The Phantom (game system)

The Phantom is a controversial video game console currently being developed by Infinium Labs. It uses a direct-download content delivery service instead of the disks and cartridges used by most game consoles. The system has caused quite a bit of controversy in both the gaming and business worlds due to the constant pushing back of its release date and a number of financial scandals involving Infinium Labs.

History

Announcement

In 2003, the startup company Infinium Labs issued a press release to all news outlets stating that they would soon release a "revolutionary new gaming platform." The press release contained no specific information, but did include a computer-generated prototype design. Due to the excessive use of buzzwords and a suspicious lack of details, the product was derided almost from the start by news sites such as IGN and Slashdot and the popular comic strip Penny Arcade. It has also gotten the first place on Vaporwares 2004 in Wired News.

Legal Conflict

Because of the mystery surrounding Infinium Labs, the editor of the PC hardware website HardOCP published an article detailing the questionable history of Infinium Labs' CEO, Timothy Roberts, and the company's mysterious finances. The article was posted on September 17th, 2003.

On February 19th, 2004 (five months later) Infinium Labs' lawyers sent a cease and desist letter to the editor of HardOCP, demanding that the news site take down the derogatory article about Timothy Roberts. Rather than concede to the demands, Kyle Bennett filed a counter suit.

In mid-September of 2004, the Judge ruled that Infinium Labs must produce several financial documents (including the personal income tax statement filed by Roberts) by September 30th, and the cease and desist order from Infinium Labs was struck down; a win for HardOCP. Infinium Labs has not yet produced the required documents.

First Sighting

The Phantom was first seen in action at the 2004 Electronic Entertainment Expo.

System Specifications

At the 2004 Electronic Entertainment Expo, Infinium Labs released several new details regarding The Phantom's hardware and functions.

Gaming Service

Infinium Labs announced at 2004's E3 that the Phantom would use a direct-download content delivery service. By connecting the system to a broadband internet connection, Phantom owners would be able to purchase games through the system's interface and have the game downloaded directly onto the unit's hard drive. Also, a subscription plan would be available. With the subscription (available in two-year contracts), people could pay a $29.95 monthly fee, allowing them to get the actual Phantom unit for free and to purchase a selected number of games for free each month.

Hardware

As of May, 2004, these are The Phantom's proposed hardware specifications:

• CPU: AMD Athlon XP 2500+
• Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce FX 5700 Ultra, with 128MB RAM
• RAM: 256MB (they say it's equivalent to 512MB for a PC)
• Hard Drive: 40GB "content cache"
• Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Audio
• Control: Custom game pad and keyboard-mouse combination unit called a "lapboard".

Release Date

Infinium Labs does not have an official release date for the system. At the 2004 E³, they promised that the system would be on store shelves by Christmas, 2004, a release date that was missed. When it became apparent that the December 2004 deadline would not be met, Infinium predicted the system's release to around March of 2005. That, also, has not been met.

External links

• The Phantom's Official Site
• Where Is Phantom??
• Phantom: Rewound – Editorial feature with a history of The Phantom.