 15/07/03 - 11:16 PMPermalink

Souri, what about the Linux based console (no, not the PS2) the one from Idremea or something?

Submitted by inglis on Wed, 16/07/03 - 2:23 AMPermalink

looks like everyone is after a piece of the console pie.

i might just go out into the shed and whip up one from an old birdbox....

Submitted by Malus on Wed, 16/07/03 - 2:33 AMPermalink

Dicks Smith's console would rock the casbah!
Of course it would only be sold in his stores, bright yellow with his sexy mug on it, even comes with Dicks own VR glasses so you can look like the man too.

The all new DICK BOX 4000 !!!... coming soon to a garage sale near you. [:P]

Submitted by souri on Thu, 17/07/03 - 11:02 AMPermalink

I think that Indrema console got the axe ages ago..

Submitted by Daemin on Fri, 18/07/03 - 1:19 AMPermalink

Yeah it did, tho I think that was because its only hook was that it would be linux based, which really is not much of a hook in the corporate world.

Submitted by fuzzmeister on Tue, 22/07/03 - 12:16 AMPermalink

Damn Malus, you took the words right out of my mouth.. yella box with dick on it lol

Submitted by Acer on Wed, 30/07/03 - 10:20 AMPermalink

I think they shold release a new generation of commodore 64 machines.lol I still have one in my shed in its original box and like 500 disks full of games, oh the nostalga!!!!!

[8D]

Submitted by sho nuff on Thu, 31/07/03 - 1:33 AMPermalink

read the specs on phantom. Sounds pretty impressive, but like someone mentioned earlier, unless the network is set in place, this console won't stand a chance, as its appeal relies heavily on broadband connectivity.

Submitted by icomp187 (not verified) on Sun, 17/08/03 - 1:36 PMPermalink

This is an excellent time for the Phantom to release. The number of households with broadband is rapidly increasing due to the PS2 and Xbox, and the current consoles have been on the market long enough that consumers will be open to something new. Also, Infinium has said they will pay developers for the porting of other console games to the Phantom. With three big consoles on the market and lots of porting going on this is a huge incentive along with the lack of need for media production and shipping costs. Infinium is basically saying go ahead and try us, if we win you win and if we fail you won't lose much.

Submitted by souri on Tue, 19/08/03 - 9:48 AMPermalink

"The Phantomx will contain a Intel 3GHZ processor, 256MB SDRAM 100+ gig hard-drive, 10/100 Base-T Ethernet card, four controller ports, 2 USB slots, Digital 7.1 surround sound support, S-Video/RCA components, and on-board RF wireless modules."

.. plus an unspecified Nvidia card.

Submitted by sho nuff on Tue, 19/08/03 - 9:17 PMPermalink

thats all well and good, but this is stuff u can already get for a pc. Once people realise that, the only appeal phantom will have is the gaming service (demos, downloads, rentals etc) and quality of 'original' titles. I say original because if they ain't, id prefer to save the cash i would have spent on a phantom, and put it towards 'unoriginal' titles i can grab for my pc or ps2. And as for demos and downloads (mods,game content etc.), again, they are things that are already achievable on a pc. And once XBOX LIVE and the PS2 online service gain a better understanding of there operations, the phantom could well become a has been before its had time to settle in on the shelf.

Having said that, i would like to see it succeed, but the odds are stacked up against it, like putting homer in a free for all donut shop and telling him he can have a lifetime supply if he waits for just a minute.

Submitted by Daemin on Tue, 19/08/03 - 10:02 PMPermalink

quote:.. plus an unspecified Nvidia card.

*cough*NVIDIA GeForce 4 MX*cough* probably.

Submitted by Blitz on Wed, 20/08/03 - 8:01 AMPermalink

They'd be pretty silly to put in a card that is less capable than that of consoles released 18 months ago...specifically the xbox with a GF3 Ti equivalent.
So i'd be thinking at least a GF4 Ti, although GF3 Ti would still be possible.
CYer, Blitz

Submitted by souri on Wed, 20/08/03 - 8:16 AMPermalink

The Xbox, PS1, PS2 costed about $700 when they first came out, so I wonder if The Phantom will go for that much too. If so, then that's not bad for a 3 ghz, 100 gig hd etc machine.. Anything over $1,000 would be a bit too much for a games console.

