Sony PSP News

Dead Head Fred scoops WGA writing award

By Stevie Smith Feb 18, 2008, 10:17 GMT

Vicious Cycle\'s bags WGA writing award for Dead Head Fred on PSP. Credit: D3Publisher.

Alongside ever-increasing hardware strength in the handheld market, Sony’s evolving PlayStation Portable is also (finally) forging forward in the software arena.

More pointedly, with the likes of God of War: Chains of Olympus and Patapon promising a wealth of power and invention, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) has this week seen fit to honour D3Publisher of America and Vicious Cycle Software’s acclaimed PSP-exclusive Dead Head Fred.

Recognised for their outstanding achievement in bringing Dead Head Fred to life, writers David Ellis and Adam Cogan were presented with the inaugural Videogame Writing Award this weekend at the 2008 Writers Guild Awards, which issues awards covering the last twelve months in big screen, television, documentary, radio, promotion, and now videogame creation.

“Being nominated along with so many top caliber writers for the first WGA Videogame Writing Award was an honor in itself, so it's fantastic that we won,” enthused Eric Peterson, president and CEO of Vicious Cycle Software. “Dead Head Fred was something we had a lot of fun with and we are glad that players and fans are enjoying the game as much as we do.

Bestowed by the WGA for the very first time, the Videogame Writing Award is a result of the Guild’s New Media Caucus, which encourages storytelling excellence in videogame software in order to enhance the reputation of writers in the field and usher in uniform standards throughout the gaming industry.

If you’re inspired to duly seek out Dead Head Fred, its now award-winning storyline draws players into a unique alternative universe (as inspired by the 1940s) where they step into the shoes of Fred Neuman, a private investigator savagely murdered and then resurrected following a bizarre scientific experiment that leaves him without his memory or -- more importantly -- his head.

Players are then tasked with embarking on a quest for vengeance as they solve Neuman’s murder by using the severed heads of enemies as replacements for the one missing on the game's “cranium-impaired hero.”

Dead Head Fred is rated ‘M for Mature’ by the ESRB -- and has no connection whatsoever with the 1991 movie Drop Dead Fred.