As you know here at Flickering Myth we’ve kept you updated with the latest news on the Sinclair ZX Spectrum Vega +, the hand-held ZX Spectrum – designed by Rick Dickinson – with 1000 licensed games installed upon it.
The crowdfunding campaign was launched on Indiegogo and raised £366,655 (over 367% of the total) in the targeted 40 days, thus making this ZX Spectrum Vega+ one of the most successful Indiegogo Campaigns of all time. Sir Clive Sinclair has said that, “The present surge of interest in retro products inspired me to plan the Vega+ as a handy games console which can be played anywhere.”
Production has now started with the device, falling again to SMS Ltd the same company that built the original Vega. Dr David Levy, Chairman of Retro Computers Ltd, said: “All of us at Retro Computers Ltd are absolutely over the moon at the great response we’ve received to our latest Indiegogo campaign and the turnaround time. It proves that Sir Clive’s Spectrum computer is very much alive and well in its latest incarnation”
Craig Taylor, Finance Director, SMS Ltd said, “We are delighted to be working with Retro Computers Ltd on the Vega+ following the success of the Vega last year. We look forward to working with Dr Janko Mrsic-Flogel and the team to develop this exciting new product. This continued partnership will see the Vega+, like the Vega, designed and manufactured in the UK – reflecting Sir Clive Sinclair’s policy of British companies bringing his products to market. This is a great boost for UK manufacturing.”
It was reported last week that the management of Retro Computers Ltd had changed as Managing Director Paul Andrews and Chief Technical Officer Chris Smith had both resigned. Coming on board, to join Sir Clive Sinclair and Dr David Levy, is both Dr Janko Mrsic-Flogel and Suzanne Martin.
Dr Janko Mrsic-Flogel joins the company as Chief Technical Director. Janko has 22 years experience in Mobile Internet, 25 years experience in Internet systems, and he is a pioneer of mobile messaging, mobile app store platforms and mobile data applications. He is CEO of Private Planet, a leading UK personal cloud computing company. His prior roles include being Managing Director of Dynamical Systems Research (UK) from 1993 to 2000 and subsequently the Technical Director at Digital Mobility (Sweden). He also served as Director of Applied Technology at BBC Vecta, the BBC’s venturing arm. He holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering (specialising in Neural Network Systems) from Imperial College, London where he was also awarded the Governors’ Lectureship in Computing Science. Janko is also an Industry Fellow at Cambridge University.
In the 1980s, while Janko was still a schoolboy at Highgate School, he co-operated with both Sinclair Research and Atari Computers through his games company Paradox Software, and was involved in the development of 40 micro-computer games, including Atari ST Grand Prix, Bomb Jack, War Zone, Asteroids de Luxe, Tempest, QL Cavern and A View to a Kill.
Suzanne Martin joins the company as Managing Director. Suzanne is an award winning media consultant and freelance writer. Being solely responsible for the two PR campaigns that ran alongside the Indiegogo campaigns, both attracted many visitors to the Indiegogo pages and backers for the Vega and Vega+. Suzanne also has considerable experience of company management at the M.D. level.
The original ZX Spectrum Vega is still available to buy from Retro-computers.co.uk and also FunstockRetro.co.uk.
