Back in 2002, when XBOX was about to launch it's XBOX Live! utility, an unusual new publisher announced via internet that it was going to launch it's own console, the Phantom. Infinium Labs, the console's parent, promised gamers and press alike that their console will have cross-platform capabilities, allowing you to play similar games from console-to-computer (imagine playing Halo 2 on XBOX while you friend was playing Halo 2 on PC). Also allowing owners to download unlimited games monthly for a price of $30, and a DSL service built in with your purchase of the console. Much speculation and controversy had surfaced over this, and gamers were bound to decide whether the Phantom lived to it's name or if it was just an unsung future hero. Infinium Labs kept it's Phantom project under the hood for 2 years until this year's E3 2004 when it opened a kiosk on the main floor. The original concept, looking very bulky and similar to Microsoft's XBOX, was now irrelevant. The sleek new design of the Phantom looked like a completely reversed project, with a thin, smoothe main system and a keyboard/mouse hybrid made the Phantom seem as if a console and PC gave offspring. Although the hardware is very limited compared to the new concepts Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo are making, the Phantom is as closed to Sony's PSX that this generation will encounter. Sporting a 40Gb hard drive, 256mb of memory, and a 2Ghz CPU, the Phantom will be more like a PC for your living room. Infinium Labs either chose a late or an early date to unleash it's monster of a console into this gaming generation, lacking proper hardware and peripherals to compete with Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo's new consoles, or even coming in too late for this current generation and may not acquire enough sales to keep the money-flow. Don't mind the maraca A USB cord connects the keyboard/mouse to the main component Close-up of the keyboard/mouse Images hosted by Gaming Horizon. What do you guys think?
i was looking forward to this console for a loong time since i was always stressed out with games on my pc. now if only i lived by myself.
It looks pretty sweet, but you might want to just post the links to the pictures instead of using the
I've been following this project for some time now, and i'm yet to see any real clarity that it will live up to what it claims to be/do. When i see concrete evidence that it can do all this, i will start to take a little more notice, but until then, i'll stick to what i have.
Hmmm that looks really big and bulky. Not too keen on the look of that or on the console itself. I don't reckon it will be a hit myself
I'll just be pouring all my cash into my big, bad PC, thank you very much. Never was much of a console fan, except of course that Halo rocked on Xbox...
I was partial to the original concept, I don't like the mouse/keyboard. Makes it look like a WebTV service.
It looks cool. But I, too, don't like the whole mouse/keyboard concept. I don't get it though...is it a gaming console or a computer? I read the post but I'm confused.
Supposedly it's a console with PC-type capabilities, or vice versa. I can't recognize it either, so let's categorize it as a "hybrid."