A newly formed US technology company, Infinium Labs Corporation, today announced that they will develop and market a new games console that they claim will outperform the Xbox, Sony Playstation 2, and GameCube.
The product (called 'Phantom', at the moment) will be geared towards hardcore gamers and PC users, and will be the first always-on broadband console. This next generation game console provides a robust, fault tolerant delivery system that supports games on demand, game rentals, game demos, seamless upgrades and patch management. The official spiel claims.
Here’s some more lofty aspirations of the Phantom:
Fastest console on the market
Broadest selection of preloaded games
Cross Platform capabilities
State of the art design and architecture
Advanced accessories and wireless capabilities
Online connectivity for multi player gaming
Seamless upgrades and patch management
A multi tiered subscription service that meets the needs of casual, moderate and hard-core game players
Demo games before purchasing or subscribing
Games on demand
Game Rentals
Rumour has it, that the broadband potential of this console will allow gamers to instantly purchase and acquire new games through the system, whilst an intuitive design will mean that the console is easy for kids to use, as well as gaming veterans.
Online gaming will also be key, along with subscription-based games, and Infinium claim that you’ll be able to compete in tournaments against players from all over the globe.
Infinium continue introducing the ‘Phantom’, claiming that there are currently 32,679 retail game titles available and 418 shareware game titles not including; adult, casino, sequels and new releases of the past 6 months. A lofty claim indeed. Moreover, all these titles will be distributed electronically.
The Phantom gaming Console is apparently the first to offer a bundled 2.4 GHz wireless controller along with the ability to add-on additional wireless controls, racing steering wheels, joysticks, keyboard and mouse.
Prototypes of the console will be available in March this year, whilst Infinium Labs plan to officially launch the product in the US come November. More news on this as we get it.
By Luke Guttridge
Comments
Whoa! Big news!
Whens it out over here?!?!?!
I'm guessing next year if it gets off the ground - this is very, very ambitious
this is the stupidest business idea i have ever heard. if MS is already losing billions and not expected to make $ anytime soon how are these guys EVER going to make cash? they'll probably run out of dough before this thing ever sees the light of the day. besides, how are they ever going to get ANYONE develop stuff for this?
the guys sitting behind this have a fundamentally flawed appreciation of the games market. unless, of course, this is all an elaborate hoax...it wouldn't be the first!
I bet it outsells Xbox in Japan
it's not even out yet...and it's already dead.
lol, prob will. I wonder what the technical specs will be like, I don't think it will be able to compete, in terms of graphics, with the PS3 or X-box 02.
Where's the DVD drive? Looks like only on-line content.
Well if thats the case, I'll not be buying one!
This thing can supposedly already play games on other systems...Then, why would they need to get developers? CHING!
www.thisisahoax.com
-- or --
www.willsuckevenifitisforreal.com
I'm gonna give it a try...
gosh, another console? no way! This late release smells of Dreamcast. Out too late, the next gens will blow it away.
do u think it will play wrestling games like wwe coz if its always online u could have online royal rumbles
Well, most failed consoles have their fair share of bad games so yes, I would say that it will have wrestling titles. That is, if anyone develops for it other than the company itself.
Hi guys, we have our reservations about this one too, though the press release and company website seem genuine enough - we are however seeking further clarification as we speak.
What are the system specs??? Are the graphics going to be vastly superior over the Xbox, and what third party support do you have??
Thank you
Sounds like I heard this before and now i'm hearing it again. It take brains .luck popularity ,games in this business. Just look at the under power Playstation 2. Us gmers need better games not more systems!"
Ok, I have just spoken a contact we now have at the company Infinium Labs. From what I have heard, this is NOT, repeat, NOT a hoax.
We have another contact now, and are expecting an interview and more details very soon.
I think this is a great concept. The only thing that discourages me is that there are not more people on here pushing for a company to come in that is obviously being built by hard core gamers to compete head to head with the buerocratic goliths that have disappointed us for years.
Sega MegaDrive 4 life
I must say this is probably something that has potential. We all have our doubts. However, think about it, there are actually companies out there that want to develop something that we all want. So let's give em the benefit of the doubt until proven. Why not contact these guys and give them our input? They may actually want to give us what we want. Just my two cents.
I'd be very interested to hear a corporate report on 'Infinium'. Who is their CEO? Their Head of Technology? (or equivalent.) IF this is NOT a hoax...then Infinium are doomed. I haven't seen such a weak proposal in gaming...ever. (LOOK at that controller!! LOOK at it! NO WAY!) I can't wait for the next move... (32,679 games...deary me!)
LOL, oh but if it is real I bet £10 on it dying on its arse, ooo around next week.
What does preloaded games mean? when is it coming out? who is developing for it? what are its specs"? why has it decided to come out at a time like this, in such a huge console war already?
And how come no other sites have any enough on this NEW system.
You know, I needed a good laugh today. And another thing, how come I never heard of "Infinium" before? This is the biggest load of BS I've heard since American Idol.
32,000+ retail games? What the hell? They can say they are the most powerful and have the most games, but what i care about is GOOD games. Forget this.
Uh oh, looks like this thing is ready to fail worse than the Jaguar. If it sells more than one thousand units I will be shocked to death. For a console they expect to do so well you'd expect them to be working on it for more than a year, not to show game demos and the like. It may be powerful, but those 30,000+ games COULD NOT take advantage of the hardware... not when the thing is announced a year before release. No way in Hell. Unless this company is made of 100,000 superhuman freaks, which, for a company that is brand new, there is no way.
There was already supposed to be a fourth console by now, but that company went bankrupt or something, according to my old Gamepro.
I could excuse the crappy 3Ds max pics, and the proud spec boasting, but I simply do not believe the number of games....unless it is PC compatible and this figure counts every PC game ever released. To put this boast in perspective, the PS2 has around 1500 games, the Xbox and Gamecube about 2-300 apiece. And they claim to have 30K+ games? Cobblers...