Phantom: The Lost Gaming Console from 2004

[Guest]

A PC peripheral is this vaporware console's legacy.

Phantom: The Lost Gaming Console from 2004 : Read more

 

[duckmanx88]

"The Phantom promised an online content delivery service that would eliminate the need for the user to buy physical game media. Also slated for release with the console was the "lapboard", a swiveling mouse-keyboard combo suggesting a PC-like gaming experience."

so it's a computer.

 

[Zingam]

too little too early. perhaps they could've joined steam

 

[mrecio]

Well I think all the current gen consoles can be considered computers in one way or another, this just seems to be more on the PC side with the keyboard and mouse. But the thing is PC games are always going to build theirs PC's and play PC games not buy a console and use a keyboard and mouse with it.

 

[kingnoobe]

Actually I think this would work if they released it now with upgraded hardware, and if it also came with a controller obviously. The only major problem I could see is getting game companies to back it. I think this was just one of those things ahead of its time.

 

[doeboy]

this was the biggest pos that every existed. Just because you put up a box at E3 that has a blue light doesnt mean anything inside of it even is there or works. Clearly a great example of vaporware because it was never even shown working with 1 game.

 

[Skippy27]

Isn't this very concept being tested by another company under another name?

 

[hellwig]

"Phantom Lives" hahaha (that's the slogan on a glow-in-the dark t-shirt a relative picked up for me at E3 that year).

Anyway, the Internet-based content delivery was a good idea, but people didn't have the internet connections yet to support it (you were lucky if you got 1.5mbps DSL or 3mbps cable). Of course, since they never developed any hardware, the product probably never existed in the first place.

 

[masterasia]

I can see this being the future for gaming. Cloud based apps and games have been on the up rise for a while now. As for me, I still like my games and apps to not be cloud based, less chance of being spied on.

 

[n0ah]

What shouldn't be understated is that the Phantom was probably a scam. Any article that refers to it as a dead console is just facilitating the perpetrators. The Infinium Labs bosses hyped up the machine, showed it at expos, took investors' money and walked away.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6151380.html

 

[n0ah]

An expose on Phantom Labs, aka Infinium Labs:

http://www.hardocp.com/article/2003/09/17/behind_infinium_phantom_console/1

 

[cletus_slackjawd]

STEAM should do this... The idea is sound, essentially, another XBOX360 with digital content distro that is already in place and a keyboard mouse designed for living room. It's a winner out of the box. The company that was behind Phantom Labs was probably just a great idea with bad intent.

 

[mindspring]

b.s.

 

[Guest]

Seems to me this article is trying to outline that Phantom has a product to market. The Lapboard has been in numerous magazines and reviewed positively around the industry. I don't think it makes much sense to launch into the whole vaporware topic....

 

[n0ah]

@blankness

I couldn't find the lapboard on Newegg, NCIX, even eBay. Alienware even said Phantom couldn't supply enough of them for them to consider carrying it (http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/12/27/alienware-no-longer-carrying-phantom-lapboard/)! I think they produced a limited number of these, sent them off to reviewers, and got enough material to make them look legit enough to bilk even more money from investors. This is a company that had apparently raised at least $73 million, and all they have to show for it is an elusive lapboard which looks rather cheap to me. Moreover, this company has been through lawsuits and name changes to try clear their image, and all that before they released anything!

 

[Guest]

You have to go to the Phantom website to buy it. If you checked their Facebook you'll see they have them in stock.