Phantom Entertainment

Phantom Entertainment, Inc.
Company type	Public (formerly private)
Industry	Video games, computer peripherals
Predecessor	Infinium Labs, Inc.
Founded	2002; 24 years ago
Founder	Tim Roberts
Fate	Ceased operations; website last updated in 2011; domain lapsed
Headquarters	United States
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Tim Roberts (founder, former CEO and chairman), Kevin Bachus (former CEO), Greg Koler (former CEO), John Landino (former CEO and interim CFO)
Products	Phantom video game console (unreleased), Phantom Lapboard wireless keyboard

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Phantom Entertainment, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 8 August 2025

Phantom Entertainment, Inc.—previously known as Infinium Labs, Inc. until 2006—was established in 2002 by Tim Roberts, initially focusing on the production of computer keyboards. The company became widely recognized for its Phantom video game console, unveiled in 2004 as an Internet-based gaming-on-demand system; nevertheless, it never reached the market, resulting in accusations of vaporware. The firm’s website received its final update in late 2011, and its domain registration has since lapsed.

Corporate Background

Founded as a private enterprise by Tim Roberts in 2002, Infinium Labs revealed plans in January 2003 for a "revolutionary new gaming platform" designed to deliver games through an online subscription model, presenting only a computer-generated prototype concept. Due to the absence of concrete information and reliance on buzzwords, industry outlets such as IGN, Slashdot, and the Penny Arcade webcomic expressed early doubts. The technology website HardOCP conducted an extensive investigation into the company and was later subject to litigation. Wired News awarded the Phantom the "Vaporware 2004" title. Infinium Labs transitioned to a public company in 2004.

Roberts departed from the organization in mid-2005 while retaining millions of shares but returned later as chairman before stepping down again in July 2007. Leadership changes followed with Kevin Bachus appointed CEO in August 2005, succeeded by Greg Koler in January 2006, and John Landino assuming CEO and interim CFO roles in July 2008.

In September 2006, after rebranding as Phantom Entertainment, the company announced the release of the Phantom Lapboard for November 2006, with plans for a gaming service rollout by March 2007. The Lapboard was ultimately launched in June 2008. In August 2007, Phantom entered into an agreement with ProGames Network to provide Lapboards and gaming content services to hotels on a global scale.

The Phantom Console

The Phantom was a home video game console project developed by Phantom Entertainment (formerly Infinium Labs) beginning in 2003 but ultimately cancelled. It intended to run both existing and upcoming PC games while offering an extensive initial library and streamlining game development. The system was designed around a digital distribution model to replace physical media such as discs and cartridges.

Originally slated for release in 2003 with digital rights management handled by DiStream, the console experienced numerous delays throughout 2004 and 2005. A prototype was displayed at the May 2004 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), though its legitimacy was questioned. Robrady Design produced the initial prototype, with Synopse ID responsible for later iterations.

Two known first-generation prototypes exist: one was publicly destroyed by HardOCP during QuakeCon 2004 amid ongoing legal conflicts; another surfaced at a computer repair shop in Florida in 2015 and was subsequently auctioned off in 2021. A second-generation prototype revealed at E3 2004 resurfaced following the discovery of the earlier model.

Launch Timeline

The Phantom console was first announced online on August 17, 2003, featuring preliminary hardware specifications and pricing projected "under $399". Available options included customizable hardware configurations and PhantomNet—a subscription-based gaming content service priced at $9.95 per month. An initial release was planned for early 2004 but failed to materialize; the company then targeted a holiday launch in November without having developed essential software, secured game licenses, or established retail partnerships. Additional deadlines set for January and March 2005 were also missed, with Infinium Labs absent from E3 2005. Former CEO Kevin Bachus indicated a possible fall 2005 launch coinciding with the Xbox 360 debut; however, this did not occur. By August 2006, all references to the Phantom Console had been removed from the company’s product listings.

Financial difficulties

Infinium Labs was unable to secure the anticipated $30 million required to finalize the Phantom console, leading the company to redirect its efforts toward the Phantom Lapboard, a wireless keyboard designed for home use. On May 16, 2006, the Securities and Exchange Commission charged founder and former CEO Timothy Roberts with orchestrating a "pump and dump" scheme connected to Phantom promotions during 2004. Due to ongoing delays and financial controversies, the company's reputation deteriorated, resulting in losses exceeding $62.7 million since its establishment.

Lapboard

The Phantom Lapboard, a wireless keyboard developed by Infinium Labs, was originally planned as an accessory for the Phantom gaming system. It eventually launched on June 23, 2008—two years behind schedule—and shifted its target market toward Internet TV and PC gaming following the cancellation of the console. In 2010, an updated model was released to better support Internet TV applications, gaming, and media center functionality.

