Phantom Game Console 545
jasoncart writes "In a bold move newly formed US technology company Infinium Labs Corporation have announced the release of a new gaming console. They promise that it will be faster than any other console on the market, and have a huge games catalog (32k+ games apparently) available over broadband. Can they take on the big boys? Is broadband pentration high enough? Only time will tell - prototypes are promised in March." There's also an interview with their PR spokesdrone. *cough*Indrema.*cough*
This is doomed (Score:5, Insightful)
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the next 3do
Re:This is doomed (Score:4, Interesting)
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the next 3do"
Whoah, easy on the 3DO there. It did pretty damn well for a no-name company that sold a $700 machine. You shoulda said Jaguar!
In any event, everybody and their mother thinks they know how to make a good game console, but until they get big name developers on board they can forget it. Remember when nirvana was getting a game console that could do what an arcade unit does? People want the premium gaming experience, not hacked together games that barely convey the ideas they're after.
This system ain't going to do well as long as Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony are getting the 'wow' games.
Re:This is doomed (Score:5, Insightful)
Who the hell were Sony and Microsoft in the game industry ten years ago? Remember when Intellivision was going to rule the world?
I think it's first big problem is that it's homely. It looks like a homebrew case project.
Shallow as itmight be, they need a much cooler looking console to sell into the market.
A brief history of ugly consoles. (Score:4, Interesting)
The SNES? Lavender and Beige? I mean, Lavender and Beige? How did this get past test marketing?
For that matter, no system in history has looked as cool relitive to their companions as the Neo Geo did back in the 16 bit era. That company no longer exists, of course.
I'm starting to wonder if very, very ugly systems stick out in consumers minds, thereby increasing sales. It couldn't be just that the name eminates the coolness factor: who didn't laugh the first time they heard the word "Playstation," "Dreamcast," "Ultra 64," "SuperNES," etc.
Perhaps those industry critics are right when they say that people decide on games to buy, then get the console to support them, rather than buying cool consoles to facilitate gaming. In that situation, the "WOW" factor is firmly where it belongs: with the developers. In the mean time, big players will probably continue to hire design professionals who have never touched a console in their lives. Look at the Playstation. Look at the Vaio line of computers. Which looks very, very cool, and which pads Sony's bottom line to the tune of several hundred million dollars per year?
Re:This is doomed (Score:3, Insightful)
Sheah, right. (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Sheah, right. (Score:2)
I was thinking of the MAME-in-a-box idea as well (plus maybe emulators for the old console games, too) as a way of filling out that 32,000+ number. But then that makes the claim of being the fastest game console seem pretty silly.
Doesn't mean it's not true, though.
mistype (Score:4, Funny)
oops
But the real question is... (Score:5, Funny)
REAL gaming machines cook eggs.
Re:But the real question is... (Score:2, Funny)
Sweet, but... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Sweet, but... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:At least they got the name right... (Score:5, Funny)
Only time will tell if "Phantom" was also named appropriately.
32K games? (Score:5, Funny)
Pong, Breakout, Space Invaders..
Re:32K games? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:32K games? (Score:5, Funny)
Childhood flashback.
Playing the 'Sears' version of Atari on Saturday afternoons at the mall.
Space Invaders.
Combat.
Standing around in the back of the Sears by the lawnmowers and the garden supplies where they had the Atari set-up.
Get tired of playing, head on down to Aladdin's Castle to play Donkey Kong, Pac Man, and Tron.
Then off to Radio Shack to fiddle with the TRS-80's and the acoustically-coupled 300 baud modem. Meet some curly haired guy named 'Eberle' in the TRS-80 section who managed to have *every* TRS-80 game in existence -- Asylum I, Zork, Death Maze 5000, you name it.
Teach myself BASIC on the TRS-80 Model III.
Then off to Orange Julius.
Then bike ride home.
Play D&D in the evening. Talk about the new 'module' you're writing. Talk about getting some more modules. Talk about Grayhawk.
