ZX Spectrum Crowdfunding updates

11th Sep 2016 12:00

News from the EuroGamer.net site: Some Kickstarter backers of the "Recreated ZX Spectrum" have yet to receive the nostalgia-fuelled retro keyboard - and the boss of the company behind it has been silent for months.

Wesley Yin-Poole at Eurogamer says: "I've spent the past two weeks investigating what looks like another example of a Kickstarter gone horribly wrong - at least for some who forked out for what was supposed to be the glorious revival of one of the most beloved computers in video game history."

Elite Systems launched a Kickstarter that was successfully funded in January 2014, with 821 backers pledging a total of £63,194. But since then, not every backer has received their device, and since this device is not much more than a Bluetooth keyboard that looks like a ZX Spectrum and which relies on an app for the gaming experience, backers have recently reported that this critical app has been withdrawn from all the respective app stores. The full article can be read here.

On a more positive note, The Indiegogo project's Sinclair ZX Spectrum Vega Plus Console (see title pic) is apparently nearing release, with the first backers expecting to receive the goods this month. The Vega+ is a new low cost hand-held games console with a colour LCD screen and 1,000 licensed games already installed. It incorporates all the features of the predecessor, ZX Vega, and more, including stereo output for great reproduction of gaming sounds and music. It is the only games console that exists with 1,000 licensed games already included and with both an LCD for anywhere use and video out for TV use.