Phantom Q&A

Its physical appearance remains a mystery, but the group at Infinium Labs has been quite vocal about its upcoming console called Phantom. In essence, the Phantom is a PC, and as such, it's capable of playing all existing and future PC games, but the system will have some unique features that will differentiate it not only from the PC market but also from the current console market. We had a chance to speak with Tim Roberts, CEO of Infinium Labs, to get a clear picture of these features as well as other aspects of the company's upcoming product.

GameSpot: Tell us a little about the people behind the Phantom project. What sort of experience do they have in the industry?

Tim Roberts: The management team is very well rounded. It consists of experts in the following fields: networking, managed hosting, software development, customer relations, content acquisition, marketing, and a creative team for each.

GS: With the market being so competitive, what was the motivation for creating the Phantom?

TR: The motivation for Phantom came from placing ourselves into the shoes of gamers themselves. Infinium believes that a system should contain the elements of being all-inclusive, compatible, reliable, and realistic to all the changes taking place every day. The gamers were our motivation. A wider age range was our motivation. The idea that we wanted to make it better and easier for everyone in one package deal was the underlying key motivation.

GS: How will the system be marketed, and who will it be marketed toward? Is the company looking to compete directly with the Xbox, GameCube, PlayStation 2, and PC?

TR: We are marketing the Phantom to the largest age range possible; we want the genres and title selection to appeal to every gamer aged 3 to 38, which is 80 percent of the market today. As for the competition, we really don't consider the systems you mentioned to be "competition." They are all great platforms, and to compete with them wouldn't serve us or our audience--what we are really doing is filling a void that the others aren't.

GS: Since it appears to have the same features as a PC, can you talk a little about the Phantom's hardware? Will PC peripherals (flight sticks, keyboards, mice, gamepads, and so on) work on the system?

TR: Well, to begin with, the Phantom is a state-of-the-art design with leading-edge peripherals that will appeal to a wider audience of users and technical gamers. It is easy enough for a 3-year-old, yet advanced enough for any hard-core gamer. It combines Dolby digital 7.1 capabilities, lightning-speed access, high-tech graphics, auto network configuration, and an upgradable console. It supports game rentals, PC games, game demos, and previews. It is an always-on-broadband device equipped with automatic updates, parental controls, and remote console management designed to tie in to a high-end home entertainment center. We wanted to design a system that would allow as many accessories as possible. We have configured the keyboard, mice, joysticks, and other accessories for better gaming control to accommodate even the toughest of hard-core gamers. As for the rest, you'll have to wait for the unveiling on August 17. I can't give away all the secrets!

GS: What price point are you aiming for with the Phantom at release? Will it be distributed through normal retail channels? Does the company have any alternate distribution methods in mind? Can we expect to see the Phantom bundled with new games at launch?

TR: Currently, we are looking at somewhere in the neighborhood of under $400. The great thing is this: For serious gamers, music lovers, and video lovers alike, the Phantom can be seen as an investment. While the initial cost may seem steep, its users will reap the rewards of a no-hassle, cost-effective system that will save them much more money in the long run. The basic package of Phantom will include hundreds of games that continue to grow daily as well as the additional service features such as live help, instant messenger, buddy lists, which work with any AOL/MSN/Yahoo configuration, as well as contests and news. No, we will not sell retail. The console can only be purchased online. It will start selling online in the beginning of the fourth quarter 2003 and will also be sold through broadband last-mile providers.

GS: Can you describe the delivery system for the Phantom (Phantom.net)? How will this system work in terms of renting and buying games, and how will the beta testing for certain games function?

TR: It is a DRM (digital rights management) system which offers game developers and publishers an easy and secure way to distribute the content to the masses. We are the first company to offer game developers a 99.999 percent service level agreement (SLA) against piracy.

GS: How will the online play features of the system work?

TR: The wireless console which works with cable, DSL, ISDN, T1, and WiFi offers the games on demand, for purchase or for rental. Aimed and designed for the gamers, Phantom offers communities, tournaments, contests, profiles voice and text chat, and video previews.

GS: Will there be an additional subscription fee for this service?

TR: Similar to a cable company providing its service of HBO, Cinemax, or Pay-Per-View, the Phantom does have its monthly fees, yet the difference is that it comes on a self-serve basis. If gamers want to preview a video, it's not a problem. Think Blockbuster video. We feel the idea should be "try before you buy."

GS: What kind of reaction have you been getting from developers and publishers about the console?

TR: Feedback has been positive. For example, when the developers sign up and become partners with the Phantom and Infinium Labs, they can basically self-publish games directly to our networks. They can then receive immediate feedback if they want to prerelease a game, say a multiplayer game, to make sure the game is performing correctly. So for the developers, it's a nice way to get a game out there and get it corrected quickly. The main draw for developers is that there is no cost to get the game published on the network. Basically, we take all the porting costs out of their hands, and we'll actually cover the costs for the port to our system. For the publishers, we are a simple mechanism for them to make more money because we can eliminate their packaging costs and high retail distribution costs such as inventory and insurance.

GS: Obviously, there will already be a robust library of games available when it launches since it can play PC games, but is the company trying to actively pursue exclusive content for the system? If so, are there any big-name publishers or developers interested? Can you name any companies?

TR: Yes, not only will we have thousands of titles available, but we are already securing deals for the top 100 selling games on the market. It will be very well rounded and appeal to the masses with a genre selection which will satisfy the appetite of any gamer.

GS: What's the general timeline for the system? When are you going to show the hardware, and when do you plan on launching the system?

TR: Everything will be unleashed online August 17, 2003, at 12:00am at www.phantom.net and also at www.infinumlabs.com.

GS: What kind of challenges and setbacks has the company experienced in getting a project like this off the ground?

TR: Obviously the biggest hurdle was meeting our timelines. We are very ambitious and have a very strong drive to get our service delivered and selling to the masses. Capital raising has been the biggest challenge, making sure we have addressed all of the due diligence items to make investors feel comfortable in this rocky marketplace. Fortunately, we have been told we have the strongest plan on the market today, and because of our dedication, hard work, and superior plan we have been able to create a feeding frenzy and to choose our partners strategically and not just monetarily.

GS: Widespread beta testing for a console is pretty unique. What do you hope to gain from the beta test, and will those participating be testing on the actual hardware?

TR: So far, the beta tester requests have been very successful. We have collected some very resourceful testers which can help fine-tune our product--we currently have over 28,000 applications on file to date. We are planning to distribute e-mails to the 300 lucky testers on September 15 which will announce who has been selected. Yes, absolutely the participants will be testing on the actual hardware. It's exactly what we want. We are looking for the elite hard-core gamers and also the top hackers out there to ensure a top-quality system. We hope to gain the necessary feedback in order to improve or simply gain the satisfaction of the reliability of our product.

GS: Is there anything else you would like to add about the Phantom?

TR: In short, we look to do for the gaming industry what MP3 has done for the music industry, only we have a better mousetrap which eventually provides movies, music, and e-books on demand. The Phantom appeals to all audiences, it's convenient, and most importantly it's fun. Consider the Phantom as your online marketplace, the interactive answer to your electronic needs.

GS: Thanks for your time.