Childhood was so simple. Malls, computers, orange julius', and Gary Gygax.
Re:32K games? (Score:5, Funny)
Perhaps its like those Asian pirate carts you can get a million games [atarihq.com] but they're all randomly generated hacks of Contra.
Re:32K games? (Score:3, Funny)
They need more... (Score:5, Interesting)
Even then, I think consumers already have enough with the PS2, XBox, and GameCube. Will they pick up a fourth?
The idea of playing games over broadband is interesting, but that's already a common use for computers (where you would have the broadband!).
Re:They need more... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:They need more... (Score:3, Interesting)
That number's dumb. What makes it dumber is that they claim the system's more powerful than any on the market, thus implying it's a 3D system etc. If you take every game made for any system since the 3DO, you don't arrive at 32,000.
Hmm. (Score:5, Insightful)
Business plan. (Score:5, Funny)
I present to you: Springtime for Hitler, the console.
Go Slashdot go! (Score:5, Funny)
Yep! It's a gonner (Score:2)
interesting name (Score:3, Funny)
Too many games? (Score:4, Insightful)
You're reading it wrong. (Score:2, Funny)
But this machine will play them very quickly, as it's the fastest machine on the market.
And, you've got to admit, "Phantom" is the perfect name for a vaporware console.
Re:Too many games? (Score:5, Funny)
What Color am I thinknig of....
Guess which hand.....
How much do I weigh....
Pong....
Draw!...
Spell!....
and so forth and so forth...
Re:Too many games? (Score:5, Funny)
32k+ games?? (Score:5, Funny)
That's nothing! My old Apple IIe could play 64k games!
Is this a hoax or what? (Score:5, Insightful)
It shows a little rendered image of a console, while saying things like "Imagine being able to pay for each play" and "Imagine downloading the latest patches and bugfixes".
Re:Is this a hoax or what? (Score:2, Insightful)
And why does a google search on 'infinium' and 'phantom' return zilch - nothing even remotely related to gaming or tech?
Gawd.. Do some fact checking, or just quit reposting anything remotely to do with gaming at all. You don't know what you're talking about and this is the second time within a couple weeks that a console hoax has made it to the front page.
Ahead of its time (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Ahead of its time (Score:2)
Many of these places are already placing systems that have internet access and nintendo/genesis games, so that market isn't exactly a "gimme" either. The things gotta be cheap and bullet proof. Their two claims to fame, speed and large game library don't mean squat to the markets you mention.
Publi© performan©e (Score:2)
Put a money slot on it and put it in various public places
Licenses for public performance of a copyrighted work tend to be more expensive than licenses for distribution intended for private home viewing.
Re:Publi© performan©e (Score:3, Interesting)
I'm guessing that using software does not constitute performance, public or otherwise.
-Paul Komarek
They had to call it phantom ... (Score:5, Funny)
Taking on the Big Boys (Score:2, Insightful)
Games (Score:5, Insightful)
I don't think 684 versions of Tetris, each with slightly different graphics, should count as distinct games.
Tetris clones (Score:2)
I don't think 684 versions of Tetris, each with slightly different graphics, should count as distinct games.
As far as I know, the puzzle gaming community accepts that Tetris, Columns, Klax, Dr. Mario, Puyo Puyo, Zoop, Tetris Attack, and Puzzle Fighter II are distinct games. But should six versions of Tetris with different rules [thq.com] count as distinct games? What about a falling tetramino game where the screen rotates, zooms, and eventually shears like a TV tuned to a scrambled channel [pineight.com]?
32K? (Score:4, Funny)
So that must mean they're only 89 games short!
32k??? (Score:5, Insightful)
Anyway, if they actually did make 32,679 separate games, most of them probably suck due to lack of imagination, polish, play testing, or they simply aren't fun. The idea is halfway decent, though I don't think enough people have broadband to make this viable, but the details are rather far-fetched.
