Infinium Labs Phantom Console
Written by: Jonas Allen
While the gaming community gears up for the Electronic Entertainment Exposition (E
, anticipation is higher than ever for the next blockbuster games to hit consoles and PCs. Visions of Halo 2, the next Grand Theft Auto, Doom 3 and anything from Miyamoto are entrancing, to say the least. And those are just the things people are expecting. When it comes to future hardware, people would love to hear more and will speculate until they’re blue in the face, but it’s doubtful their dreams of information will become reality any time soon.
As speculation and rumors about new consoles run amok, one company has remained deafeningly silent - and out of the limelight - for quite some time. Infinium Labs, the Florida-based technology company behind the aptly named "Phantom," has said very little about its broadband-enabled console since announcing it in January. Since that single press release and brief burst of coverage, the company has been hard at work developing what it claims "will outperform the Xbox, Sony Playstation 2, and GameCube." Little else has been know about the console, its architecture and games.
Until now.
DailyGame was fortunate enough to interview Rob Shambro, chief operating officer of Infinium Labs, about the Phantom. Shambro was willing to shed some light on many of the questions left unanswered by the company’s initial press release, although some topics were still too early to publicly discuss.
When the Phantom was first announced, the cross-platform details were unclear. "Cross-platform" is generally a term used by publishers, so it’s not a phrase that’s easy to ignore when referring to a console itself. Would the Phantom somehow interface with the Xbox, PS2 or GameCube? Would it connect with PCs? How would it bridge the gap between very differently constructed platforms? As it turns out, Shambro says the Phantom will be "cross- platform in the sense that a Phantom can play other Phantoms and PCs."
This connectivity is directly related to the console’s architecture. "The Phantom will be configurable a la a Dell [PC], providing the latest and the most robust platform available, [and] it will run Windows XPe," said Shambro. He also said the system will have flexible architecture via "Open GL [and] the ability to upgrade components, so you are not stuck with old technology a year or two later."
Shambro was quick to point out, though, that the system will not be just a repackaged PC. For starters, it won’t have a Web browser or other PC-standard software, and it won’t connect to a computer monitor. The system will support high-res displays via HDTV modes, though, and it will connect "preferably to digital televisions, for better viewing.
The system will also ship with parental controls, although such software is far from the system’s only security measure. Shambro said hackers shouldn’t even bother trying to crack the Phantom, because Infinium Labs has physically designed the system with security in mind. "Security is job one. Every possible measure is being taken, hence no CD/DVD drive. How else can we convince game developers and publishers to deliver games digitally!"
That’s right. The Phantom will not have a CD or DVD drive. Instead, the broadband-enabled system will compel owners to download full retail versions of games, pre-release game demos (a la current PC demos) and even game betas through their existing broadband connection. In addition, the Phantom will support streaming games, which is naturally dependent upon broadband access. As a result, the Phantom will not support dial-up online gaming or allow owners to download new games via a dial-up connection. It will, however, include single-player and offline games - as long as you have the broadband connection required to download them in the first place
With no game disks, distribution of Phantom games will be relegated to pre-loaded games, game subscriptions and e-purchasing options. At least one company, .400 Software Studios, has already successfully used an e-licensing model for its PC games, and with the continued expansion of residential broadband, the idea itself seems feasible, if not a bit radical.
The rental options for the Phantom are also intriguing, with plans for games-on-demand and online rental services. Unfortunately, Shambro was unable to disclose the full logistical details of how rentals will work, nor provide any details about the games that will come pre-loaded on the system.
Shambro did say, though, that the Phantom’s loaded software and "potentially thousands of games" won’t translate into three original titles and 2,997 versions of Solitaire and Minesweeper. "We see games in four ways: console games, PC games, games in development and games to be developed," he says. "We will be licensing and porting quality games from all of these groups."
Does that mean when Halo ships for the PC, for example, that Phantom owners will be able to play it? We’ll have to wait for that answer, because partnership arrangements are still being worked out.
Partnership deals are also being finalized for third-party peripherals, although Shambro said "we will be utilizing peripherals from many manufacturers. … Controllers will be both wireless and corded. We have conducted substantial market research and have taken all feedback into account when designing the Phantom, [its peripherals] and our network."
So what will the design actually look like, then? "I can’t [show you] yet, but it looks awesome, I will say," said Shambro. "Prototypes are complete, and we will be unveiling them sometime this year."
OK, then how about the price? "We understand the cost consciousness of the gamer and are trying to give them the best price/performance gaming on the market."
Several key pieces of information are still publicly missing from the Phantom puzzle, but all indications are that the console is far from the "vaporware" people accused it of being when it was first announced in January. Although the console will not be making an appearance at E3, we anticipate the months ahead to be quite intriguing as the system is unveiled publicly and Infinium Games finalizes its publishing and distribution partnerships.
Special thanks to Rob Shambro and the communications staff at Infinium Labs for talking with DailyGame about the Phantom.
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