Vicious Cycle Software
Encyclopedia
Vicious Cycle Software is a video game development
company based in Morrisville, North Carolina
, United States
.
by Eric Peterson, Dave Ellis
, Marc Racine and Wayne Harvey after layoffs at the local MicroProse
development studio (then a Hasbro Interactive
studio) forced several game developers into finding other work. Racine resigned as Vice President and Director of Production in the Spring of 2005 to pursue other ventures. Ellis left the company in the Summer of 2000, but returned in 2005 to take a position as game designer. Vicious Cycle has released titles for the PlayStation 2
, Xbox
, Nintendo GameCube
, Xbox 360
, PlayStation 3
, Wii
, and PlayStation Portable
systems as well as the Microsoft Windows
platform.
In 2005
, Vicious Cycle announced the opening of their Monkey Bar Games
division. Monkey Bar Games is focused on providing mass-market games to gamers of all ages. Thus far, Monkey Bar Games has released video games incorporating licensed characters from Ben 10
, Dora the Explorer
, and Curious George
. A game was also released in late 2006 to coincide with the release of the Flushed Away
animated feature film.
Also in 2005, Vicious Cycle announced the release of their Vicious Engine
game engine
. The Vicious Engine is a complete game development middleware
solution for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox, Xbox 360
, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo GameCube, Wii
, and Microsoft Windows. The Vicious Engine is one of the first game engines to offer full support for the PSP and Wii platforms.
On June 20, 2007, Vicious Cycle was acquired by D3 Publisher
, making Vicious Cycle Software a subsidiary of D3Publisher of America and a second‐tier subsidiary of D3 Inc. Vicious Cycle and D3Publisher released Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard
for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on February 26, 2009. On October 1, 2009, D3P and Vicious Cycle Software announced they would be bringing Matt Hazard: Blood Bath and Beyond to Xbox LIVE Arcade for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PlayStationStore for PlayStation3 computer entertainment system this winter.
The second version of the Vicious Engine
, Ve2, was released on March 25, 2009 at the Game Developers Conference. It specifically features improvements for next-gen consoles, especially the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
, a game engine
, which supports a variety of game platforms. They've also developed a number of video games.
Video game developer
A video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...
company based in Morrisville, North Carolina
Morrisville, North Carolina
Morrisville is a town in Wake County, North Carolina, United States. A small portion of the town extends into Durham County. The population was 18,576 according to a April 1, 2010 census. Morrisville is part of the Research Triangle metropolitan region...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
History
Vicious Cycle was founded in 20002000 in video gaming
-Events:* May 11–13 — 6th annual Electronic Entertainment Expo ; the 3rd annual Game Critics Awards for the Best of E³* June 26 — International Game Developers Association renamed from Computer Game Developers Association...
by Eric Peterson, Dave Ellis
Dave Ellis (game designer)
Dave Ellis is an author and video game designer. He is also an avid classic arcade game collector and a columnist for GameRoom Magazine.-Career:...
, Marc Racine and Wayne Harvey after layoffs at the local MicroProse
MicroProse
MicroProse was a video game publisher and developer, founded by Wild Bill Stealey and Sid Meier in 1982 as Microprose Software. In 1993, the company became a subsidiary of Spectrum HoloByte and has remained a subsidiary or brand name under several other corporations since...
development studio (then a Hasbro Interactive
Hasbro Interactive
Hasbro Interactive was an American video game production and publishing subsidiary of Hasbro, the large game and toy company.Hasbro Interactive was formed late in 1995 in order to compete in the computer and video game arena. Several Hasbro properties, such as Monopoly and Scrabble, had already...
studio) forced several game developers into finding other work. Racine resigned as Vice President and Director of Production in the Spring of 2005 to pursue other ventures. Ellis left the company in the Summer of 2000, but returned in 2005 to take a position as game designer. Vicious Cycle has released titles for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
, Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
, Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
, and PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
systems as well as the Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
platform.
In 2005
2005 in video gaming
-Events:*March 6 — The television show 60 Minutes tackles issues within video game controversy. This segment of 60 Minutes has been criticized by video game players for encouraging video game censorship....