Re:32k??? (Score:5, Funny)
Here is the tank game!
Here is the tank game in a maze!
Here is the tank game with bullets that bounce!
Here is the tank game with bullets that bounce in a maze!
and so on. Hope thats not what they mean...
Re:32k??? (Score:2, Informative)
Actually... (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:32k??? (Score:2)
well if they just go and license all the (Score:2)
Re:32k??? (Score:2)
I think the obvious answer is that they are simply coming out with a pc compatable "console", from their website:
here are currently 32,679 retail game titles available
Notice how they say currently, it's either a pc or a incredibly souped up SNES.
Re:32k??? (Score:2)
Furthermore, PCs are different than consoles, and while porting DirectX/OpenGL/what have you to a console would allow most things to work without modification, you would still probably have to tweak a few things here and there (changing "Exit to Windows", removing a modem multiplayer interface, etc.) that would make obtaining 32,769 games that would run seamlessly on your console quite difficult. Plus, you'd have to test them...
Besides which, there aren't 32,769 remotely recent games in the first place, and I don't think anyone would buy a console and run DOS games on it.
Re:32k??? (Score:2)
32,000 games, just like Combat for the Atari 2600! (Score:2, Funny)
1. Tanks shoot eachother
2. Tanks shoot eachother with bouncing bullets
3. Tanks shoot eachother around obstacles
4. Tanks shoot eachother around obstacles with bouncing bullets
etc...
All they would need is one game and 15 things to toggle on and off, and that should get you to about 32,000 different "games".
Re:32k??? (Score:5, Funny)
Infinium Labs
5380 Gulf of Mexico
Suite 409
Longboat Key, FL 34228
jobs@infiniumlabs.com
Re:32k??? (Score:2)
Their claims are bogus.
If history is any guide... (Score:2)
J
Infinium eh? (Score:2)
A pity this "startup" borrowed the name of a 1981-founded company that owns infinium.com NASDAQ: INFM which doesn't mention this announcement.
It's not like it's a common english word...
faster than any other console on the market (Score:5, Funny)
Re:faster than any other console on the market (Score:5, Funny)
Vaguely on-topic.... (Score:2, Interesting)
Don't worry we're not thinking of releasing a console (ala Indrema). And hopefully we wont be needing huge ammounts of start capital. Aside from that we're in early stages so I'm keeping quiet for now.
Well, anyway, good luck to these guys; they'll need it. Even if they don't make it, we may have a pleasant suprise for you in Winter 2003/04
Now Even Junis can play! (Score:2)
The C64 should handle the 32K games alot better than the Divx movies he normally watches- and he's already got a high speed hookup...
Anyone else remember typing in games from magazines?
Re:Now Even Junis can play! (Score:2, Interesting)
Yup. In basic AND machine language. You had to pay extra to get the games on a floppy disk. Ah, memories.
In related news, first slashdotting of .Net server (Score:2)
Oops. Looks like someone didn't get the memo.
Too many already. (Score:5, Interesting)
I had a sega, I had NES and super NES and dreamcast. But I choose not to buy any new ones now.
I have played computer games religously ever since I was in 3rd grade. I play games on my PC and thats how I like it.
I have a big comfy chair - a huge monitor and a very fast machine - in a room dedicated to computer gaming. I prefer this setup greatly over sitting on the floor in front of my TV. I prefer the level of interaction that a PC can provide.
I dont have any desire for an xbox, ps2 gamecube or other... my PC is just fine. and it serves a hell of a lot more functions than a console system.
The current prices of hardware is incredible. I just built another great system for $400. at just twice the price of an xbox/ps2 I get 1000 times the functionality.
Unless the system they are offering is $25.00 and I dont have to pay any sort of monthly access (like if it were to utilize my *exisiting* lan and broadband connection - without a large price for a lan adapter - i will continue to have no interest in console systems.
