Spectrum Vega Plus Poll

[kiwimike]

Andrew Hewson had a heart attack.
That's why the book was delayed.

The whole Vega+ campaign has been one long case of excuses and lack of information from the company.
Don't forget this thing launched in SEPTEMBER 2016 and backers still don't have the finished machine in their hand, despite many assurances and missed deadlines.

They have given the impression they are untrustworthy.

I agree completely. I am very pleased it looks like things are moving ahead for backers, but it is totally understandable how people can get suspicious (and angry) when they ask questions via email and get no reply. The court case is no excuse. You can acknowledge an enquiry, apologise they cannot provide answers but reassure people. To meet a wall of silence of course people were worried, especially hearing key personal have left the project.

At the very least, it's decent manners!

Anyway, here's hoping there won't be much to update now aside from peoples reviews of it once they get them to try

[adippm82]

I must have much lower expectations about being kept informed than some others, have those citing lack of information actually received any campaign updates? As I said I have over thirty of them, can't say personally that I have ever felt there has been a lack of information about the product, each time I have received one, there is information about the latest delay, what has happened, some mentioning legal dramas that they cannot discuss at that point, and the messages usually end with when we have more information we'll be back in touch.

Now I have never sent them an email, just let them get on with it really, so I cannot say how I would feel about not getting replies to them, but back in July I think it was, I'll have to check, one of the updates states that due to personnel changes, they would not be able to respond to individual messages, and to keep an eye out for updates or news on the website.

I'm not saying they have not made mistakes, they have, they are a small team, who I believe are doing their best to get this product out, and no matter the delays, or perceived lack of contact, nobody deserves the kind of abuse they have received over a hundred quid handheld.

The latest updates tell of a new several week delay thanks to the two ex directors going round actively encouraging developers to remove their rights to games, pretty futile as we can just put them on ourselves, and RCL have also won a major court case against cornerstone media, over a sales agreement that was not kept, the two ex directors tried to prevent the action, and actively helped Cornerstone fight it, by with holding information, just another couple of examples of what have been going on, the director of Cornerstone has been found personally liable for all costs.

And there must still be some good will towards them, as they have had offers of games from the past, as well as some new ones.

I'm afraid I find it highly ironic to talk of RCL not having decent manners considering the massive amount of profanity filled messages that can be seen daily.

The original Vega was months late. Don't remember ridiculous hate campaigns then

Exactly!

[merman]

But regardless of how many games have been withdrawn, they said it was ready to launch in September.

They held a launch party and did not let people publish photos.

[kiwimike]

I'm afraid I find it highly ironic to talk of RCL not having decent manners considering the massive amount of profanity filled !

I understand they have had their share of abuse, and yes to be abused is not on. But two wrongs don't make a right. You'd hardly think they saw abuse, even alleged threats, so decided '**** em all, we won't respond to any civilised emails either then.' Hardly professional, and a retail store for example couldn't take abuse they got from one customer out on another. They'd be out of business quick.
I know what you're saying though. Ultimately I think there's been faults both ways. I hope it's all done quick from here for everyone. From my own point of view, I'm keen to hear what everyone thinks once they get some game time on them!

[merman]

Article appearing today on El Reg:

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/03/1 ... gogo_saga/

Why is the Sinclair Vega+ so delayed?

[psj3809]

^why are you stirring merman ? Have you got one ordered ? So wheees the C64 handheld device ? That said Dec 2016. Now April 17. So is that out soon ?

Anyway a good picture today of lots of Vegas and a short video with another one to come. Yeah there's been delays but you can tell it's not vapourware. It looks great. Trolls will always moan about something though

[adippm82]

Totally Agree PSJ3809, cannot see why anyone would keep being so critical of a project that they have no vested interest in, odd to say the least.

It's very strange how the 64 handheld is not getting any of the heat that is reserved for the Vega +, despite all that is on show currently is a CAD drawing of the shell, and scant technical details, they still hope to deliver The 64 by April 2017 or as close to it, despite three weeks ago not even having the layout of the PCB nailed down, no prototypes, no actual pictures, and with two of it's directors being the very same guys who helped deliver the original Vega, before resigning midway through the Vega + project due to a conflict of interest with this 64 hand held, they wouldn't doing everything they can to slowdown the Vega +, while trying to get the 64 one off the ground would they?

I am a bit suspicious that the playground wars of '80s have returned, and there is some upset that RCL surpassed their target by miles while the C64 one did not reach their own

The Register article does have one enormous hole in the article too, and that is the court case against Cornerstone Media is not still ongoing, it has been settled emphatically in RCL's favor.

[English Invader]

Totally Agree PSJ3809, cannot see why anyone would keep being so critical of a project that they have no vested interest in, odd to say the least.

Everyone has a vested interest in projects that bring our hobby into disrepute. It makes it harder for people with good ideas and relevant expertise to get funding because they get tarred with the same brush as the scumbags and the incompetents.

