In an interview conducted with QJ.net, Eric Peterson, President of Vicious Cycle software certainly hinted that we might see Fred on a next gen machine, though which one is anyones guess:

"QJ: Like we said earlier, Fred's a pretty unique character, and the universe he inhabits seems to be pretty rich and interesting... perhaps we'll get to explore it in even greater detail on, oh, maybe... a next-gen console?

Peterson: That is the plan. The PSP game is the launch bed for this brand. This wasn’t intended to be a one off game by any means. We feel that the character, the story elements, the game mechanics, etc. all translate well to a next-gen system. We certainly have aspirations of moving it to that level so we can make Fred even more robust, the levels more detailed and continue the story where we leave it off in this version."

We'll have more for you on this when we... er, have... more.


DIG LINK:

A recent press release by D3Publisher of America has announced that they have just entered an agreement with Vicious Cycle Software, where the makers of the Vicious Engine for consoles, handhelds and PC platforms shall become a subsidiary of D3PA after the agreement pulls through.

 

D3Publisher was signed up as Vicious Cycle Software's publisher for Dead Head Fred for the PSP, but it appears that D3Publisher wishes to extend their relations with the North Carolina-based developer studio for a much longer time. And Vicious Cycle will be marked their first true internal developer studio as soon as the share acquisition agreement is successfully concluded.

"Having worked with D3PA for the past few years, we know the company shares our passion for creative excellence and our commitment to quality," said Eric Peterson, president of Vicious Cycle Software. He added that they are excited to be part of the D3Publisher family and providing their skills and talents to D3PA's game portfolio.

Details of the agreement seems to affect nothing throughout the management of Vicious Cycle, as the current leadership will not be changed nor shall the studio be moved from North Carolina. That said, financial figures pertaining to the acquisition have not been revealed, however.

Vicious Cycle Software, founded back in 2000 by former MicroProse game developers, is a developer for titles for a broad range of customers, including educational titles for children and action games for the mobile gamers. Their works include titles that were released on the Sony PS2, Microsoft Xbox, Nintendo GameCube. They have recently focused a development effort toward the Windows platforms.

However, since the release of their Vicious Engine middleware solution, they have delivered a cross-platform edge for games on both the next-gen and current-gen consoles. The Vicious Engine was conceptualized back in 2005, but recent improvements to the software allowed the engine to be the first to extend toward the Wii and the PSP.

It seems that Vicious Cycle Software (VCS), the developer of games such as Marvel Trading Card Game, Dead Head Fred, Curious George, and the recent release Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords, has just opened a new site. The site is already up and running, and contains new information on the games that they made.

Mr. Eric Peterson, the president of VCS, commented on the new site.

The completely revamped website will reflect the company's objective of creating great games based on both original and licensed intellectual properties while also demonstrating the personality behind the company with regularly updated developer diaries.

We believe that the addition of the developer diaries was a good move on the part of Vicious Cycle Software,  as it should give gamers an insight on how the devs are handling the games that they are offering to the public. The company is currently developing titles for the PSP, the PC, the Xbox 360, PS2 and the GC. If you wish to check out their new site, just click on the "Read" link below.

Just a week after having introduced itself to the rest of the gaming world, Vicious Cycle Software Inc. has yet another announcement to make. This time around, the company's chiefs would like the world to know that they have just received the blessings of the folks behind the Xbox 360, and that the Vicious Engine is now approved for the Xbox 360 console Tools and Middleware Program. This basically means that from now on, the Vicious Engine is now a middleware program which developers may use when creating games for the 360.

According to the company's president, Eric Peterson, their middleware "reflects our continued dedication to providing developers with the tools they need to create great games for the latest video game systems". He also points out that thanks to the Vicious Engine's easy-to-use interface, "developers can focus on creativity and innovation rather than worrying over technical details".

Among the Vicious Engine's features which the creators are proud of are:

• point-and-click scripting
• a comprehensive integrated physics solution
• easy AI (Artificial Intelligence) development
• straightforward platform conversion
• powerful rendering that draws complex, dynamic scenes accurately and efficiently

So now that's is in place, we'll just have to wait and see what the devs can come up with, using their new toy.

Vicious Cycle Software">Vicious Engine">Vicious Cycle Software Inc. has just introduced to the world its spankin' new game engine, which the company has lovingly dubbed as the "Vicious Engine". To promote its new middleware solution, Vicious Cycle has also launched the program "The Vicious Engine Rising Stars Program", which  basically aims to assist independent game makers and start-up companies in cross-platform development. According to Vicious Cycle Software's president, Eric Peterson,

There are great ideas out there just begging to be made into games, and the Rising Stars program was designed to be the catalyst for turning dreams into reality ... Aspiring developers will receive expert feedback, access to the Vicious Engine, as well as an inside track to getting their game published.

The company also goes on to explain that the program will not just assist game makers with the technical aspects, but that they will also receive important business support by introducing the fledgling devs to publishers. So, in a nutshell, participants in the Rising Stars Program can expect the following:

• Access to the Vicious Engine build for six months
• Online technical support for Vicious Engine
• Expert feedback during the development process
• Upon completion and approval of demo, connection to publishers

In the meantime, those who are interested in taking up Vicious on its offer can check out the Vicious webpage at www.ViciousEngine.com, while those who have questions about the program can send an email to risingstars@viciousengine.com.