What they should do is focus on making a PCI card that you can insert into your PC and utilize its hardware to make it a "console" system in that it can hold the controllers and play all the games - for a minimal cost.
then make all the money off the price of the games (which are already overpriced at $50.)
Re:Too many already. (Score:2)
To each his own, of course, but give me a console any day. I buy a game, and I put it in, and it works. I don't have to fuss with this driver or that driver, keep up on components that each cost at least as much as an entirely new console, etc.
Of course, I've got PCs. But they don't play the games (with the exception of the little toy games that I can pop up, like Frozen Bubble.)
Speaking of too much... (Score:5, Interesting)
That's cool. What I want to know is, how do you find maintaining this bleeding-edge level of gamer gear?
I ask because, honestly, the PC gaming rig puzzles me. Even with the basement-level prices you speak of ($400/box), it still strikes me as prohibitively expensive. I suppose it depends on your dedication ot the hobby.
Let me illustrate - I do most of my gaming on a PS2. My personal computer is a Mac, which isn't good for anything but the biggest mainstrain PC games (ala WarCraft).
PS2 = $US 200 (new when it came out)
PS2 game = $US 50
Now, this thing, if its anything like my PS1, will last me for about 3-4 years. I get to sit on a comfy couch, with friends who can also see clearly my large television, with my surround-sound stereo (that I already forked out for), and play 1st-rate video games. It boots very quickly, the graphics are great, most importantly the games are great. The controller is custom-designed just for gaming. It never crashes. I don't apply patches or download things, 99% of the unit's uptime is actively gaming.
Now, before you go off and shut me down, tell me.. you've got:
Gaming PC = $US 400
PC Game = $US 50
now add to that PC Game Controller = $US 35
Large Gaming PC monitor = $250
Good PC Speakers = $100 Windows license to run said Games = $50
How is that better? You're paying a premium for graphics and sound that are only ever going to be marginally better.
I know its not all about economics, but the games, man! You must have as much money as possible to buy games. That is the whole point.
How often do you update your rig? If it's 'fast', as in fast enough to run a cutting-edge PC game all the time, the turnover must be at least one a year, no? (Of course, the PC is more functional than a PS2, but we are talking about games, no?)
I wish you luck, PC Gamer, but I fear your days are numbered. The consoles are custom-designed to eat your lunch.
Re:Speaking of too much... (Score:5, Insightful)
Since I'm of much the same mind as the original poster, I'll respond to this. First of all, I can do damn near anything with my computer that I want to. It can do thousands of things that the consoles can't even dream of. I even do real work on it. But, even if we're just considering games, the PC still wins. Much better selection of controllers (including keyboard/mouse), giving you just the right type of control for any given game. Compare playing a FPS game using keyboard/mouse to attempting to aim using those crappy thumb-nobs on most console controllers. Much more flexibility and immersiveness in games. No console can match the PC for depth of gameplay, and especially not for customization. Try creating a mod for a console game. Hell, that's where Counter-Strike came from. A mod. And now it's the most popular FPS game in the world. Try creating a game like Neverwinter Nights for a console. Not gonna work. Consoles still have a looong way to go before they can compete with the PC. They're fine if you're just a casual gamer and you don't have much use for a decent PC other than games, but if you're a more serious gamer, then there's nothing out there that can beat a good PC. Sure, it's a lot of money, but you get a LOT more out of it than you get from a console.
You just don't know console games... (Score:3, Insightful)
1) What do you mean by "flexibility"? A larger variety of games? Not true - I propose that the variety of game genres is roughly equivalent console/PC. I can't play Civ 2 on my PS2, but you can't play DDR on your PC.
2) More immersive? Vague nonsense. Immersiveness is all about personal experience with a game, and is generally totally independant of hardware. Tell me GTA3 isn't "immersive". Tell me Virtua Fighter 4 isn't "immersive".
