Will it sell?
BFG seems to have identified a niche in the market for people who want high-end systems but can't be bothered to build or maintain them themselves. Of course companies like Alienware, Voodoo and Scan have been servicing this market for a while, but it's generally been with flashy gamer rigs.
This is an attempt to attract the more sober, mature punter, who just wants things to work. The liquid cooling and under-stated look are clearly designed to make such a beast as unobtrusive as possible and there is a clear desire to appeal to the affluent multi-media user as well as the gamer.
In these recessed times our first instinct is to feel that BFG could have timed the launch better, but the ball has presumably been rolling for some time on this project. On the flip side there is a school of thought that during a recession there is still money out there, you just have to try harder to get it.
By offering unique features like the concierge service and the touch-screen, BFG is hoping to differentiate itself sufficiently from the incumbents to persuade US consumers to part with a few precious grand. It will be intriguing to see if it succeeds.
