Frozen Codebase Signs Multi-Title Vicious Engine Deal

D3 Publisher subsidiary Vicious Cycle Software announced today that Frozen Codebase is using its Vicious Engine middleware for Sierra-published Zombie Wranglers for Xbox Live Arcade, and also for Fresco Beach, to be published by Konami on WiiWare. The deal also includes a third unannounced title. First formed in November 2006, Frozen Codebase is made up of a number of former developers from Raven Software, Radical Entertainment, GarageGames, and Astral Entertainment. The studio released its first Xbox Live Arcade title a year later with Screwjumper, later brought to web-game service InstantAction. Earlier this year, Frozen Codebase said it's also using the Vicious Engine for another XBLA title, Elements of Destruction. Vicious Cycle announced the latest version of its engine in February 2008, with new features for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, updating the toolset and lighting engine, adding an animation blender, and pixel shader technology that the company says is optimized for next-gen platforms. "After the positive experience with the Vicious Engine during the development of our earlier Xbox LIVE title, Elements of Destruction, we decided that it made great sense to use the middleware again for our three upcoming games,” says Frozen Codebase EP Ben Geisler.