No console can match the PC for depth of gameplay
Vague nonsense. What do you mean by "depth"? Virtua Fighter has astonishing tactical depth [virtuafighter.com] as well as unrivalled twitch gameplay.
and especially not for customization
OK, granted =]
A mod. And now it's the most popular FPS game in the world.
So? How is this relevant?
Consoles still have a looong way to go before they can compete with the PC
In terms of what? Sales? Hoo boy are you in for a shock =]
if you're a more serious gamer, then there's nothing out there that can beat a good PC
How about a custom built machine that never crashes, never needs patches, and has the most polished games with interfaces specifically designed for standardized controllers? You know, like a PS2? =]
grib.
Re:Too many already. (Score:3, Interesting)
Man, talk about comparing apples to oranges. You have a "big comfy chair" for PC gaming, but are somehow forced to sit on the floor to play console games?
Anyway, entirely missing from your post is the obvious fact that PC games are (in general) totally different to console games in terms of interaction complexity, depth, robustness, even tone and content.
Some people (like you) like PC games. Others (like me) enjoy console games a lot more.
grib.
PC gaming is not the holy grail (Score:4, Insightful)
The whole PC vs console debate is so fucking dated and pedestrian that to make your assertion in any gaming circle will get you laughed out of the room. I don't think you mean badly, but I'll venture to guess that you're just mainly into a certain type of game. Nothing wrong with that, but I do take issue that you're spinning your personal preference in games as objective reason that [god-like-voice]PC's Are Better Gaming Systems Than Consoles[/god-like-voice].
I have the high end PC setup, and I agree that Battlefield 1942 cannot be enjoyed the way it should be on an XBox. Neither can Icewind Dale, Warcraft 3, or Space Quest 4. Now that we have that out of the way. I feel bad for you, the exclusive PC gamer, because you'll never enjoy the likes of Panzer Dragoon Orta, Garou: Mark of the Wolves, Metal Gear Solid 2, Soul Calibur, Ikaruga, Megaman 2, or Punch Out. Even if the above were ported/emulated to a PC (I think MGS2 might already be ported), they would be as bad as playing Starcraft on an N64 (*cough*).
So I'll keep my MAME cabinet, all my consoles, and my PC. I count myself lucky because I can afford to do so. If you want to get into console gaming, feel free to ask me (or someone like me) for recommendations. Don't worry, no one will tell your UT clanmates.
A couple interesting concepts... (Score:2)
The distribution of games seens overly ambition, but it's an interesting concept. It'd be like getting the Playstation Underground demo disc automatically as soon as a game is released...instant demo for all games. And purchases would be relatively immediate as well, no need to go to the store and actually shop. Add the possibility of rental and consolidation of MMORPG payments into that, and there is some potential for continuous sales and income.
Maybe it is a really big MAME box...or more like Citrix hooked up to a really big MAME box. Technology rarely pushes the success of a console faster than quality titles and developers, so it's likely this will become vaporware due to lack of developers rather than the failure of a broadband box. But if this has the potential to pull more game sales into the homes of gamers (like Xbox's project that every xbox sold will purchase 9 games) than other consoles, it might just be crazy enough to work.
What Garbage. (Score:4, Insightful)
Their blurb reads like toxic corporate MBA talk. "It'll change the world forever, parents will be able to monitor what their children play." blah blah blah.
This is a company which -obviously- doesn't know who it's target audience is. You don't win people over with a cheesy looking computer model of your console. You win them over by showing flashy graphics in your commercials matched with good games.
This company is doomed to go down in flames unless they figure out how to play with the big boys and their big PR companies.
Go read their press release (Score:5, Funny)
http://www.infiniumlabs.com/PR/Infinium%20Labs%
I've seen companies promise a subset of the features that I want in product XYZ, but this is the first time I've ever seen a company promote that it has every single feature ever
A good quote: "Combining skills from Telco, Data Communications, Digital Rights Management, Software Development and Security, the management team brings together a unique array of skills to develop the most robust next generation gaming console and delivery network on the market."
