Although gamers have expressed their doubts about the Phantom gaming system it seems that the company's constant revisions of the details of the service may have convinced some that it will be worth their while.
According to a recent study conducted by media research firm SmithGeiger LLC and commissioned by Infinium Labs, three in four respondents (76 per cent) said they would like to have the Phantom Game Service.
The majority of respondents said they see the Phantom service as an attractive alternative to current game rental and purchase options, with convenience, simplicity, timeliness, and ease of access to a wide range of current titles and old favorites as key drivers.
The study, which was conducted by SmithGeiger in February 2005, surveyed over 600 current or former console or PC gamers with residential broadband internet access.
The report's major findings include:
Features and Benefits of the Phantom Game Service Have Strong Appeal
When potential subscribers were asked about the features and benefits of the Phantom Game Service, the majority of gamers clearly grasped the value proposition:
- Two-thirds of the respondents said the service was more appealing than current rental options
- More than half said the service was more appealing than their current purchase options
- Nearly seven-in-ten per cent saw benefits in the time it takes to receive a game or have it in hand
- Two-thirds cited the ease and simplicity of making a game purchase as a key benefit of the service
- Phantom's ability to deliver a broad array of titles holds significant appeal to consumers, with 64 per cent of respondents citing game availability, in stock and titles you want as key attributes of the service.
- Nearly half said they would like a way to play PC games on their living room TVs
In addition, the survey noted that the release of the next round of consoles would have no dramatic impact on the likelihood of purchasing the Phantom service among respondents.
Survey respondents were screened for broadband access and gaming interest, and represent 58 per cent of all 18 to 54 year olds online today, or roughly 63.4 million prospective subscribers to the Phantom Game Service.
The Phantom Game Service will be the first end-to-end solution of its kind combining broadband receiver hardware and integrated game service that, in addition to offering the greatest breadth of PC game titles, will allow consumers to demo games before purchasing and will stream games for virtually instantaneous start of play, all via broadband from the convenience of the living or family room.
Infinium Labs plans to launch its Phantom Game Service in 2005.
