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{{Short description|Company}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Phantom Entertainment
| logo = [[Image:Phantom-Entertainment-logo.jpg|316px|Phantom Entertainment logo]]
| type = Manufacturing
| location_city = [[Ridgewood, NJ]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Register |via=[[Twitter]] |language=en |url-access=limited |url=https://twitter.com/phantomlives
| key_people = John Landino (CEO)
| num_employees = 3 (as of July 2007)<ref>{{cite web | url = https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/news/2007/06/true-infinium-stories-the-73-million-phantom.ars | title = True Infinium stories: the $73 million (and counting) Phantom disaster | first = Nate | last = Anderson | date = June 3, 2007
| revenue =
| industry = [[Video game console|Internet TV, media-center and video-game consoles and peripherals]]
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}}
'''Phantom Entertainment, Inc.''' (known as '''Infinium Labs, Inc.''' until 2006) was a company founded in 2002 by Tim Roberts which made [[computer keyboard]]s. However, Phantom was best known for the Phantom, a [[video game console]] advertised for Internet [[gaming on demand]] in [[2004 in games|2004]]; it was never marketed, leading to suggestions that it was [[vaporware]]. The company's website was last updated in late 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://phantom.net/|title=Phantom Entertainment 2011: Home to the Phantom Lapboard|access-date=November 28, 2013|archive-date=December 12, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212123342/http://www.phantom.net/|url-status=live}}</ref>
=={{anchor|Company history}}History==
Infinium Labs was founded by Tim Roberts in 2002 as a private company. In January 2003 it issued a press release saying that it would soon release a "revolutionary new gaming platform" with an on-demand video-game service, delivering games through an [[online]] subscription. The press release had no specific information, but included a computer-generated [[prototype]] design. Due to the use of [[buzzwords]] and the lack of details, the product was derided nearly from the beginning<ref name="HomeLAN">{{cite web|url=http://www.homelanfed.com/index.php?id=11482 |title=Phantom Interview |author=John Callaham |date=
Roberts left the company in summer 2005 (with millions of shares of stock) before any products had been delivered. He later rejoined as chairman of the board, but in a July 2007 press release he again resigned from the company.<ref name="PR2007">{{cite web |url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/timothy-m-roberts-resigns-as-chairman-and-director-of-phantom-entertainment-inc-52714642.html |title=Timothy M. Roberts Resigns as Chairman and Director of Phantom Entertainment, Inc |author=Infinium Labs |date=
In September 2006 the company (which had changed its name from Infinium Labs)<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.engadget.com/2006/07/19/infinium-changes-name-to-phantom-entertainment/ | title = Infinium changes name to Phantom Entertainment | first = Darren | last = Murph | date =
=={{anchor|The Phantom console}}The Phantom==
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The Phantom is a cancelled home video game console whose development was supposedly begun by Phantom Entertainment–then known as Infinium Labs–in 2003. The device was said to be capable of playing current and future PC games, giving the system a large initial game library and making it easier for developers to produce games for the system. The system was said to feature a direct-download [[content delivery]] service, instead of the [[disk storage|discs]] and [[ROM cartridge|cartridges]] used by most game consoles at the time.
Press releases said in 2003 that the console would be released that year, and the [[digital rights management]] software would be provided by DiStream.<ref name="PR2003Unveil">{{cite web |url=http://www.beststuff.com/fromthewire/phantom-game-console-unveiling-to-be-online-august-17th.html |title=Phantom Game Console Unveiling to Be Online August 17th |author=Infinium Labs |date=
Two units of the first-generation prototype were known to exist, one publicly destroyed by HardOCP at [[QuakeCon]] 2004 as a result of their legal battles with the company (see below),<ref>{{cite web |last1=Shrout |first1=Ryan |title=QUAKECON 2004 (page 3) |url=https://pcper.com/2004/08/quakecon-2004/3/ |website=PC Perspective |access-date=January 5, 2021
==={{anchor|Development|Release date}}Release===
The Phantom had an online release on August 17, 2003, with basic hardware specifications and a price of "below $399".<ref name="2003Unveiling">{{cite web |url=http://www.ladydragon.com/phantom.html |title=Phantom Unveiling |author=Infinium Labs |date=
When that deadline passed, Infinium predicted the system's release for around March 2005. That date also passed, and Infinium Labs was absent from the 2005 E3.<ref>{{cite news|first=Chris|last=Morris|url=https://money.cnn.com/2005/05/19/technology/personaltech/e3_phantom/|title=Whither the Phantom? After a big splash in 2004, Infinium Labs' on-demand game service is nowhere to be found at E3|publisher=[[CNN|CNN/Money]]|date=
===Financial problems===
The company was unable to raise its projected $30 million to complete the Phantom and announced it would downsize and focus on the Phantom Lapboard, a [[wireless keyboard]] for home use. On May 16, 2006, the [[Securities and Exchange Commission]] accused Phantom Entertainment founder and former CEO Timothy Roberts of running a "[[pump and dump]]" scheme in promoting the Phantom console in 2004.<ref>{{cite news|first=Chris|last=Morris|url=https://money.cnn.com/2006/05/16/technology/infinium/index.htm
==Lapboard==
[[Image:Lapboard Samples - Black 011.JPG|thumb|right|250px|alt=Black wireless keyboard with thumb drive and wireless mouse|Lapboard (black version)]]
The Phantom Lapboard is a [[wireless]] [[Computer keyboard|keyboard]] made by the company. It was released on June 23, 2008, two years after its originally planned release date. Designed as a component of the Phantom game console, it is sold for use with [[Internet TV]] and [[Personal computer|PC]] [[video games]] since the console has been cancelled.<ref name="gamespot1">