Wha?
It's just too funny on its own... I can't add to anything they've said...
NonProprietary Windows?! (Score:4, Funny)
Moreover, foresee the ability to develop games on a nonproprietary system, which is Windows based, something relatively unheard of today.
How nonproprietary can it possibly be if it's "Windows based"? Do they mean Xwindows?
Re:NonProprietary Windows?! (Score:4, Funny)
I have the answer to all your questions.... (Score:2)
Gak (Score:2)
This is more or less a PC with Windows and TV out. Which makes it nothing more than the Indrema rehashed, except it uses Windows as the OS instead of Linux.
Using Windows allows them to claim 32k games (they are listing pretty much all retail games that have ever been released for Windows as their 'launch titles')...But it also means this box is going to be EXPENSIVE compared to other consoles because each one will need a licensed copy of Windows and something tells me Microsoft isn't going to bend over backwards to give these guys a sweet bulk licensing deal.
I think the fact that Microsoft spend billions on the XBOX launch and is still trailing pretty far behind the big boys in the console market shows how difficult it is to get a foot in the door here.
These guys are fucked..Just plain fucked.
I'll wait... (Score:2)
all about the marketing (Score:2)
Silly question... (Score:2)
Wait ... There's More! (Score:5, Funny)
Jullian Fries? (Score:3, Funny)
Anyone notice? (Score:2, Funny)
Possible alternate link to press-release (Score:2)
I dunno if this is the same release HERE [infiniumlabs.com]
Suck it and see
PR Spokesdrone Interview (Score:2, Informative)
Interesting.
32k+ (Score:2, Funny)
It's basically a big 'ol DRM box. (Score:5, Insightful)
I read the press release on another game news site, and it seems like they're focusing completely on online delivery of games, game demos, media (movies and music) and rentals. No doubt highly encrypted and protected from hacking -- when they talk about 'buying' games they mention subscriptions to downloaded stuff, not buying a physical disc. Try to imagine every piece of software on your computer phoning home to ensure it's been legally purchased, and the joys of what happens when you run out of disk space and have to delete something you 'own' and can never install again.
I just can't see gamers -- and more importantly, game companies, going with this. The power of going down to the retailer and nabbing an actual DVD-ROM of your favorite game is too intense. You can swap the game with friends or keep a library going in your home, you can pull a classic out of storage to emulate or simply play later. Having the game be something you grab off the ether(net) which doesn't really exist in a conventional sense isn't going to click with the mass mainstream game public they need to convince.
You'd think.. (Score:2)
There might be a small niche market here, though. If they're using broadband as a delivery mechanism, then they might be hopeful that garage developers will provide content for this machine. There might be something to that, but in light of better gaming experiences you can get from today's consoles, I doubt this'll grow past weekend-toy stage.
I'm surprised they found any investors.
Phantom System? (Score:3, Interesting)
Behold:
The Brazil NES Market [planetnintendo.com]
Brazil and the NES [atarihq.com]
NES at ROAR! [roarvgm.com] - a nice picture
Actually, it was a NES clone. Strangely, it featured Mega Drive-like controls. If you read the articles, you'll see this little console brought luck to its maker Gradiente, which later managed to be the official distributor of Nintendo products in Brazil. At the time it was good, because we only had Sega systems in Brazil. Let's hope this new "Phantom" initiative, if successful, brings something good to the world again. ^^
Interesting (Score:5, Interesting)
Outperforming a generation of consoles that was released over two years ago isn't particularly difficult... The Dreamcast did it quite well, but failed miserably in the market. The key is not to be better than everyone else, (the PS2 is currently the slowest console available), but to be so much better that all of the developers flock to your system and produce must-have games. With a system of renting otherwise available PC games, I don't see how they will have any of the exclusives they need to thrive, unless they develop them themselves.
