12 replies to this topic

[NovaXpress]

http://www.phantom.net/

So what's the story on this revolutionary new game system?

It's a DRM-protected PC. End of story. You can only upload and download from official phantom servers. Aside from that, dude you're getting a Dell.

[PuddWakkr]

Nice site...crappy product. $100 says this joke is hacked and ruined so fast it makes the Xbox look like Fort Knox.

[Ze_ro]

I don't think the world is ready for this yet. It's an interesting idea, but since you NEED an internet connection, and you CAN'T buy games on disc, I don't see many people going for it.

Can you imagine in 20 years when this is a minor collectors item (not unlike the CD-i), but you won't be able to play anything other than the last few games that the owner installed?

I'd like to think that the machine will be thoroughly cracked by then, but consider how (un)popular this thing will probably be, maybe no one will bother. Perhaps it will sell slightly better than the N-Gage.

--Zero

[VidGameKing]

I bet you it's just a PC (similar to the XBOX) but more like a PC, like it'll probably run linux or windows XP or somthing like that, it'll just be more "in tune" with console-like gaming i-e it'll be so scaled down of a PC it'll make your 400Mhz P2 look nice!

[ussexplorer]

They have tried this idea with so many different products. People don't like the idea of paying for nothing. I know that sounds crazy. People want something physical in there hands. Like a 5" cd or dvd disc with a game. Now if you could purchase the game and burn it to a cd (Like they are doing with the music finally) or if this system was backward compatible with some of the older systems like the dreamcast. We might have something. This also reminds me of webtv. The systems you could plug into broad band, use a regular ISP, or hack seemed to have after market sales when the company went under. Compaired to a propriatery system.

Later,

Josh

[NovaXpress]

I don't expect to see this thing hit the shelves. If it does it will only be useful as a collector's item 20 years from now.

[MegaManFan]

Fossilized dino poop is more colllectible than this p.o.s.

[RangerG]

Hey MMF --

Fossilized dung is FAR more valuable than the Phantom. Check it out:

http://news.national...2_dinodung.html

[MegaManFan]

Well I be ding danged damned, the dern dinosaur dung done did it again! Hon fitch ma shovel, I gotta dig for dino turds!

[Desolate One]

Quote

"Your mind wanders off and you can imagine that the warm feces was left by a dinosaur that just walked behind the hill…You feel like you're there."

Yah, that's my feeling on the topic exactly.

[Ze_ro]

VidGameKing said:

I bet you it's just a PC (similar to the XBOX) but more like a PC, like it'll probably run linux or windows XP or somthing like that

Dude, that's basically what the article says. It's a PC with tons of DRM crap to make sure you can't steal anything. It has to be a PC to enable it to play the 32,000 or so games that that claim it'll be compatible with (I'm not exaggerating either... they seriously claimed it would have 32,000 games).

I actually like the idea of a standardized computer that's meant for gaming, but I just don't like the idea that you have to download all your games (How long will it take to download some of the larger games like Baldur's Gate 2? 1.2 gigs or someting?), and not actually own any disks.

ussexplorer said:

Now if you could purchase the game and burn it to a cd (Like they are doing with the music finally)

I thought about that too, but it would be impossible to base a business around that, since there would be almost no way to prevent piracy in that case... if the Phantom can burn a CD, then a normal PC shouldn't have any problem reading and copying it.

In fact, I wonder how hard it would be to hack the box and stick the hard drive in your own computer and copy the game that way. Depending on how much they charge for the downloads, it might actually be a cheap source of PC games.

This system reminds me of the old Indrema... a standardized PC that was to run Linux. It was another utter failure (although people seemed sad to see it go, which is probably not what they'll feel when the Phantom dies), and never made it to market, but I like the idea of a console that is completely free to program for. GP32 anyone?

--Zero

[Raijin Z]

It'll always have a place in my absurd technology collection. I'm currently using an iMac as a doorstop. No kidding! Until i locate a new USB keyboard for it, it's got no other purpose.

[Hydian]

Quote

if the Phantom can burn a CD, then a normal PC shouldn't have any problem reading and copying it.  

Maybe. They could do things to make it harder, like encryption or an alternate format (The Dreamcast is only pirated because someone found code in the BIOS that allowed it to read normal CD's.) Anything they'd do would be cracked in time (this is true of any protection scheme.) The advantage goes to those trying to crack it as they have both numbers and time on their side. This is the reason for the anti circumvention part of the DMCA...it is intended to retard the inevitable.

If you figure that the system would have, at most, a 3 year life span then they only need to figure out how to make it limp along for that long.

The Xbox is a really great idea on MS's part BTW. They're basicly running a beta on their DRM technology. I don't think they're as worried about people trying to hack it as they appear. I think they're more worried about how they are succeeding.