ZX Spectrum: Elite Collection(TM) (Vol. #1)
"A rough diamond," says Elite, with further development promised.
2nd October 2010 – Lichfield, Staffs, United Kingdom
Elite ® Seeks to Manage Expectations on Release of ‘ZX Spectrum: Elite CollectionTM (Vol. #1)’ - for iPhone/Pod
Elite Systems, the long established UK based developer and electronic publisher of games for portable, mobile and other devices has announced the launch of “ZX Spectrum: Elite Collection TM (Vol. #1)” - a collection of hit games for the 80’s home computer - for iPhone & iPod Touch and has outlined its long range plans for the App.
Available on the iTunes App Store from Sunday 3rd October 2010, initially the App includes:
- Turbo Esprit #3 on top 100 best games, voted for by visitors to World of Spectrum
- Saboteur #10 on top 100 best games
- Chuckie Egg the classic, developed by Nigel Alderton
- Harrier Attack inspired by the conflict in the South Atlantic
- Frank Bruno’s Boxing the UK #1 Best-Seller
- Buggy Boy the arcade original driving game
Speaking about the App, Elite ® MD Steve Wilcox said, “The media and consumer reaction to the announcement, in late September, of Apple’s approval of ZX Spectrum: Elite Collection has been extensive and enthusiastic. Our concerns now are to ensure that both groups understand that Vol. #1 of the App is a work-in-progress, a rough diamond if you like and that we’re committed to developing the App (eliminating some of its more obvious shortcomings and adding new features) over the weeks and months ahead. Our commitments include:
- the App will always be priced at £0.59 (Euro0.79, US$0.99)
- 6 more games in a free update (Vol. #2), within a month, taking number included to 12
- a further free update (Vol. #3), within a further month, including an in-App ‘shop’
Wilcox continued, “If we’re to achieve our goal of offering (and enabling others to offer) access - via mobile and wireless devices - to many of the thousands of fantastic ZX Spectrum games, we need to restore some order to the market and adjust expectations amongst developers, publishers and players. Commercial agreements have already been reached with two more publishers (including one of the 80s biggest) taking to more than 200 the number of games available for inclusion in the forthcoming updates or volumes of ZX Spectrum: Elite Collection. (This will keep us busy through to Vol. #6 and beyond). Also, we’re in discussion with the owners of 100s more, including some of the most well known.”
A preview video of Vol. #1 is available - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOnUmO7oLgA
Steve Wilcox, Elite ®
Tel. + 44 (0) 154 326 8826 Mail paperboy@elite-systems.co.uk Web www.elite-systems.co.uk
About Elite ® : Elite Systems Ltd was incorporated in England in 1984 and is one of Europe’s most long established developers and publishers of entertainment software. Elite ® has a catalogue of more than 50 games for the ZX Spectrum, including more than half a dozen UK and European #1 chart successes.
About ZX Spectrum: The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the UK in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd. The Spectrum was released in eight different models, ranging from the entry level model with 16 KB RAM released in 1982 to the ZX Spectrum +3 with 128 KB RAM and built in floppy disk drive in 1987, together they sold in excess of 5 million units worldwide. The ZX Spectrum software library currently consists of more than 21,000 titles including some 10,000 games. Despite the fact that the Spectrum hardware was limited by most standards, its software library was very diverse, including programming language implementations, assemblers, BASIC compilers, word processors, spread sheets, drawing and painting tools, even 3D modeling tools and, of course, many, many games.