More Info on Phantom Game Console

MImeKillEr writes "Newsforge is reporting that the Phantom Game Console discussed on Slashdot is really a DRM-protected PC, sans floppy or CD running Windows XP. It uses a proprietary encryption method to protect the data on its harddrive, and the only thing that differentiates this 'game console' from a standard, Windows-running PC is that it has no way to get data on or off of it except through a dedicated connection to Infinium Labs' own servers." Newsforge and Slashdot are both part of OSDN.

Comments

Looking into the future...

[FrostedWheat]

I predict only phantom sales for this ... thing.

Oh no....

[StaceyRey]

that it has no way to get data on or off of it except through a dedicated connection to Infinium Labs' own servers...

So when I get that nice "We had a problem, send email to Microsoft to report the error" dialog there's a good chance they won't receive it? How will they ever know what happened? ;-)

Wow

[Lord_Slepnir]

All of that security....DRM....encryption....requiring a connection to Infinium Labs' own computers....

I give it 3 weeks before it's completly cracked and reverse engineered. Thanks, Infinium Labs', for giving me (and dozens of other nerds) something to do this semester!

whoa

[TrekkieGod]

Last time I checked, when you buy something it's yours.

When was the last time you checked? Been away for a while?

Called it!

[Astrorunner]

Re:Too many games? (Score:2)
by Astrorunner (316100) on Tuesday January 21, @10:06PM (#5131985)
From the appearance of the case (they have a semi-transparent front-view on their site) it appears that it is a standard pc mother board in the case. I can make out 3 or 4 pci slots on the left side, cpu with heat sink, and apparently the power supply / fan on the right.

The only way, to my mind, they can truly claim to have 32,000 games to start would be that the system is basically a slimmed down windows machine capable of running today (or yesterday's) games.

Obviously, I'm simplifying things greatly -- they have to build the whole distribution method and so forth -- I can imagine them shipping games over broadband as ghost images. They'd only need to do a real install on one machine, take an image, etc etc.

The catch is, it will run today's games and yesterday's games, but it won't run *tomorrow's* games since you're really not going to be able to upgrade it.
"

*gloat gloat gloat*

Nice quote:

[cK-Gunslinger]

As one industry observer pointed out when he first heard the Infinium Labs story, "You buy the console. You buy the games. Then you pay to play the games you bought on the console you bought. It's sort of like buying an arcade game but still having to put quarters in. And ads!"

Reminds me of "Funny Farm" when the telco installed a payphone in Chevy Chase's house.

Yeah, sign me up! ;-)

Yet another hacking challenge

[serutan]

Once again, the DRM world prepares to provide the smart-people-with-spare-time world with more amusement. Woo-Hoo!!

Re:Fair use?

[paranoic]

If pens where made by software companies

1. There would be no guarantee that they would work or do anything useful at all.
   
2. You may not reverse engineer them.
   
3. You may not use them to write disparaging remarks about the company.
   
4. Amazon.com would own the patent to writing with them.
   
5. The ink would run out at predetermined time and only refills made by the company would work.
   
6. Only the purchaser may use the pen.
   

Of course, the new economic model would require a fee for every letter written by the pen.

Can't be!

[VernonNemitz]

If the only way to get data in or out of the system is via connection to outside servers, then I wouldn't want to own one. I want joysticks and a keyboard, at least, to input my data!

Re:Fair use?

[Anonymous Coward]

camptown races" Intellectual Property Is-not, is-not Physical Property So analogies suck (chorus) Mod parent down.. Mod parent down! That kind of crap isn't "insightful" Mod Parent down.

I am now distributing your copyrighted derivitive work on Kazaa.

Re:Fair use?

[Scaba]

My wife went out and bought a yoda cd...

Was that Yoda CD anything like this?

Re:Fair use?

[Surak]

Don't forget that clicking the button on the end of the pen indicates your acceptance of these terms of use.

And your pen would surrepititously write information about what you wrote and send it to the manufacturer whenever you 'upgraded' the ink cartridge.

And you could only use paper compatible with your pen, of course. And the company would make sure that only *its* paper would work with its pen.

And some people would independently develop their own "open" pen and paper systems, where pens and papers would work interchangeably, only to be sued by SCO for violating the copyright on their pen design.

Re:I'm Sorry

[rampant mac]

"a wife who likes the wild monkey sex at times"

Whoa there fella, this is Slashdot, you might want to simplify that terminology into something a little more geek specific. Suggestions would include:

a wife who likes a hot, throbbing beowulf in the zeitgeist

a wife who likes a little "CowboyNeal" first thing in the morning

according to NetCraft our sex life is dying

I "SCO" her at times and she always comes back for more

Re:Fair use?

[duffhuff]

Amazon.com would own the patent to writing with them.

Would that be One-Click Writing?

Okay okay, that was bad.

Re:I'm Sorry

[Anonymous Coward]

But I also have a job, two kids, a wife who likes the wild monkey sex at times - and every so often, I have to travel.

The times I usually have wild mokey sex with your wife is while your at work or traveling.

Re:Fair use?

[cheezedawg]

I hate it when people begin their sentences with "Umm." It's rather low-class.

This coming from somebody that chose "Acidic_Diarrhea" as their nick...

Re:I'm Sorry

[brkello]

Everyone is responding to this line...so I apologize for doing this also, but I can't resist.

But I also have a job, two kids, a wife who likes the wild monkey sex at times - and every so often, I have to travel.

I am fine with the whole wife thing...but do you have to involve your work and kids in the monkey sex too?

Re:I read it the other way.

[M.C. Hampster]

Did anyone else read this as, "soon there will be no way to get data on or off XP except through a dedicated connection to M$"?

Actually, since most people can read around here, I'm gonna guess you are the only one.

Re:Im glad they incoprtated the "????" step.

[heli0]

"Someone help me understand why he has to have that sort of cash flow($100,000,000), just to break even."

Cocaine?

Re:Fair use?

[InferiorFloater]

This is the one thing for which I see a use for the DMCA. Encrypt this sort of evil, diabolical music, and sue the straight bejeezus out of anyone that tries to decrypt it for future generations to suffer to. It's a crime against humanity that Leonard Nimoy's "Highly Illogical" is now preserved for posterity - that's the sort of dangerous material that should be buried forever, only to be unearthed by supervillians.