===Announcement===
On January 3, 2006, Infinium Labs announced that the lapboard component of the console (a keyboard and mouse designed to be held on the lap, for example, seated on a couch in front of a television) was due to be released to online retailers by the second quarter of 2006.<ref>{{cite news|first=Brendan|last=Sinclair|url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/6141718.html
===Reception===
[[Image:Lapboard Samples - White 002.JPG|thumb|right|250px|alt=White wireless keyboard, with thumb drive and wireless mouse|White Lapboard]]
In April 2008 ''[[Maximum PC]]'' published a preview of the lapboard, describing it as "extremely promising" although the supplied mouse "experienced signal dropouts at a distance of about 24 inches from the sensor". The author was able to use other wireless mice successfully. The preview states that the peripheral will be available in "June for $130 in limited quantities".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.maximumpc.com/article/first_look_the_phantom_lapboard|newspaper=Pcgamer|last1=Smith|first1=Will|title=First Look: The Phantom Lapboard|access-date=November 29, 2013|archive-date=December 6, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131206165818/http://www.maximumpc.com/article/first_look_the_phantom_lapboard|url-status=live}}</ref> In the actual review, however, ''Maximum PC'' gave the Lapboard a verdict of 4 out of 10 saying: "The bottom line is that this thing is bad. The mouse isn’t good for gaming, the angled keyboard is awful for typing, and for media playback you’d do much better with a slimmer wireless media keyboard with a built-in trackpad or ball, which are available for significantly less than the Lapboard’s $140 asking price."
On July 20, 2009, a sample lapboard received a favorable review from the ''Hardware Heaven'' website.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hardwareheaven.com/reviews/812/pg1/phantom-lapboard-keyboard-mouse-intro-keyboard.html|title=Phantom Lapboard (Keyboard & Mouse)|author=Zardon|date=
==Legal controversies==
===HardOCP lawsuit===
In September 2003 HardOCP, a computer-hardware news website, published an investigative report by writer Steve Lynch critical of Infinium Labs and its founder.<ref>{{cite news | title = Behind the Infinium Phantom Console | url = http://www.hardocp.com/article/2003/09/17/behind_infinium_phantom_console | first = Steve | last = Lynch | work = HardOCP | date =
In September 2004, the judge required Infinium Labs to produce a number of financial records, including Roberts's personal income-tax returns, by the end of that month. Because the company failed to produce the required documents, HardOCP won a court order compelling them to do so. The judge ruled that sanctions would be awarded to KB Networks and Kyle Bennett in an amount to be determined by the court (later reported as $50,000).<ref name="INFINIUM-LABS-INC-May-2005-10QSB">{{cite web |url=http://edgar.secdatabase.com/403/114420405016780/filing-main.htm |title=INFINIUM LABS INC, Form 10QSB, Filing Date May 23, 2005 |publisher=secdatabase.com |access-date
===Other controversies===
In October 2005, it was reported that the [[U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission]] (SEC) had notified Tim Roberts that charges were pending against him for violating federal securities laws.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.gamespot.com/news/6136934.html | title = Phantom maker in hot water with SEC | first = Brendan | last = Sinclair | publisher = [[GameSpot]] | date =
When Roberts was CEO of Infinium, the company failed to report a substantial amount of interest and penalties on unpaid payroll taxes.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6136934.html | title = Phantom maker in hot water with SEC | first = Brendan | last = Sinclair | publisher = Gamespot | date = November 1, 2005
In January 2006, Infinium Labs reached an agreement to borrow up to $5,000,000 from Golden Gate Investors to finance the manufacturing of the Phantom Lapboard, scheduled for release later that year. This would have been the largest amount of money Infinium Labs had ever borrowed at one time. The loan would have been repaid over three years, with an option of repayment with shares of common stock.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3147455 | title = Infinium Bags $5 Million | first = Patrick | last = Klepek | date =
In February, ''[[GameSpot]]'' reported that Phantom Entertainment was suspending the Phantom Game Service to develop the Lapboard. An SEC filing showed three-year losses in excess of $62.7 million, over half of which was marketing for the company and unreleased products. Over $24 million was spent on salaries and consultants, and $2.5 million on development. Infinium claimed it still intended to release the Lapboard if its financial situation improved,<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.gamespot.com/news/6144631.html | title = Infinium opens the books | first = Brendan | last = Sinclair | publisher = GameSpot | date =
==See also==
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* [http://pheiblog.wordpress.com/ Official Phantom Entertainment Blog]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110812022817/http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_editorial_phantom_rewound Phantom: Rewound] – Editorial feature with a history of The Phantom.
* [http://www.marketwatch.com/mw2/tvradio/player.asp?media=0&band=1&remPref=1&siteid=mktw&guid={A73F50D0-5FAF-4FB7-83E8-B9D054522A5F} Video Interview of Kevin Bachus by Marketwatch] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304061354/http://www.marketwatch.com/mw2/tvradio/player.asp?media=0&band=1&remPref=1&siteid=mktw&guid=%7BA73F50D0-5FAF-4FB7-83E8-B9D054522A5F%7D |date=March 4, 2016 }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071218204012/http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/phantom-lapboard/ Gizmodo.com - Lapboard]
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[[Category:Video game controversies]]
[[Category:Defunct computer companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Defunct computer hardware companies]]
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