, Vicious Cycle announced the opening of their Monkey Bar Games
Monkey Bar Games
Monkey Bar Games is a division of the video game developer Vicious Cycle Software, based out of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Monkey Bar's mission is the creation of family entertainment products on all handheld and console video game platforms and the PC....
division. Monkey Bar Games is focused on providing mass-market games to gamers of all ages. Thus far, Monkey Bar Games has released video games incorporating licensed characters from Ben 10
Ben 10
The Omnitrix was originally created by a Galvan named Azmuth. The Omnitrix was intended to allow beings to experience life as other species in order to bring understanding and foster peace in the universe....
, Dora the Explorer
Dora the Explorer
Dora the Explorer is an American animated television series created by Chris Gifford, Valerie Walsh, and Eric Weiner. Dora the Explorer became a regular series in 2000. The show is carried on the Nickelodeon cable television network, including the associated Nick Jr. channel. It aired on CBS until...
, and Curious George
Curious George
Curious George is the protagonist of a series of popular children's books by the same name, written by Hans Augusto Rey and Margret Rey. The books feature a curious brown monkey named George, who is brought from his home in Africa by "The Man with The Yellow Hat" to live with him in a big city.When...
. A game was also released in late 2006 to coincide with the release of the Flushed Away
Flushed Away
Flushed Away is a 2006 computer animated British film directed by David Bowers and Sam Fell. It is a partnership between Aardman Animations of Wallace and Gromit fame, and DreamWorks Animation, and is Aardman's first completely computer-animated feature as opposed to the usual stop-motion.The film...
animated feature film.
Also in 2005, Vicious Cycle announced the release of their Vicious Engine
Vicious Engine
The Vicious Engine is a game engine offering functionality for rendering, sound, networking, physics, game play scripting, and lighting. It is developed by Vicious Cycle Software, and was first released in January 2005.- History and availability :...
game engine
Game engine
A game engine is a system designed for the creation and development of video games. There are many game engines that are designed to work on video game consoles and personal computers...
. The Vicious Engine is a complete game development middleware
Middleware
Middleware is computer software that connects software components or people and their applications. The software consists of a set of services that allows multiple processes running on one or more machines to interact...
solution for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox, Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo GameCube, Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
, and Microsoft Windows. The Vicious Engine is one of the first game engines to offer full support for the PSP and Wii platforms.
On June 20, 2007, Vicious Cycle was acquired by D3 Publisher
D3 Publisher
D3Publisher is a Japanese video game publisher founded on February 5, 1992. Current CEO and president is Yuji Ito, and It is known for its Simple series of low-priced console games. Their games have been released for the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 2,...
, making Vicious Cycle Software a subsidiary of D3Publisher of America and a second‐tier subsidiary of D3 Inc. Vicious Cycle and D3Publisher released Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard
Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard
is an action game for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The game was developed by Vicious Cycle Software and published by D3 Publisher.Matt Hazard pits players in the role of the title character, a "legendary" gaming hero who is "returning to glory" in a new video game, some 25 years after his debut game...
for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on February 26, 2009. On October 1, 2009, D3P and Vicious Cycle Software announced they would be bringing Matt Hazard: Blood Bath and Beyond to Xbox LIVE Arcade for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PlayStationStore for PlayStation3 computer entertainment system this winter.
The second version of the Vicious Engine
Vicious Engine
The Vicious Engine is a game engine offering functionality for rendering, sound, networking, physics, game play scripting, and lighting. It is developed by Vicious Cycle Software, and was first released in January 2005.- History and availability :...
, Ve2, was released on March 25, 2009 at the Game Developers Conference. It specifically features improvements for next-gen consoles, especially the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
Products
Vicious Cycle develops Vicious EngineVicious Engine
The Vicious Engine is a game engine offering functionality for rendering, sound, networking, physics, game play scripting, and lighting. It is developed by Vicious Cycle Software, and was first released in January 2005.- History and availability :...
, a game engine
Game engine
A game engine is a system designed for the creation and development of video games. There are many game engines that are designed to work on video game consoles and personal computers...
