DISCover and Infinium Labs Tout Plug-and-Play PC Gaming Consoles
PC game consoles. Taken together, those three words smack of an oxymoronic phrase. How do you take the latest PC games and make them as easy to install as a game on Sony Playstation? Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft offer consoles that make game installation a breeze. You just pop in the disc, and the game runs. Can the same be said about PC games?
A common complaint is that PC games are difficult to install for the average person. While THG readers probably have the technical ability to install Far Cry, can we say the same for our friends and relatives who can't be bothered with the intricacies of installing and configuring a PC game?
DISCover and Infinium Labs showed us two very different solutions. DISCover licenses its Drop and Play technology to manufacturers such as Apex Digital and Alienware. DISCover promises that a person will be able to buy the latest game, pop it into the console, and it will install itself. That is a pretty bold claim, and at Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles, we were able to take a closer look.
Not to be outdone, Infinium Labs had demonstration models of their controversial Phantom Console at E3. The Phantom also promises to play the latest games, but in a very different way than the DISCover consoles. Infinium plans to offer their gaming service on a subscription basis. For a monthly fee, gamers get a basic set of games, which can be supplemented by purchasing premium games. Which company has a better product and business model? Let's examine each product in detail. Below, we offer a downloadable video of the Phantom console in action.
