Phantom Gets Insider Bonus, Ex-Xbox Bigshot

Thanks to loonyboi for pointing to a HeraldTribune.com article revealing new controversy and a surprising senior appointment for Phantom 'PC game console' makers Infinium. The article reveals: "Infinium Labs Inc. dished out a stealthy stock dividend to insiders as soon as it became a publicly traded company, and without bothering to tell the stock-trading public through traditional channels." Infinium executives "declined... to be interviewed about the four-for-one dividend", but it's also noted, by way of an SEC filing, that "...Infinium has hired Kevin Bachus, who helped Microsoft develop its XBox gaming system... Bachus, with nearly 20 years of experience in the game development industry, has assumed the role of president and chief operating officer."

Comments

Non-compete

[Anonymous Coward]

Hmmm... I'm surprised that MS didn't nail Kevin Bachus with one of those non-compete deals that are so common today.

Who Cares?

[mrshowtime]

Bill Gates could be named CEO tommorrow and it would not change a thing: The Phantom is nothing more than a Ghost. I see this system being a mere bump in the road for the PS3 and XBox2 to roll over when they come out. O.K. best case scenario:

Phantom comes out and really DOES have just about every game you could play on your COMPUTER. So what? They certainly are not going to have really good "Only on Phantom" custom games, nor be able to play the games from any other current console. The price cannot be below $299 as I am certain that infinium labs cannot lose money on each system, so for the price of roughly both the Xbox and the PS2 and possibly even the Gamecube, one can get a Phantom.

The biggest question everyone should be asking, is WHO is going to buy this system and WHY?

Re:Who Cares?

[nukem1999]

The biggest question everyone should be asking, is WHO is going to buy this system and WHY?
I can no longer remember where I read this, but months ago someone went to a Phantom conference or something. The author of the article stood up near the end and asked the following:
"I already have the 3 major consoles and a gaming PC. Why should I buy a Phantom?"
Their response: "You are not our target audience"

So basically their scope is limited to people who haven't touched a gaming system in 2 years, suddenly became (re)interested, and chooses them over their other 4 options despite the (probable) price increase and the (definate) worse game selection. Maybe the 1-2 people who get worked up over downloadable content.

3DO revisited?

[Craig Maloney]

So they got someone who has game industry experience. This doesn't lend credibility to the project, it instead makes me wonder how they got this far without it. Witness the 3DO. They had Tripp Hawkins, who's rhetoric probably could have sold 3DOs to people without electricity or televisions. When the chips were down, and Sony and Sega rolled out their 32 bit machines, 3DO started the hype machine for the M2, which was going to knock everyones socks off. Rumors flew like doves at a wedding. The 3DO faithful would be rewarded for not straying from the one true machine. Months marched on, and the M2 rumors turned to circling like vultures, wondering if the M2 would ever see the light of day. Would Panasonic manufacture it? Almost weekly the answer changed. When it was all said and done, the M2 didn't appear. The revolutionary hardware that would have changed the world of gaming might have shown up in some obscure arcade machines, but the console never showed itself to the waiting public. The hopes died with the hype.

I'm much more jaded nowadays when companies promise to release "the next big thing" without showing hardware sitting on a table hooked to a monitor. Any company can make rendered pictures of hardware, blowmold prototypes, and hire top name executives. What matters is hardware and software. Show me the Phantom running on a table... let me download some games to it and play them. Until then you can blow press releases out of your ass. You won't impress me; I've seen that act before.

They were at CES this year.

[darkmayo]

With their shiney Phantom Console.. which was never turned on. Personally I enjoy the "Phantom Unveiled" video they have at www.infiniumlabs.com definately sold me on the system.. heh

Re:Don't know if this has been posted before...

[Ayaress]

It's been posted in a couple other Phantom discussions, and it's probably the most informative post out there on the entire company. If anybody reads the article, I'd like to draw your attention most especially to the fact that the brains behind Infinium Labs were also behind Braodband Infrasturcture Group Corporation, who bilked investers for $15 million so they could live the high life; Intira Corporation, who carried $153 million into bankruptcy; and MCI Worldcom. I don't even have to remind you about their massive fraud, do I? Also, he claims to be the director of at least one company that isn't aware he works for them, and "can't find his email, address, name, or phone number." While your at it, check out the pictures of their mailing address. Last I'd heard (in December), it was still a small empty room next door to Mailboxes Etc, and they are still using a PO box as a mailing address.

Will The Public Accept No Media.

[liquidzero4]

I personally can't see buying a game console in which I will never physically own any games. I find the whole conecpt very strange. I could see from a cable or hotel industry perspective how this type of media delivery system would be appealing but I can't the general public accpeting this.

What's the advatnge to the customer to have to download media over broad band. Seriously unless the games are 50% the price of their physical media counterparts I'm not interested.