The "Phantom" Is Coming... (1 Viewer)

[Morgan Jolley]

http://gamespot.com/gamespot/stories...909314,00.html

Either a hoax or a console that will never be released.

If it's a PC that works like a console (as in it plays PC games on your TV without having to buy a PC) then that's actually a pretty cool idea, but I doubt this will dent the market if it even gets released.

 

[Damien]

3 is more than enough, this thing has to be revolutionary from anyone to care.

 

[Dean Cooper]

I've done some looking around on this one. The scoop is that it is a PC that you can upgrade but will be designed to be placed in your living room. Could be cool if the price is right and comparable to gaming PCs. The big downfall to this is that they'll have a hole hockey sock full of these turn in to Linux servers if they are cheap to buy.

Dean

 

[EdR]

Even if it plays PC games, I'm afraid it's doomed.

IMO, the main (technical) benefit of using a PC (Or Mac) for gaming is resolution. Being able to play at XVGA or greater resolutions can make for amazing visuals. Playing PC games at 640x480 loses that benefit. And besides...even a bargain-basement PC can get very good gaming performance at 640x480.

The main technical benefit of a dedicated console is that the hardware is geared specifically toward gaming, which allows for special functions/effects to be done in hardware that developers can be assured will work for everyone.

If this console is really just a PC game device, it has neither of those benefits (unless it runs at HD resolution). If it can run at HD, then it could be cool, but it would still have a very limited audience.

 

[GlenHaag]

I think it's great that someone else is giving it a go.

Hopefully we'll see some more info on it in the coming weeks.

Glen

 

[Dave F]

If profits come from software, and this thing plays PC games...

How are they going to make any money? Volume?

-Dave

 

[Camp]

It won't happen. Remember Indrema? There were two or three others like Indrema that failed in the past couple years too. Unless your console has the backing of someone like Sony or Microsoft you don't stand a chance these days.

 

[DonRoeber]

I still say if they're going to call it "Phantom", they should make it purple.

 

[Dave Falasco]

Sweet sig, Dean!

 

[Dean DeMass]

Penny-Arcade has a take on how this system came to be.

Check it out here .

-Dean-

 

[Morgan Jolley]

There was also the Nuon console that never came out, but I think that (it was this or the Indrema) was more of a programming option for games for DVD players.

 

[Jason Seaver]

Um, I've got a Nuon DVD player. I play Tempest 3000 on it all the time. I don't know if there was ever a plan for a "crippled" Nuon DVD player that only played games.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

Nuon was a sort of programming option that was used in some DVD playes. I think there were plans to release a cheap console version of it at one point.

 

[Dave F]

Nuon was always intended to be attached to DVD players. Since it would require the same hardware, the only way that a game-only version could save money is by eliminating the DVD license fees.

Indrema would've been cool, but would've been hacked into linux servers before they even left the assembly line.

-Dave