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Jakanden
RealPoor Master of Posts
Joined: 11 Nov 2003
Posts: 5334
Location: Fuck if I know - I am always lost
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 Posted: 05/10/04 - 10:49 Post subject: Infinium Labs Sets Launch for Phantom Console
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By Ben BerkowitzMay 10, 10:16 AM (EDT)LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Infinium Labs Inc. <IFLB.OB>, the long-secretive video-game company, on Monday took the wraps off of its Phantom gaming console and service, setting a Nov. 18 launch for the system designed to play conventional PC games on televisions.
Sarasota, Florida-based Infinium said its hardware would be free with a two-year subscription to its service or $199 without the subscription.
The announcement came at the start of E3, the annual video game industry trade show in Los Angeles.
Infinium executives hope that finally taking the wraps off the Phantom, and demonstrating a functional version of the service, would dispel doubts among some industry observers that the company can deliver on its planned offering.
"I know all too well the skepticism and the cynicism and the jokes and the rumors and all that stuff," Kevin Bachus, the president of Infinium, told Reuters recently.
Bachus, an industry veteran who once held a senior role on Microsoft Corp.'s <MSFT.O> Xbox team, was appointed in January.
The service, starting at $29.95 a month, will offer users certain basic content for free, and access to either buy premium games at prices comparable to regular retail or rent them, usually $5 for three days.
"When I look at the company, what I see is a services company," Bachus said. "People were excited about the idea, but they were skeptical about the company's ability to execute."
The console features a PC-like architecture, with 256 megabytes of random access memory and a 40 gigabyte hard drive, running an embedded version of Windows XP. It will use a custom controller and support surround sound and high-definition TV.
But Bachus downplayed the capabilities of the hardware, saying the real focus was the gaming service.
"It's kind of a fool's errand to try and chase the PC," he said.
The company is reaching out to game publishers, seeking licenses to offer their games on the service. It is also seeking deals with retailers, who would share in the revenue from new customers activated in their stores.
Infinium also has an advisory board looking at issues like content security, to make sure games are not pirated. One member of that board is Andrew "Bunnie" Huang, famous in hardware circles for hacking the Xbox's security system.
But in the interim, the company acknowledges that it will face an uphill battle winning over a marketplace that has doubts it will ever launch.
"For us to be successful at E3, we've got to be credible, and we've got to convince people we're a real company with a product shipping this year," Bachus said.
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Paden
RealPoor Master of Posts
Joined: 23 Oct 2002
Posts: 9362
Location: North CAROLINA!
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Posted: 05/10/04 - 11:06 Post subject:
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i bet its gonna bomb
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Jakanden
RealPoor Master of Posts
Joined: 11 Nov 2003
Posts: 5334
Location: Fuck if I know - I am always lost
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Posted: 05/10/04 - 11:12 Post subject:
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Im willing to give it a chance, however my expectations are fairly low for it.
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Paden
RealPoor Master of Posts
Joined: 23 Oct 2002
Posts: 9362
Location: North CAROLINA!
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Posted: 05/10/04 - 11:15 Post subject:
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i'm willing to bet it will play older comp games just fine but the new ones will play s****y on it
they better have an awsome graphics card
for some reason that 199$ sale price don't make it seem possible
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Jakanden
RealPoor Master of Posts
Joined: 11 Nov 2003
Posts: 5334
Location: Fuck if I know - I am always lost
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Posted: 05/10/04 - 11:17 Post subject:
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| Paden wrote: | i'm willing to bet it will play older comp games just fine but the new ones will play s****y on it
they better have an awsome graphics card
for some reason that 199$ sale price don't make it seem possible |
Yeah I was kinda wondering that myself heh. It seems kinda low for all the shit they were saying it will do.
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Banzai
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Posted: 05/10/04 - 13:18 Post subject:
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hahahahaha
I think this is a joke to the gamer community.
A platform called "The Phantom"?
As if there wasn't enough vapor-ware in the industry, this thing has to go by the name of a ghost.
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Frashii
Sir Postalot
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 1338
Location: Anchorage, AK
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Posted: 05/10/04 - 14:16 Post subject: Re: Infinium Labs Sets Launch for Phantom Console
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| Jakanden wrote: | | Quote: | The service, starting at $29.95 a month, will offer users certain basic content for free, and access to either buy premium games at prices comparable to regular retail or rent them, usually $5 for three days.
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Was my favorite line... for $29.95 you get all this FREE!
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Frax
RealPoor Master of Posts
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 8489
Location: Fuck yoiu fucking fuckers
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Posted: 05/10/04 - 14:19 Post subject: Re: Infinium Labs Sets Launch for Phantom Console
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| Frashii wrote: | | Jakanden wrote: | | Quote: | The service, starting at $29.95 a month, will offer users certain basic content for free, and access to either buy premium games at prices comparable to regular retail or rent them, usually $5 for three days.
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Was my favorite line... for $29.95 you get all this FREE! |
I can see the appeal of the 5 bucks for 3 day rentals, that way you can try games before you buy them.. but if you have to pay 29.95/mo just for that capability, I'll just take my chances buying my own games.
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Mugaaz
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 16 Oct 2002
Posts: 3576
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Posted: 05/10/04 - 14:32 Post subject:
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I can rent New Release video games here for 7 days for 1.77.
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Banzai
Guest
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Posted: 05/10/04 - 14:52 Post subject:
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I can burn cracks off of bittorent for free
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Mugaaz
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 16 Oct 2002
Posts: 3576
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Posted: 05/10/04 - 16:59 Post subject:
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dvd's are still hella expensive dude. ANd I can't use bittorent without buying a new network card which ive been hella lazy to do. Burning PS2/Xbox/GC games, getting a dvd burner, and mod chips/whatever is just not worth the effort when you compare it to any game for 7 days for 1.77.
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