Submitted by souri on Sun, 21/09/03 - 10:40 AMPermalink

Wow.. although I had very little hope on the Phantom making it somewhere in the console wars, it looks like the real hope is Infinium making an actual product. [:)] I'd hate to be one of their investors at the moment.

Submitted by smeg on Sun, 21/09/03 - 9:01 PMPermalink

Damn. Fantastic article.

I seriously doubted the phantom when everything seemed legit. Now it just looks like a bad joke waiting to burn a few people.

Submitted by smeg on Mon, 22/09/03 - 7:51 AMPermalink

lol, its like a bad soap opera...

Submitted by Daemin on Mon, 22/09/03 - 11:05 AMPermalink

Hehe yeah, well with all the glamorous promises that have been advertised for the phantom - and the name perhaps also - is really a wonder its just vapourware?

Posted by Daemin on
Forum
General Chat

I've just been reading through some internet news sites and come accross our friend, the Phantom console in some articles. Specifically:

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?section_name=pub&aid=1911
and
http://newsforge.com/article.pl?sid=03/07/09/2042207

It seems that the console is just a really stripped down pc running Windows XP, with the one thing that makes it unique is that it uses encryption to "safely" store downloaded games on its hard drive. This kind of seems redundant to me because the Xbox fits that area nicely - being the "PC Console", although I get that the main thing behind the phantom is its delivery system, where basically people will rent PC games out which they cannot pirate. If this thing kicks off the ground I'd hate to see normal PC games die in favour of the Phantom console...

Although it seems that they have done their research and gotten some decent funding, so the console is pretty much here to stay, although if it'll sell enough to be worth it I don't know. I'd guess they would target the North American and Korean markets mostly because of the broadband penetration?

Submitted by Blitz on Sun, 13/07/03 - 1:46 AMPermalink

Yeah, they have no hope in regions that don't have easy access to unlimited (or at least very high limits ~20/month) broadband plans.
CYer, Blitz

Submitted by redwyre on Sun, 13/07/03 - 4:19 AMPermalink

I think it's safe to say we will never see it...

Submitted by souri on Tue, 15/07/03 - 12:37 PMPermalink

I'm still waiting on that console that Dick Smith was going to release, to compete with Playstation 2!!

Submitted by Jason on Tue, 15/07/03 - 11:13 PMPermalink

quote:Originally posted by Souri

I'm still waiting on that console that Dick Smith was going to release, to compete with Playstation 2!!

Lol! Go Dick Smith!!
[:0][xx(]

Submitted by Daemin on Tue, 15/07/03 - 11:16 PMPermalink

Souri, what about the Linux based console (no, not the PS2) the one from Idremea or something?

Submitted by inglis on Wed, 16/07/03 - 2:23 AMPermalink

looks like everyone is after a piece of the console pie.

i might just go out into the shed and whip up one from an old birdbox....

Submitted by Malus on Wed, 16/07/03 - 2:33 AMPermalink

Dicks Smith's console would rock the casbah!
Of course it would only be sold in his stores, bright yellow with his sexy mug on it, even comes with Dicks own VR glasses so you can look like the man too.

The all new DICK BOX 4000 !!!... coming soon to a garage sale near you. [:P]

Submitted by souri on Thu, 17/07/03 - 11:02 AMPermalink

I think that Indrema console got the axe ages ago..

Submitted by Daemin on Fri, 18/07/03 - 1:19 AMPermalink

Yeah it did, tho I think that was because its only hook was that it would be linux based, which really is not much of a hook in the corporate world.

