Indiegogo halts Sinclair ZX Spectrum Vega+ crowdfunding campaign

Crowdfunding platform Indiegogo has halted the campaign of the retro-inspired Sinclair ZX Spectrum Vega+ handheld console due to delivery delays and a lack of consumer communication. 

The campaign, which pledged to create "the world’s only hand-held LCD games console with 1000 licensed games," has raised £513,650 ($623,879) to date, smashing its target goal by 267 percent. 

And yet, as reported by the BBC, the campaign has failed to make good on its promise to start shipping consoles after February 20, 2017. 

As such, Indiegogo felt the need to step in and stop other eager consumers from donating money to the cause. 

Adding an extra layer of controversy, the company behind the Vega+ project - Retro Computers Limited - asked the BBC to keep Indiegogo's funding blockade under wraps. 

Initially, Retro Computers told the BBC that details of the intervention could put company personnel at risk, but failed to provide any evidence to support those claims. 

"Following a credible threat of violence against personnel of Retro Computers Limited, including threats made as recently as last night, we asked the BBC to refrain from publishing a story we believe to be factually inaccurate and might put people at risk of physical harm, alarm and distress," said Retro Computers founder, David Levy.

"Since December 2016 the BBC have formally been on notice that this is a police matter, and we ask that the BBC and Mr Kelion do not compromise the police investigation."

Before the campaign was forcibly halted, it was listed as 'in demand' to allow new backers to come in and donate money. 

A quick glance at the project's comments page, however, makes it clear most backers are frustrated with recent developements, and have stopped believing they'll ever get their hands on the device.