Infinium Labs Vs. Hardocp - Round 2
DOOManiac
Worst. Critic. Ever. Join Date: 2002-04-17 Member: 462Members, NS1 Playtester
Worst. Critic. Ever. Join Date: 2002-04-17 Member: 462Members, NS1 Playtester
<div class="IPBDescription">Join the Nintendo Fan Club Today!</div>An article entitled <a href='http://www.hardocp.com/article.html?art=NTk4' target='_blank'>Infinium Labs Vs. HardOCP - Round 2</a> is up on HardOCP.
As many of you may know already, back in September HardOCP published an article entitled <a href='http://www.hardocp.com/article.html?art=NTEy' target='_blank'>Behind the Infinium Phantom Console</a> where they did some background research on Infinium Labs and its CEO, Tim Roberts. The article basically discovers that in the past 8 years Mr. Roberts has been the head of 8 companies, most of which went bankrupt. Also stated in the article is the fact that of 2 locations they were given for Infinium Labs, one was a PO box at a Mail Boxes Etc. and the other was an empty floor of a building.
Since I guess they were busy conning investers out of money, it took Infinium Labs until 12 days ago to threaten legal action against Kyle Bennett, the guy who runs HardOCP, that his article, which they claimed to be completely false, had cost them millions of dollars and he had 10 days to remove the article otherwise they would sue. Details of this can be found <a href='http://www.hardocp.com/news.html?news=OTUxNCxGZWJydWFyeSAsMjAwNA' target='_blank'>here</a>.
So now, 2 days after their 10 day deadline, rather than issuing a lawsuit they wrote a nasty letter. <a href='http://www.hardocp.com/image.html?image=MTA3ODIxMjYyMWlZVXBGVFhVY2ZfMV8xX2wuZ2lm' target='_blank'>Here is page 1</a> of said letter.
Here's a snipplet of what Kyle had to say:
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->As for the rest of Infinium Labs' demands, they seem to us to simply not be based in reality. They repeatedly note statements that we never made and seem to draw illogical innuendos from the facts that were documented by Infinium Labs’ CEO Tim Roberts' own website and resume. As for our opinions they are clearly noted as such and we stand by them.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Again, you should <a href='http://www.hardocp.com/article.html?art=NTk4' target='_blank'>read the whole thing</a>.
Now, if I was a company and somebody caused me to lose millions of dollars, and I wasn't just full of crap and running things from a Mail Boxes Etc. in Florida next to a beauty shop, I wouldn't just write a letter to them, I would have already sued them twice over.
The way I see it, Infinium Labs just probably thought Kyle would be like most people and simply back down from any threat rather than standing his ground. I've met Kyle several times (and got free stuff from him to boot) and he can be a pretty headstrong about things. It doesn't suprise me in the least that not only is he sticking to his guns, but I also have no doubt he'll thoroughly pwn them.
[edit]
Hooray! I didn't spell it Infinitum this time around either. Resident anime fans/story tellers rejoice!
[/edit]
As many of you may know already, back in September HardOCP published an article entitled <a href='http://www.hardocp.com/article.html?art=NTEy' target='_blank'>Behind the Infinium Phantom Console</a> where they did some background research on Infinium Labs and its CEO, Tim Roberts. The article basically discovers that in the past 8 years Mr. Roberts has been the head of 8 companies, most of which went bankrupt. Also stated in the article is the fact that of 2 locations they were given for Infinium Labs, one was a PO box at a Mail Boxes Etc. and the other was an empty floor of a building.
Since I guess they were busy conning investers out of money, it took Infinium Labs until 12 days ago to threaten legal action against Kyle Bennett, the guy who runs HardOCP, that his article, which they claimed to be completely false, had cost them millions of dollars and he had 10 days to remove the article otherwise they would sue. Details of this can be found <a href='http://www.hardocp.com/news.html?news=OTUxNCxGZWJydWFyeSAsMjAwNA' target='_blank'>here</a>.