Submitted by fuzzmeister on Tue, 22/07/03 - 12:16 AMPermalink

Damn Malus, you took the words right out of my mouth.. yella box with dick on it lol

Submitted by Acer on Wed, 30/07/03 - 10:20 AMPermalink

I think they shold release a new generation of commodore 64 machines.lol I still have one in my shed in its original box and like 500 disks full of games, oh the nostalga!!!!!

[8D]

Submitted by sho nuff on Thu, 31/07/03 - 1:33 AMPermalink

read the specs on phantom. Sounds pretty impressive, but like someone mentioned earlier, unless the network is set in place, this console won't stand a chance, as its appeal relies heavily on broadband connectivity.

Submitted by icomp187 (not verified) on Sun, 17/08/03 - 1:36 PMPermalink

This is an excellent time for the Phantom to release. The number of households with broadband is rapidly increasing due to the PS2 and Xbox, and the current consoles have been on the market long enough that consumers will be open to something new. Also, Infinium has said they will pay developers for the porting of other console games to the Phantom. With three big consoles on the market and lots of porting going on this is a huge incentive along with the lack of need for media production and shipping costs. Infinium is basically saying go ahead and try us, if we win you win and if we fail you won't lose much.

Submitted by souri on Tue, 19/08/03 - 9:48 AMPermalink

"The Phantomx will contain a Intel 3GHZ processor, 256MB SDRAM 100+ gig hard-drive, 10/100 Base-T Ethernet card, four controller ports, 2 USB slots, Digital 7.1 surround sound support, S-Video/RCA components, and on-board RF wireless modules."

.. plus an unspecified Nvidia card.

Submitted by sho nuff on Tue, 19/08/03 - 9:17 PMPermalink

thats all well and good, but this is stuff u can already get for a pc. Once people realise that, the only appeal phantom will have is the gaming service (demos, downloads, rentals etc) and quality of 'original' titles. I say original because if they ain't, id prefer to save the cash i would have spent on a phantom, and put it towards 'unoriginal' titles i can grab for my pc or ps2. And as for demos and downloads (mods,game content etc.), again, they are things that are already achievable on a pc. And once XBOX LIVE and the PS2 online service gain a better understanding of there operations, the phantom could well become a has been before its had time to settle in on the shelf.

Having said that, i would like to see it succeed, but the odds are stacked up against it, like putting homer in a free for all donut shop and telling him he can have a lifetime supply if he waits for just a minute.

Submitted by Daemin on Tue, 19/08/03 - 10:02 PMPermalink

quote:.. plus an unspecified Nvidia card.

*cough*NVIDIA GeForce 4 MX*cough* probably.

Submitted by Blitz on Wed, 20/08/03 - 8:01 AMPermalink

They'd be pretty silly to put in a card that is less capable than that of consoles released 18 months ago...specifically the xbox with a GF3 Ti equivalent.
So i'd be thinking at least a GF4 Ti, although GF3 Ti would still be possible.
CYer, Blitz

Submitted by souri on Wed, 20/08/03 - 8:16 AMPermalink

The Xbox, PS1, PS2 costed about $700 when they first came out, so I wonder if The Phantom will go for that much too. If so, then that's not bad for a 3 ghz, 100 gig hd etc machine.. Anything over $1,000 would be a bit too much for a games console.

Submitted by souri on Sun, 21/09/03 - 10:40 AMPermalink

Wow.. although I had very little hope on the Phantom making it somewhere in the console wars, it looks like the real hope is Infinium making an actual product. [:)] I'd hate to be one of their investors at the moment.

Submitted by smeg on Sun, 21/09/03 - 9:01 PMPermalink

Damn. Fantastic article.

I seriously doubted the phantom when everything seemed legit. Now it just looks like a bad joke waiting to burn a few people.

Submitted by smeg on Mon, 22/09/03 - 7:51 AMPermalink

lol, its like a bad soap opera...

Submitted by Daemin on Mon, 22/09/03 - 11:05 AMPermalink

Hehe yeah, well with all the glamorous promises that have been advertised for the phantom - and the name perhaps also - is really a wonder its just vapourware?