Infinium Labs may once and for all put jokes about its phantom products to rest. On Monday the company said its Phantom Gaming Service will go on sale Nov. 18, two years after the Florida company began touting the system.
Between now and then, the company will build and test its hardware, line up partnerships for game software and conduct live tests. Infinium will preview the service at this week's E3 video-game conference in Los Angeles.
The Phantom Gaming Service starts with a specialized PC in the form of a set-top box attached to a broadband connection. The device taps into a library of PC video games that customers can buy or rent. Customers can get the hardware free if they sign up for a two-year subscription at $30 a month, or they can get the device for $200 without the commitment. A basic subscription will give access to relatively older games, while premium plans will provide access to the latest first-tier titles.
"It's not so much about the hardware, it's more about access to a broad library of content," said Kevin Bachus, president and chief operating officer. It's much like XM Radio, where the emphasis is on the programming, not the radio itself, he said.
Bachus was one of the chief creators of Microsoft's popular Xbox video-game console. He joined Infinium in December and brought a raft of other Microsofties with him, including Ty Graham, who ran the development of the DirectX video-game software technology. With Bachus' arrival, Infinium went from an outfit with a dubious business plan to a company to watch.
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News source: Wired
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