Limiting themselves to broadband-only customers and broadband-only distribution is an interesting choice. Traditionally, if you wanted to sell a console you had to convince hundreds of thousands of stores across the world to devote 5 - 20 feet of shelf space to your product... a difficult task to say the least. However, by going with broadband, they have cut out that huge fixed cost. If they didn't go overboard with their DRM and can find a somewhat linearly scaling manufacturing facility (difficult, I admit), they *could* survive on a very small installed userbase. They will have to work with the Nintendo model (all partners absorb fixed cost risks in exchange for a cut of razor blade sales), but I could really see them living comfortably on a base of 1 to 2 million people or less.
On the other hand, by going with broadband, they have limited themselves to selling a crippled, specialized PC to people who are guaranteed to already have a full-fledged PC. Microsoft tried it with the XBox, and while sales aren't horrible, they are still losing the race with a lunchbox. Infinium will have to develop / buy exclusives, and it doesn't seem like they have the funding to do that.
Furthermore, DRM and temporary rentals are *designed* to frustrate consumers, and the home entertainment device crowd is notoriously unforgiving when they feel they have been wronged. They will have to dance a fine line between demos / rentals / subscriptions / and sales. Just reading their mission statement makes me wonder if they will have anytime, night-and-weekend, and overtime minutes. Can I get extra minutes if I sign to a one-year contract? What do you mean I owe $170 dollars for going over? But it was Final Fantasy, what do you expect me to do?
I'd like to say I have high-hopes in this situation, but high hopes in this situation would be survival.
-c
Emulation (Score:3, Interesting)
The answer to the 32k games statement seems pretty obvious to me. I think that in addition to having a small set of games written for and optimized for their supposedly powerful platform, they will put emulators in the box by default. Boot code will detect a disc/cartridge of Type X and load the appropriate emulator from rom. They could easily emulate NES, SNES, N64, PS1, Sega up through Dreamcast, and maybe PS2 althought I'm not entirely sure on that. The 32k games will be other consoles' games that you can replay on this one. It's the only way that number can make sense.
Faster than any other console? (Score:3, Interesting)
NTSC TVs have a maximum frame rate of 30 FPS (29.7 if you want to get technical). I don't find load times particularly offensive for most consoles now ( the N64 could load anything instantly). Almost every game I've ever played on a console could be played that 30FPS rate ALL THE TIME.
Do they want to turn up the quality of the graphics? It won't be FASTER, but it'll look nicer (although there's only so much you can do at 640x480 interlaced). Sure, you can play pong at 8,000 FPS (even though your TV can only display 30), but do you really WANT to?
Emulator. (Score:5, Interesting)
Why do I say "must"?
32k games equals, roughly, the number of games ever created for all major consoles (and that includes both regional variants, and what MAME calls "clones", which usually make up half to two thirds of the known games for a given platform). Without including such almost-identical versions of the same game, 32k very well might equal the number of games written *ever*, for *any* platform.
No, I did not just pull this number out of the air. As of December 30th, the Cowering ROM ID tools included 33,586 games for "major" console systems (Atari, Nintendo, Sega, Intellivision, Coleco, TG16, NeoGeo). That does not include the Playstation or Xbox line, of course, as the games take up too much room on current hardware, even if a decent emulator existed. But I figure that would add another two to three thousand.
For comparison, the C64/Amiga line, arguably the longest running, most popular gaming platform of all time (though not really a console) only had 26k games. But this never-before-heard-of company has already beat that for their initial launch? Not very likely.
So, as my guess, they plan to push this on the retrogaming community, and possibly open it to "modern" ports (though I don't think they'll focus on that area, at least not unless/until they get a good market share). They can claim such a high number of games without already having licensed them for the same reason Nintendo now carries games written by Sega: They don't need to "steal" the original works, or make obscenely complicated licensing deals (as many people have suggested would hold true of and retrogaming platform). They'll just let the authors republish their original games (without even needing a rewrite, since very likely most of the source code for older consoles no longer exists), for a cut of the action.
