The Phantom Console Haunts No More (But The Lapboard's Available)

Posted Aug 16, 2006 at 6:27PM EST by QJ Staff

Listed in: Tags: Duke Nukem, laser, Mouse, Phantom Console, Phantom Entertainment, Windows XP

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Contributors to other tech sites must have a keen eye for detail - and a taste for sarcasm - when they noted that Phantom Entertainment (formerly Infinium Labs) had:

(a) totally revamped their website,
(b) made no direct mention of the Phantom console, and
(c) announced the Phantom Game Service that will beam content directly to client software on Windows XP computers (rather than the Phantom console it was originally supposed to beam to, as originally reported by QJ several months ago).

Possible conclusion: (d) the controversial Phantom Game System's gone. Probably for good.

To be sure, this author visited Phantom Entertainment's website. Yep, they've announced their Game Service, as well as the Phantom Lapboard originally designed for the console but now emphasized as a PC and Mac peripheral. But no console. Yep. Vaporware. This product's officially been voted as one of the top ten vaporwares of 2005 by Wired News readers (and that was just a year ago), which kinda sums up the story of this missing-in-action hardware. At least it has notable company in that list, like Duke Nukem Forever and Starcraft: Ghost.

Well, to keep a positive spin on this story, let me note that Phantom Entertainment did announce the Lapboard, previously missing in action in their last announcement. The Lapboard integrates a wireless laser mouse and a wireless keyboard with programmable hotkeys, plugged into a hinged platform that allows for desktop or laptop use. The keyboard can rotate left or right for left or right-handed orientation, and can tilt up at the base for lap use, exposing the surface below for the wireless mouse.

We're not sure how handy it could be, but just consider the quoted unit price: US$129.95. Try looking up wireless keyboards-and-mouse combinations and compare them to the Lapboard, to see whether it's worth the price; we'll leave such judgments to you readers.

As for the Phantom console... well, unless the company's hiding it for a surprise attention-grabbing launch (maybe on Halloween? BOO!), perhaps - just perhaps - its obituary has been written.

Via Techdirt

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