New film to celebrate iconic ZX Spectrum computer made in Dundee

An iconic computer constructed in Dundee that brought gaming to the masses is being celebrated on the silver screen.

The ZX Spectrum allowed people to program and create their own games, kickstarting the city’s video games industry in the 1980s.

Now, a film charting the man that invented the computer, the women that made them and the impact they had, will premiere in Dundee.

The one millionth ZX Spectrum rolled off the production line at the Timex factory in 1983, watched by its inventor.

Speaking to the workforce, Sir Clive Sinclair said, “We have our computers built by you here in Dundee because you’re the best people as far as we’re aware to build them. And I’d like to thank you very much.”

Anthony & Nicola Caulfield, co-directors of the “The Rubber Keyed Wonder”, said, “One thing with Sir Clive was that he was determined to keep manufacturing in the UK.

“The whole concept that Sir Clive had was to get something that was affordable just £100, and it would make it a genuine option for families to consider bringing a home computer into the house.”

First released in 1982, the ZX Spectrum sold millions of units worldwide because of its low cost and accessibility, it quickly became one of the most important technological innovations of its time, opening the door to a whole new world of possibilities for millions of people.

It’s a legacy that led to Dundee developing a thriving games industry that’s now benefitting students at the city’s Abertay University.

Mona Bozdog from Abertay University who carried out a research project into the women who assembled the ZX Spectrum and the impact it had.

“David Jones worked in the Timex factory. He used the redundancy money from that to buy his Omega computer and then Lemmings was born and GTA was born,” said Mona.

“This type of story can be inspirational, something that can lead more girls to think of games development as something for them, that they’re granny might have built a computer and might have been able to fix it.”

Ryan Locke, head of the centre for excellence in computer games education at Abertay University said: “The ZX Spectrum is an absolutely integral piece of Dundee’s rich reputation in video games and its impact on the growth of the city’s games cluster shouldn’t be underestimated.

“We’re really pleased to be supporting the launch of the documentary and to be celebrating the impact the ZX Spectrum has had on generations of gamers here in Scotland and across the world.”

A decade after it was first produced in Dundee, the ZX Spectrum was discontinued.

But the lasting impact on the city is still as captivating as some of its games.

The film The Rubber Keyed Wonder premieres at the DCA on Sunday, November 24.