So now, 2 days after their 10 day deadline, rather than issuing a lawsuit they wrote a nasty letter. <a href='http://www.hardocp.com/image.html?image=MTA3ODIxMjYyMWlZVXBGVFhVY2ZfMV8xX2wuZ2lm' target='_blank'>Here is page 1</a> of said letter.
Here's a snipplet of what Kyle had to say:
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->As for the rest of Infinium Labs' demands, they seem to us to simply not be based in reality. They repeatedly note statements that we never made and seem to draw illogical innuendos from the facts that were documented by Infinium Labs’ CEO Tim Roberts' own website and resume. As for our opinions they are clearly noted as such and we stand by them.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Again, you should <a href='http://www.hardocp.com/article.html?art=NTk4' target='_blank'>read the whole thing</a>.
Now, if I was a company and somebody caused me to lose millions of dollars, and I wasn't just full of crap and running things from a Mail Boxes Etc. in Florida next to a beauty shop, I wouldn't just write a letter to them, I would have already sued them twice over.
The way I see it, Infinium Labs just probably thought Kyle would be like most people and simply back down from any threat rather than standing his ground. I've met Kyle several times (and got free stuff from him to boot) and he can be a pretty headstrong about things. It doesn't suprise me in the least that not only is he sticking to his guns, but I also have no doubt he'll thoroughly pwn them.
[edit]
Hooray! I didn't spell it Infinitum this time around either. Resident anime fans/story tellers rejoice!
[/edit]
Comments
The phantom has to be the worst idea for a console ever, even if it existed
though I do like a good scandal.
hope this HardOCP guy continues to blow the lid off this story, sux when investors are scammed <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif' /><!--endemo-->
BTW, Round 3 is already in.
<a href='http://www.hardocp.com/news.html?news=OTYyNixNYXJjaCAgICAsMjAwNA' target='_blank'>HardOCP Counter Sues Infinium</a>
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->On Friday, February 27, 2004, HardOCP.com filed a declaratory judgment lawsuit against Infinium Labs to establish its position that there was nothing improper, untruthful or defamatory about its September 17, 2003 article Behind The Infinium Phantom Console. The lawsuit was filed by this firm in the name of KB Networks, Inc. the owner of HardOCP.com. The lawsuit was filed to clear the air and terminate the flurry of demands, allegations, and defamatory Internet posts directed against HardOCP.com, by Infinium Labs and law firms representing Infinium Labs and its CEO, Tim Roberts. The lawsuit was filed under the Declaratory Judgment Act, which permits a person or entity being threatened with lawsuits from another party to force the issue to be decided, rather than having to operate under a cloud of uncertainty and intimidation. HardOCP.com stands by its article, and we believe that the Federal Court will conclude, as HardOCP.com believes, that all relevant facts in the article are true.
After the lawsuit was filed on Friday, HardOCP.com received another demand letter from attorneys for Infinium Labs detailing the statements in Behind The Infinium Phantom Console that Infinium Labs alleges are at issue. Nothing in that demand letter changes HardOCP.com’s conviction that all of the relevant facts in the article are true. We look forward to a decisive vindication by the Federal Court of HardOCP.com’s credibility, integrity, and right to free speech.
<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Also there's an <a href='http://www.gamespot.com/news/2004/03/03/news_6090525.html' target='_blank'>Interview w/ Kyle on Gamespot</a>.
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--><b>GameSpot:</b> What sort of risk or liability do you see your site coming in for if you refuse to take the story down?
<b>Kyle Bennett:</b> I see the very real risk of losing HardOCP.com and everything it means. The real liability I see is letting our readers down. If we remove the article in question in order to take the easy and cheap way out of this situation, we are in essence throwing away our credibility. If we have no credibility, there is no reason to read HardOCP.com, and it fails.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
That said, if anyone is going to E3, stop by their booth, and write back about how horrible the Phantom is, assuming it makes an appearance.
Done and done.
Im going to E3 this year, and I have every intention of checking out the Phantom... if it shows up. Ill give you guys an update when/if I see it.