, which supports a variety of game platforms. They've also developed a number of video games.
| Title | System(s) | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Robotech: Battlecry Robotech: Battlecry Robotech: Battlecry received mostly positive reviews upon its release. Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the game an 8 out of 10, saying, "It does an incredible job of re-creating the show's fast-paced mech combat by combining slick animation and spot-on controls." GameSpy gave it a 3.0 out of 5 and... |
PS2, GameCube, and Xbox | 2002 |
| Dinotopia: The Sunstone Odyssey | GameCube and Xbox | 2003 |
| Robotech: Invasion Robotech: Invasion Robotech: Invasion is a first-person shooter video game set in the Invid Invasion era of the Robotech saga. Developed by Vicious Cycle Software and published by Global Star , Invasion was the last Robotech game to be released on home video... |
PS2 and Xbox | 2004 |
| Spy vs. Spy Spy vs. Spy (2005 video game) Spy vs. Spy is a video game developed by Vicious Cycle Software, published by Global Star Software and based on the MAD Magazines titular comic stip and cartoon craze of the 1960s... |
PS2 and Xbox | 2005 |
| Dora the Explorer: Journey to the Purple Planet | PS2 and GameCube | 2005 |
| Curious George Curious George (video game) Curious George is a video game published by Namco Bandai Games, and developed by Monkey Bar Games, a division of Vicious Cycle Software. The game was also published under Universal Pictures because of Universal Studio's work on the animated movie. It was released for the Nintendo GameCube, Game... |
PS2, GameCube, Xbox and PC | 2006 |
| Flushed Away Flushed Away (video game) Flushed Away is an action-adventure video game based on the animated film of the same name and released in 2006 by Monkey Bar Games. It was released in Japan for the Nintendo DS as Volume 17 of the Simple series... |
PS2 and GameCube | 2006 |
| Marvel Trading Card Game Marvel Trading Card Game Marvel Trading Card Game is a video game for the Nintendo DS, PC, and PlayStation Portable. It was developed by Vicious Cycle Software and 1st Playable Productions and published by Konami... |
PSP and PC | 2007 |
| Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords is a game developed by Australian company Infinite Interactive and published by D3 Publisher. The game combines role-playing with strategy and puzzle elements... |
PSP & XBLA | 2007 |
| Dead Head Fred Dead Head Fred is a horror-themed action-adventure video game for the PlayStation Portable, developed by Vicious Cycle Software and published by D3 Publisher. It was released in North America on August 28, 2007 and is powered by Vicious Cycle's proprietary Vicious Engine. It features a premise that is a... |
PSP | 2007 |
| Ben 10: Alien Force Ben 10: Alien Force (video game) Ben 10: Alien Force is a video game based on the American animated television series with the same name. The game was released in North America on October 28, 2008 and February 2009 in the UK.-Plot:... |
Wii, PS2 and PSP | 2008 |
| Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard is an action game for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The game was developed by Vicious Cycle Software and published by D3 Publisher.Matt Hazard pits players in the role of the title character, a "legendary" gaming hero who is "returning to glory" in a new video game, some 25 years after his debut game... |
Xbox 360 and PS3 | 2009 |
| Matt Hazard: Blood Bath and Beyond Matt Hazard: Blood Bath and Beyond Matt Hazard: Blood Bath and Beyond is a downloadable video game for the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade. It is a sequel to Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard.-Plot:... |
XBLA and PSN | 2010 |
| Despicable Me: The Game | PS2, PSP and Wii | 2010 |
| Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon is a third-person shooter developed by Vicious Cycle Software, and published by D3 Publisher, for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. It is the sequel to Earth Defense Force 2017.-Story:... |
Xbox 360 and PS3 | 2011 |
| Ben 10: Galactic Racing Ben 10: Galactic Racing Ben 10: Galactic Racing is a racing game in the Ben 10 game series, produced for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, Wii, and Nintendo 3DS, and it was released in North America on October 18, 2011 and November 25, 2011 in Europe. It is published by D3 Publisher and developed by Monkey Bar Games.... |
Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, and 3DS | 2011 |
External links
- Vicious Cycle Software official site
- Monkey Bar Games official site
- Vicious Engine official site
- Vicious Cycle Software entry at MobyGamesMobyGames-Platforms not yet included:- Further reading :* Rusel DeMaria, Johnny L. Wilson, High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games, McGraw-Hill/Osborne Media; 2 edition , ISBN 0-07-223172-6...