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The Phantom...Lives?
An Anonymous Reader writes "G4's Attack of the show has a writeup and video of a demonstration of the Phantom Gaming Service." From the article: "I certainly wouldn't be at this company doing what I'm doing if I wasn't absolutely sure that we're going to launch a product. It's natural for people to be skeptical. I think a lot of the skepticism is building on itself at this point: people are skeptical so therefore they become more skeptical and therefore they become more skeptical."
I'm not skeptical to be skeptical. I'm skeptical because this console was announced, what, 5 years ago? More?
Don't get me wrong, if it comes out and kicks ass I'll be all over it, but until I see a working machine I can fiddle with at the game store I'll place your console in the file folder with Duke Nukem Forever.
Pulp Audio Weekly - Geek News and Reviews
Sorry, couldn't help it...
When the going gets tough, the tough get drunk
We were skeptical because we've been promised the moon, the sun and the stars for years, without delivery. Or perhaps because the main office were found to be a PO Box (or an empty office - I can't remember). Because every year there's some hardware, some sort of demo, but nothing real and tangible.
We're skeptical because many of us are empiricists who don't believe in empty promises anymore, but real results. Show us a machine, we can buy, and a real list of games that work, and we'll take a look at it. Until you actually say "On sale on [insert date here]", just shut up - we'll be a lot less skeptical that way.
52 Weeks, 52 Religions with John Hummel
At least they managed to create a perpetual skepticism machine!
I read Slashdot for the articles.
Uber tech geeks wont because they know it is baisically a 3 year old pc in a box.
average joe casual gamer won't because he wants to go to a shop and buy his games, aswell as wanting to physically own the game
the people inbetween, imho, wont care, and will stick with their PCs or traditional consoles.
oxymoron of the day - Xbox gamer
"I certainly wouldn't be at this company doing what I'm doing if I wasn't absolutely sure that we're going to launch a product."
If you're still working for the company, obviously you're waiting for the payoff. Having this type of confidence in your employers doesn't translate into real-world guarantees that the business is going to launch the product.
This is modern American workplace's version of Stockholm Syndrome. Good luck, kiddo.
"There's companies that are just so cool that you just can't even deal with it," - Bill Gates, about Google
..that the reason is I'm skeptical is just because, well, people are skeptical about it. I thought I was skeptical because I read HardOCP's writeup about what they'll have to do to even break even, and it didn't seem in the least bit likely to me.
Meine Schwester ist sehr, sehr reizvoll - Nietzsche
"I think a lot of the skepticism is building on itself at this point: people are skeptical so therefore they become more skeptical and therefore they become more skeptical."
What kind of English sentence is this to begin with? This is the guy that's leading and managing the development of a be-all end-all gaming platform?
Did anyone else actually watch the video? I think this is a great idea. The pricing model seems right too... he wants to go the "cable tv" route, where you pay a monthly fee with a contract and get the hardware for free, or the "satellite radio" route where you pay a little for the hardware, and don't have to bind yourself with a yearly contract.
Either way, this is a great idea. It obviously plays PC games (as I understand it). I currently run two linux machines, no dual booting or anything, and the the only thing I miss from a few years ago when I ran windows is the gaming. This console will be a dream come true.. it's powerful, and it'll only cost a fraction of the price if I were to buy another box just to install windows on for games.
I really hope this does well.. I'm looking forward to it.
I c
Is it just me, or has Bachus gained weight since coming on board?
"Still. Where did the lighter fluid go."
from TFA:
Have you beefed up the system specs in the last year?
Bachus: We've widened the Lies Pipeline signifigantly, and upgraded the Chicanery Processing Unit to be 30% faster.
May you be touched by His Noodly Appendage. RAmen.
That explains why the phantom is so late:
Microsoft has all the developers, developers, [...], so Infinium has only the skeptical, skeptical, [...] left and there is nobody to actually develop the console.
Maybe Duke Nukem Forever will be a launch title
Did anyone else actually watch the video? I think this is a great idea. The pricing model seems right too... he wants to go the "cable tv" route, where you pay a monthly fee with a contract and get the hardware for free, or the "satellite radio" route where you pay a little for the hardware, and don't have to bind yourself with a yearly contract.
And when you participate in this scheme, what exactly do you own? Do you own any of the games you download? Do you own the box? If you stop paying Infinium money, would you still be able to play your games? If Infinium financially imploded, would your box still work?
These are some of the biggest concerns which IL still hasn't addressed. To you, it may look fine. To everyone else, it looks like a more strict version of Steam with an extra box you have to buy, too.
Happiness is relative, Based upon the way we live.
The console looks absolutely nothing like the conceptual "radical" designs they were tossing around previously. It looks pretty ho hum in fact.
But more importantly, where was this "Kevin Bachus" guy when his company was being "investigated" by [H]
President/COO was in hiding? this makes no sense. Where are Timothy (Roberts) and his mom in all of this?
I'll believe it when it hits the shelves, I'm willing to bet a dollar that they'll vanish in a puff of smoke along with any investor money still left in the setup.
How in the world does that even make any sense? By that logic the opposite should also hold true and anyone who believed in the product therefore believed more, and then more still!
Here's the real reasons people became more and more skeptical of the product - because the man leading the company has submarined so many other VC-funded startups it's insane anyone still gives him money. Because when the community did some digging their multimillion dollar funded base of operations was an empty storefront. Because the tech they were touting was beyond anything else at the time and there was nothing but some CG images to back up that they even had a prototype. Because when a website did some more digging and published and article full of facts they threatened to sue. Because every single time something came out about their "product" it was 'soon soon soon!' and yet nothing ever materialized.