[binaryRooster]

Sweet Jesus. I've been reading today the "Anti" brigade rightly taking umbrage at being called "f#ckwits" by someone saying that the recent video is proof that everything is fine - but then deciding calling anyone who is in the other camp as "scum" is acceptable (i'd keep back phrases like that for rapsists - not people who just are trying to remain positive that their £105 hasn't gone up in smoke and trying to wish it over the finish line). Honestly they could release it with a 3D screen and deliver it tomorrow and still receive a bucketload of scorn and hate.

The whole campaign has been blighted by legal action and a real lack of communication IMO. When you know you're about to miss a deadline, you need to get an update out and let people know. Maybe the legal wrangles have made this more difficult, i just don't know. Yes, we've seen a video and pictures of around 20 machines but no information if it's a test batch or the entire run is in manufacture as we speak. I've held off on a refund as the updates we have had, have all promised things are still moving and i want to believe (hopefully i'm not being totally naive). I've seen a truly ugly side of the Spectrum community (from both sides) during this whole episode. Things don't seem to have progressed much since the playground arguments at school.

[adippm82]

Things don't seem to have progressed much since the playground arguments at school.

Absolutely my main point yesterday!

[merman]

^why are you stirring merman ? Have you got one ordered ? So wheees the C64 handheld device ? That said Dec 2016. Now April 17. So is that out soon ?

Anyway a good picture today of lots of Vegas and a short video with another one to come. Yeah there's been delays but you can tell it's not vapourware. It looks great. Trolls will always moan about something though

How is posting a link with pertinent information "stirring"?

Oh, and the video today. Three devices working. Funny how that is the same amount working as the last video footage, and the coloured backs are shown face down...

[Matt_B]

Sweet Jesus. I've been reading today the "Anti" brigade rightly taking umbrage at being called "f#ckwits" by someone saying that the recent video is proof that everything is fine - but then deciding calling anyone who is in the other camp as "scum" is acceptable (i'd keep back phrases like that for rapsists - not people who just are trying to remain positive that their £105 hasn't gone up in smoke and trying to wish it over the finish line). Honestly they could release it with a 3D screen and deliver it tomorrow and still receive a bucketload of scorn and hate.

The whole campaign has been blighted by legal action and a real lack of communication IMO. When you know you're about to miss a deadline, you need to get an update out and let people know. Maybe the legal wrangles have made this more difficult, i just don't know. Yes, we've seen a video and pictures of around 20 machines but no information if it's a test batch or the entire run is in manufacture as we speak. I've held off on a refund as the updates we have had, have all promised things are still moving and i want to believe (hopefully i'm not being totally naive). I've seen a truly ugly side of the Spectrum community (from both sides) during this whole episode. Things don't seem to have progressed much since the playground arguments at school.

I'd assume that they're prototypes unless stated otherwise. We know that the games list isn't finalized, the PEGI rating hasn't been applied for, etc. and that there were some serious deficiencies with earlier prototypes - that they still tried to pass off as being production machines to various people - so it'd seem unlikely that they'd be going full steam ahead with production just yet. I'd guess at maybe another four to five months assuming there are no more major issues to resolve.

Of course, they won't say this straight to us. That'd just blatantly contradict what they've said in the past.

[binaryRooster]

Oh, and the video today. Three devices working. Funny how that is the same amount working as the last video footage, and the coloured backs are shown face down...

The coloured ones only have coloured backs apparently, so seen face up they'd look the same as the regular ones. It's been mentioned in the FB groups.

I don't see what their gameplan is by giving that "after 20th Feb" despatch date if they were still nowhere near full production. If you were trying to buy time, why give the impression that you were ready to go? All that seems to have done is aggravated a lot of the people who were still remaining positive.

[kiwimike]

Oh, and the video today. Three devices working. Funny how that is the same amount working as the last video footage, and the coloured backs are shown face down...

The coloured ones only have coloured backs apparently, so seen face up they'd look the same as the regular ones. It's been mentioned in the FB groups.

I don't see what their gameplan is by giving that "after 20th Feb" despatch date if they were still nowhere near full production. If you were trying to buy time, why give the impression that you were ready to go? All that seems to have done is aggravated a lot of the people who were still remaining positive.

Yep. When doing anything of this nature, just be honest. It saves so many problems further down the track. Clever politician style answers that respond in vague half truths, or no response at all, are just likely to antagonise. I'm not condoning any abuse or threats they have had, at all. I just feel had they been more upfront maybe things wouldn't be as heated and nasty.

[binaryRooster]

Exactly. "Sorry guys, but we've had hardware issues concerning xxx" or "the legal threat has frozen our assets" etc. Putting people in the picture would help massively. Now there's a whole group who believe they've been scammed or lied to and mock every statement RCL comes out with. They've posted a new video which seems just to be an edit of the last one showing the same two games. If you really have a working unit, why not show off a ton of new stuff? They seem to being secretive for the sake of it. I'm sure if it can run Horace and the Spiders it can run hundreds of other games.

Interestingly one of RCL answered "June" the other day when someone asked when they would be able to buy one. I would assume that means direct from the website after the pre-orders have all been sent out.