What is the Phantom?
The Phantom is a complete gaming system that consists of:
The Phantom console
The Phantom.net VPGN (Virtual Private Gaming Network)
The Games
Games do not require a distribution middleman, packaging, shipping or in-store shelving. There is no physical limit to the number of games offered and older games are available in perpetuity.
Users enjoy the convenience of complete games streaming to their console while developers and publishers avoid all the hassles of boxed retail distribution.
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I can already download complete games, why would I switch to the Phantom?
Do you like waiting for full CDs to finish downloading?
Using a custom shimming process, games launch immediately after the required files are delivered to the console. Additional content, such as later levels, continues to stream while playing the game. This is true for all games, not just those built exclusively for the Phantom Gaming System.
The Phantom is more convenient, everything game-related is available from one source.
And in the end, the games are cheaper: there is no distribution middleman.
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How can you offer cheaper games if you are just another game reseller.
We are not a distribution middleman (i.e. game reseller), meaning we do not buy games to resell with a markup.
All revenue generated from game subscriptions, rentals and sales is split directly with the game owners.
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Does the Phantom have many games?
The Phantom offers games from major developers and publishers, including virtually every game offered by web-based distribution companies.
Also, the Phantom will launch with exclusive games not available on the PC or other consoles. For example, we have an exclusive MMOG (massively multiplayer online game) and an exclusive two-episode Halo-like FPS (first-person shooter).
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What is the Phantom console?
The Phantom console is a broadband games-on-demand client containing the latest gaming hardware, including a full DirectX 9 GPU.
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What hardware comes with the console?
Standard hardware:
nVidia NV36 GPU
AMD Athlon XP 2600 CPU
512Mb DDR RAM
80Gb hard drive
5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound
Wireless keyboard and mouse
Logitech corded controller
100 megabit Ethernet adapter
6 USB ports (4 on the front panel)
S-Video, RCA and composite outputs
Supports NTSC, PAL and HDTV
Note: The Phantom console does not come with a CD-ROM drive. All game content is streamed through the VPGN.
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Is there any optional hardware?
Optional hardware:
Additional controllers
7.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound
Additional hard drives
Wireless 802.11b Ethernet
Memory upgrades
USB memory cards
USB camera and headset for video conferencing
Flat screen display
For transmitting live video, optional USB cameras include:
Logitech QuickCam Pro 4000
Logitech QuickCam Messenger Webcam
Optional USB headsets include:
Plantronics DSP-100 Digitally-enhanced USB Speech Recognition Headset & Software
Plantronics Folding Stereo PC Headset
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What software comes with the console?
Standard software:
DirectX 9
OpenGL
Java
Flash and Shockwave players
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a 1 megabit wireless protocol used to communicate between devices within 30 feet in the 2.4 GHz spectrum.
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Is a web browser included?
IE6 (Internet Explorer 6) has proven to be a security hole and is not included.
We do plan to include Mozilla Firebird once we adjust its code to ensure it cannot allow executables to launch outside the browser. The Phantom is a secure system; we do not want rogue content entering without our full and complete awareness.
Mozilla will allow users to browse the web and developers to deliver browser-based games.
Mozilla also has two significant advantages over IE6:
Tabbed browsing
Popup suppression
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What operating system is used?
The Phantom console runs a custom build of Windows XPe (XP Embedded), the componentized version of Windows XP Professional.
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How does it differ from Windows XP?
Optimized for playing games, Phantom XPe only contains drivers for the console’s hardware and all APIs, DLLs and services needed to run games
Insecure components and components that commonly run in the background in Windows XP Professional have been removed, including:
Plug-and-play
Internet Explorer 6
Printing
Non-gaming related services like RAS (Remote Access Service)
Phantom XPe is a more secure and streamlined gaming operating system that wastes no clock cycles running unnecessary code.
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How are games protected against piracy?
To date, virtually every security system designed to protect games against piracy has been circumvented by:
Console mod chips
Cracked CD copies
Serial number generators
ROM images with emulators or loaders
Successful anti-piracy methods, such as those used in Diablo 2, Everquest and Star Wars Galaxies, rely on server-side authentication that matches the user’s serial number to a database of known serial numbers.
The Phantom console extends this concept with:
Public/private keys
Zero knowledge proofs
Trusted platform module
Digital rights management
See the Security document in the SDK for more information.
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What is the Phantom.net VPGN?
The Phantom.net VPGN is a secure broadband game distribution network.
All content streams from a central server farm maintained by Infinium Labs. User file sharing is disabled.
Only the Phantom console can connect to the VPGN; a standard PC cannot.
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What does the VPGN offer users?
The VPGN allows users may try, rent or buy a wide variety of games, both Phantom exclusives and games available on the PC and other consoles.
The VPGN includes:
Multiplayer tournaments, contests and ladders
Phantom-to-PC multiplayer gaming
Free hosting for clan and guild websites
Peer-to-peer video conferencing
Instant messaging, compatible with Yahoo, ICQ, MSN and AOL IM
Phantom users will not lose their investment in games to damaged, lost or stolen CDs or hardware failure. Should anything happen to the console or the content on its hard drive, games are simply streamed again through the VPGN.
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Can I share files?
No.
File sharing is disabled on the VPGN. All content streams from a central server farm maintained by Infinium Labs.
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What does the VPGN offer developers?
The VPGN allows developers and publishers to sell directly to the user with:
No distribution middleman: We do not buy games to resell with a markup. Our business model relies on sharing revenue directly with game owners.
No packaging: We package all games electronically from a gold master, saving the $3-$5 cost of boxed retail packaging.
No shipping: All game content is securely streamed over broadband Internet directly to the Phantom console.
No in-store shelving: Traditionally, large publishers control limited shelf space. The VPGN imposes no limits on the number of games or the length of time games are offered.
As standard business practice, retailers take stock on consignment (i.e. charge-backs) and require a supply of packaged games with the right to return unsold units for credit or an exchange.
Charge-backs are but one of the many hassles of boxed retail game distribution the VPGN distribution model avoids.
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Are there any additional benefits?
Additional benefits include:
No distribution costs, replication fees or returns
Games remain available in perpetuity
Game patches and updates are applied automatically
Direct revenue from game subscriptions, rentals and sales
Immediate sales and marketing feedback
99.999% Service Level Agreement against piracy
Games offered through the VPGN:
Need no registration codes, installation keys or CD-ROM checks
Automatically patch themselves as bug-fixes become available
May receive fresh content at any time with free or fee-based game expansions
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THIS IS IT FOR NOW, I WILL POST MORE INFO SOON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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