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stories filed under: "vaporware"
(Mis)Uses of Technology

(Mis)Uses of Technology

by Mike Masnick


Filed Under:
keyboard, phantom, vaporware

Companies:
phantom



Phantom Finally Releases A Product... And It Sucks

from the we-waited-five-years-for-this? dept

Remember the Phantom? Depending on your perspective, this mysterious gaming console, first announced in 2003, was either a too ambitious product that could never get off the ground (living up to its "phantom" name in that it was almost never actually seen) or a big scam to part investors with money. Over the years, the company made many announcements, almost none of which it lived up to. The company was even sued by its own investment bank for fraud, and the company's founder was charged as part of a stock scam. At one point, people were shocked when the company hired a real gaming industry veteran as CEO, but once he left pretty much everyone thought the company was dead.

But... not so fast. A few years back it announced that it was ditching the gaming console concept, but was still going to come out with a neat keyboard that could be used for gaming. Of course, it promised that keyboard would be out years ago, and in true Phantom fashion, many delays followed. To be honest, I had thought the company had finally gone completely out of business, but Wired is reporting that it really honestly has a keyboard in production -- and it completely sucks. As Wired notes, it certainly wasn't worth the long wait. The only redeeming factor that Wired can find in the keyboard is the chance to own a piece of vaporware history. Just don't expect to actually use it, because you'll be wishing you didn't.

6 Comments | Leave a Comment..

 
Too Much Free Time

Too Much Free Time

by Mike Masnick


Filed Under:
duke nukem, vaporware



When They Called It Duke Nukem Forever, Who Knew They Meant That's How Long It Would Take To Release?

from the another-year,-more-vapor dept

For years, Wired has offered up an annual "vaporware" list -- and there have been a few products that always seem to make the list. There was the oh-so-aptly-named "Phantom" gaming console, but that company finally just disappeared completely. However, the granddaddy of all vaporware, which has dominated the list over and over and over again for years has been the video game Duke Nukem Forever... and it comes as no surprise that it takes the top spot, once again. The game, of course, was supposed to have been released in early 1998, so we're pushing 10 years late here. At one point, Wired even gave it a "Lifetime Achievement Award" in order to get it off the list. That was for 2003. Since then, the game's stature as Vaporware extraordinaire has only grown, forcing Wired to put it back on the list -- in its rightful spot at the top. Of course, expecting this, the company behind the game has actually released a trailer for the game... which doesn't mean much. Either way, i'm betting that there are a lot of folks who'd prefer that this game remain in perpetual vaporware. It seems a lot more fun that way.

19 Comments | Leave a Comment..

 
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