Amiga mini console producers Retro Games Ltd reveal litigation-linked delays to its next project, a full-size replica called the A1200.
Retro Games Ltd’s “full size Amiga” has been promised for a long time, and already delayed in favour of The Spectrum, today the company informed its community that further delays are happening.
In a statement on social media, the RGL team shared the news that legal disputes between Hyperion Entertainment and Cloanto (and other Amiga stakeholders) has prevented manufacture of THE A500 mini‘s sequel.
Confirming that the computer will be a replica of the Amiga 1200, RGL also report that they plan to share information about the device over the coming months.
RGL explains the A1200 delay
This is the full statement:
As everyone knows, it has long been our intention to release a full-size sequel to THE A500 mini in Q1 of 2025. Despite the best efforts of our team and partners, this will sadly not be possible within that timeline.
Unfortunately, the ongoing legal disputes between Hyperion Entertainment and the Amiga parties are preventing us from proceeding with manufacturing. Many of you in ‘The Amiga scene’ will recall that Hyperion initiated legal action against the Amiga parties in 2018, and in 2019 they even tried, unsuccessfully, to challenge the release of THE A500 Mini, despite such interference being a “Hyperion Prohibited Action” under their 2009 Settlement Agreement.
Our friends at Amiga and Cloanto, who have supported us throughout the development of THEC64, THEVIC20, and THE A500 mini, have been working tirelessly to resolve the issue as swiftly as possible. However, our manufacturing and retail partners have chosen to postpone the release of our full-sized machine until the legal situation is fully resolved. We appreciate the disappointment and frustration that these delays cause, but unfortunately the situation is completely beyond our control.
In the near future, we will share more details about the machine itself, including images, features and software line-up, including one brand new game that will make its debut on the machine. We will also issue a revised release date which will be as soon as is practically possible.
Thank you for your continued patience and support. We do understand that you are as frustrated as we are. Whilst these legal issues do not directly involve us, they do of course have an effect on what we do. Everyone is working hard to resolve these issues as quickly as possible, and we believe that a resolution is in sight.
In the light of the ongoing delays, we think it’s only fair to share with you that the machine is to be called….
‘THE A1200’
When will the A1200 land?
At this point, the Amiga-shaped maxi console is still expected to be released, and RGL have said that they will not cancel the project. But when you can expect to own one is another matter entirely.
Hyperion Entertainment is a company with form when it comes to legal shenanigans, with action between them and Amiga, Inc. concerning the development of the AmigaOS 4 operating system. The best summary of the settlement can be found on Wikipedia, which states:
This would seem to be the “Hyperion Prohibited Action” that RGL refers to.
An Amiga lover writes
If there is one computer platform that I feel defines my formative years, it is the Amiga. I was fond of the C64, of course, and had a thing for the BBC Micro too. But the Amiga…
Swooning over a computer seems insane these days, but you might liken the impact the Amiga had on computing to the one GPT3.5 had on AI. It was a gear change, a step up that no one dared dream possible.
This is a computer that people love. You know how people who use Macs seem a bit obsessive? It’s like that, only the hardware is less easy to get hold of. Having said that, there are various ways you can get a modern Amiga computer.
Over the years, I owned an A500, A600, and A1200, as well as having access to an A4000 at college. Naturally, I’ve used Amiga emulators, and own an A500 mini. I love this computer, the operating system, and everything it represents.
Except Hyperion Entertainment.
This is not a new experience for me. That company has been waving its dick around the Amiga fan community for years. Many in the community are amazed that RGL managed to get the A500 mini out in the first place, and all of this feels like an inevitability.
Hopefully, it is one that will be overcome.
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Christian Cawley is a writer and editor who covers consumer electronics, IT, and entertainment media. He has written for publications such as Computer Weekly, Linux Format, MakeUseOf.com, and Tech Radar.
He also produces podcasts, has a cigar box guitar, and of course, loves retro gaming.
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