Product announcement

On January 3, 2006, Infinium Labs revealed plans for the Lapboard—a combined keyboard and mouse designed for comfortable lap use with televisions—with an expected release in the second quarter of 2006. Production setbacks delayed the launch to no later than October that year. Initially priced at $129.99 with a $30 discount for preorders, the release was postponed again until November. In August 2007, Phantom Entertainment secured distribution deals with ProGames Network to supply Lapboards and gaming content to hotels worldwide, as well as with Alienware for media center PC integration; however, Alienware withdrew from the partnership in December 2007 due to ongoing delays. The Lapboard eventually debuted in June 2008, aimed at PC users and Internet TV gamers.

Critical reception

In April 2008, Maximum PC previewed the Lapboard as "highly promising," but noted that the included mouse experienced signal interruptions beyond a 24-inch range from its sensor. The device was scheduled for a June release at a price of $130 in limited quantities. Nevertheless, a full review assigned it a score of 4 out of 10, citing poor mouse performance during gaming, an uncomfortable angled keyboard design, and highlighting that superior alternatives were available at lower prices.

On July 20, 2009, Hardware Heaven published a positive assessment of a Lapboard sample unit. Despite mixed opinions overall, in May 2010 About.com featured the Phantom Lapboard in its Father's Day gift recommendations. Additionally, on July 19, 2010, Michael Welter shared a generally favorable review on Missing Remote.

HardOCP litigation

In September 2003, computer hardware news website HardOCP published an investigative piece by Steve Lynch that criticized Infinium Labs and its founder. On February 19, 2004, Infinium Labs' attorneys issued a cease and desist letter demanding removal of the article on grounds that it depicted the company as intending to defraud consumers and threatened defamation proceedings. Rather than comply, HardOCP owner Kyle Bennett sought a declaratory judgment affirming no wrongdoing had occurred. Subsequently, Infinium Labs filed suit in Florida while contesting Texas jurisdiction despite previously operating an office in Richardson, Texas.

By September 2004, a judge compelled Infinium Labs to disclose financial documents including founder Roberts's personal tax returns. After noncompliance by the company, HardOCP obtained a court order enforcing document production and was granted sanctions reportedly amounting to $50,000. The matter concluded when Infinium Labs withdrew the Florida lawsuit, conceded all claims from KB Networks' Texas complaint, and paid $50,000 to settle the dispute.

Additional Disputes

In October 2005, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) informed Tim Roberts of forthcoming allegations concerning breaches of federal securities regulations. Infinium indicated it had no knowledge of explicit charges but believed they were associated with an SEC probe into illicit promotion of penny stocks, including those linked to Infinium. Roberts engaged a stock promoter who disseminated faxes falsely advertising the imminent launch of the Phantom console and forecasting a potential 3,000% surge in stock value. The SEC contended that the company never planned to release the console as scheduled due to unresolved "technological and manufacturing challenges," characterizing the fax campaign as part of a pump and dump operation orchestrated by Roberts. He reached a settlement with the SEC, accepting a five-year prohibition from holding officer or director roles in public companies or involvement in penny-stock transactions, alongside a $30,000 penalty. Subsequently, Roberts was convicted in 2017 for fraud connected to his cloud commerce venture Savtira, which failed in 2011.

During Roberts' tenure as CEO, Infinium neglected to disclose substantial interest and penalties related to outstanding payroll taxes. From its inception, the firm reported limited cash reserves despite escalating debt levels.

In January 2006, Infinium Labs arranged a loan facility up to $5 million from Golden Gate Investors to support production of the Phantom Lapboard, marking its largest borrowing to date. The loan was structured for repayment over three years with an option to settle via common stock issuance.

By February, GameSpot noted that Phantom Entertainment had paused its Game Service operations to concentrate on the Lapboard development. An SEC filing revealed cumulative losses over three years exceeding $62.7 million—more than half allocated to marketing for unreleased products—with $24 million spent on employee salaries and consultants and $2.5 million dedicated to development efforts. Infinium expressed continued intent to launch the Lapboard contingent on improved financial conditions but missed several release deadlines throughout 2006. On August 15, Phantom Entertainment removed all mentions of the Phantom Game Receiver from its website, announcing that the content-delivery platform would instead be offered for PCs running Microsoft Windows XP Media Center edition; this service was later scheduled for March 2007 but ultimately did not launch when the Lapboard debuted in 2008.

External links

Phantom Entertainment Official Website
Official Phantom Entertainment Blog
Phantom: Rewound – Editorial feature chronicling The Phantom's history.
Video Interview with Kevin Bachus by Marketwatch
Gizmodo.com - Lapboard