PSP game engine deal for Minis creators

Sony is offering developers a discount on licensing a PSP game engine – providing they are working on PSP Minis titles.

The offer arises from Sony’s new partnership with Vicious Cycle, creators of game development platform The vicious Engine.

The Vicious Engine is a highly scalable engine, technically capable for the development of GameCube, PC and DS titles, and indeed PSP Minis. Developers have hitherto tended to use it for PSP games.

Now developers looking to make PSP Minis titles can license the Vicious Engine at a discount price, though Sony has not stated what this price is.

“The partnership will enable game makers to create quality downloadable titles both quickly and cost-effectively for the PSP Minis program,” read a company statement.

"We needed a company that really understood the PSP platform and the team at Vicious Cycle Software was ideally suited for the task," said Zeno Colaco, SCEE’s VP of developer relations.

Vicious Cycle CEO Eric Peterson said that the Minis program will make game development “easier and more manageable for both mid-sized studios and independent developers”.