Skepticism does not come from nothing and feed on itself. Skepticism comes from making outrageous claims and not backing them up and flying the face of logic with no proof.
I appologize for not linking to articles/slashdot posts/etc for all of the claims above, but I'm pretty sure /. readers are all too well aware of what I'm talking about.
-- I'm not a pessimist, I'm a realist. It's not my fault that life sucks so much. --
2.5 weeks ago, StockPatrol.com has this to say:
.Phantom Gaming System. will have to wait a little longer. The Company, which has repeatedly delayed introduction of its Phantom, now claims that its .goal. is to .commence the launch. of the product in the fourth quarter of 2005 . but only if it can first secure at least $11.5 million. That is just the beginning. Infinium says it will need $22.2 million over the next year. At last report, the Company had $4,102 in available cash.
Investors and observers who have been awaiting the debut of Infinium Labs Inc..s (OTCBB: IFLB)
Pulp Audio Weekly - Geek News and Reviews
Man the report gets even worse..
"The Company's present financial condition suggests that even this revised timeline may be a bit unrealistic. According to its Form 10-K Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2004, Infinium has had operating losses of more than $36 million since its inception in December 2002, including over $33 million of losses in 2004. The Company has a working capital deficiency of $12,223,911 and a stockholders' deficiency of $11,468,854.
And little cash in the bank. As of December 31, 2004, Infinium had just $4,102 in cash. The Company reported an additional $894,910 in "restricted cash" which evidently cannot be used for operating purposes - although the Form 10-K does not say why it is restricted. These numbers look even worse when compared to the Company's liabilities - more than $4.5 million in accounts payable and approximately $7.3 million due on promissory notes. At the time the Form 10-K was filed, Infinium was in default on over $3.6 million in promissory notes."
I know this sort of thing gives them ratings, but G4 should think twice about showing scams, I mean theres some level of er.. "innocence" in trying to convince complete non gamers that the Killzone 2 trailer was "realtime gameplay" but seriously the "phantom"?!
In case you havent noticed the Phantom is a "console" that will fail in purpose, and as soon as it does, the extra "initial capital" from the naive investors will disappear in thin air. (except from the pockets of those who orchestrated the whole deal of course) check the bios of these guys they are con artists.
This sort of thing could blow in their faces. not that they should worry about their credibility (which is zero anyway) they should worry about investors seeking for blood when this thing finally blows its cover.
Go ahead MOD my day!
More opinions here
Compared to the endless wait you'll have when you try to download a 3+ Gig game over a secure connection.
What's that, you say?
The Phantom will leech bandwidth all day and night to "pre-load" the hard drive with games you'll never buy?!?
Whoo-hooo! I didn't need low ping times or quick downloads for work or more important stuff like games that function...
I don't care if each console comes with a complementary hooker, I'd never buy from these dirt balls.
PS - Hey, G4. Way to go on those hardball questions! You're like Barbara Walters LITE mixed with Dr. Phil. "So, like, there were some law suits and stuff, but you're like, real, right?" Wow, way to explore the fact that IL is on your show to try to drum up more funding! If that bit manages to secure 11 million, you can BET I'm making a stab at guest starring on AOTS.
Video Game News, FAQs, etc
April 1st was about 2 months ago.
But when he swears on the Phantom that the Phantom is real and is coming "Soon" then it's not much different than an empty promise.
-- Any comments seen here are not mine, but a mixture of alchohol and lack of sleep.
replace the word people with "The Phantom mangement spin" and the word Skeptical with "Bullshit"
"people are skeptical so therefore they become more skeptical and therefore they become more skeptical."
The Phantom...Lives? No. No it doesn't. Next article please.
Man, 26 bucks get ya 200 shares. How low till he's beggin Bill for a job?
OSGGFG - Open Source Gamers Guide to Free Games
Okay.. I watche dthe whole lame ass "interview" and I still didn't see the thing "working"
I saw a desktop computer with a lame menu system, and a list of titles. And then some fancy logos flashing on the screen. but NOTHING ACTUALLY PLAYING; no games, no video, no music. NOTHING.
It's still bullshit.
No unauthorized use. Trespassers will be shot. Survivors will be shot again.
Here in Australia our biggest phone/broadband company has been branching out recently, they offer a games-on-demand service (http://www.gamenow.com.au/) for AU$20/month, giving people access to over 100 PC games (like Mafia, Dungeon Siege and Freelancer (oldies, I know)).
Downloads aren't counted towards monthly download limits, and they play on PC using a Game Manager app to keep it secure from piracy. As most of the games are a bit older, you can be sure that most people will be able to play all/most of these games on their hardware.
My point is: games-on-demand is quite a simple thing to do, but you need the infrastructure (and a shedload of money) to back it up.
And some believability..
I can't believe these guys think they can take on Nintendo with their download and play concept, the great thing about nintendo's plan is that they won't have to always be playing catchup with hardware since most all the games they will be offering for download play will be "Classic" nintendo fare. This means established games and no hardware to keep upgrading to suport the latest and greatest.
Phantom only has a chance if they support OLD school PC games like Doom and Wolf 3-d, but even then it doesn't look good cause most people can play those on their current PCs anyways.
Also for this market Name Recognition is a must. The casual gamer will instantly recognize Nintendo as being a Video Game company. Phantom will only bring about images of the crappy star wars movie or some Opera show that is boring. So while Sony and Microsoft are slugging it out for #1, Nintendo and Phantom(assuming they even launch) will be beating each other over the head for scraps, and I think Nintendo is far better at that sort of thing.
Tsukasa: All I really want, is to be left alone...
It's destined to be a success, Keith McCurdy was an advisor to them!