On the bright side, I could see this as actually succeeding. Personally, I enjoy retrogaming, and would gladly pay a few bucks (perhaps even the price of a single "modern" game) for a *legal* CD with 50-100 classic games on it ($0.25 per game, with at least a quarter of them "good" games, sounds quite reasonable). I suppose this would have the number of people into classic video games as the biggest limiting factor, though.
The case of the Phantom console (Score:3, Funny)
Sorry just had to say it
Understatement (Score:5, Insightful)
I think calling him a Spokesdrone is an understatement. Check this answer out:
Except for the term Wi-Fi (and maybe synergy, although that's so 20th century), I think we've hit just about every buzz word in the English language.
Sheeshh speed - always speed (Score:4, Interesting)
And anyway what speed?
In a modern machine be it PS2/XBox/PC the graphics CPU is as important as the main CPU.
So do we measure in clock speed - polygons per second - frame rate - operations per second - memory bandwidth....
At the end of the day the big secret is IT DOESNT MATTER
What MATTERS
a) Do the games play fast enough to be responsive?
b) Are the graphics convincing enough without being obviously limited
All of these are down to how well the game is programmed - who cares how cool the graphics are if it runs at 10 frames per second and takes half a second to respond to a button press - who cares if the graphics don't have quite the same number of polygons in if the game is moving so fast you don't notice.
Before I get flamed by the console-kin I am aware this only holds within certain bounds - if the hardware is lacking badly then even good code-craft will not help - but the PS2/XBox/Dreamcast/PC game experience can all be equally as good with a good game, and equally bad with a sucky game.
What matters more to me would be the range of games - the XBox is great when you play Halo, but what then? - and the convenience of the hardware - PS2s don't have hard drives so are suprisingly shock resistant, PC controllers always feel clumsy when compared to console ones but boy can you get a range (the problem here of course is its easy for a PS2 developer to figure out a really good button arrangement because all the controllers are roughly the same - god help PC developers who generally resort to letting the user map the keyboard)
The 'best' console is relatively easy to spot - its the one doing well in the market - the problem is PC 'consoles' don't show up because they are so flexible. At the end of the day the 'best' console is like a car - whatever is the best package for the person that buys it - otherwise we'd all be driving Ferrais (and I am not having a flame war on cars BTW)
For the record my choice would still be the PS2, its got great games, is well engineered and is just a good package.
As it happens I don't own any consoles, nor a bleeding edge PC (well it is, but for DV editing not polygon count) because most of the time I'm watching DVDs....
31.9k games will be: (Score:3, Funny)
Tetris level B
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Tetris level ZZZZZZ
Troll debunking. (Score:2, Insightful)
"talking with my Uncle Isaac a few weeks ago... As a Sony employee, he has access to internal releases..."
But somehow none of the insider news sites got even a glimmer of this? No one but your "Uncle Isaac" mentioned it to anyone outside the company?
They're going to "use a Transmeta chip, so that the CPU's instruction set can be "field-programmed..."
Hmm, will the transmeta chip also emulate the memory architectures, audio co-processors, etc?
Other things said don't even make sense... "Infinium is going to be paying them to produce each unit (instead of the converse which they often see with their own products).
Just enough smoke and mirrors to sound almost correct. Nice job.
Re:Some technical notes (Score:2)
1. A person quoting their "Uncle Isaac."
2. Or a vapor-as-of-now console named "Phantom."
Re:awesome (Score:5, Insightful)
I wonder if you've ever heard of this little company called Sony [playstation2-linux.com]...
Anyway, yeah, what-ever. An advantage, yes. A key advantage, no. They might sell more consoles. They wouldn't sell any more games, thus they would get no more money from royalties. That's where the money in the console market is.
Re:explanation (Score:2)
Well duh! Cinnamon and raisins!