Sony Pictures Entertainment has inked a deal with the Swedish company Paradox and the Canadian-based game publisher, Dreampod 9, to market an animated series based on Dream Pod 9's Heavy Gear RPG.  The Dream Pod game, which was designed in1994, is also the basis for the popular Heavy Gear and Heavy Gear II computer games.  Although not created in Japan, the Heavy Gear saga is a very typical 'mecha' combat game-featuring knockdown, drag-out fights between giant piloted robots.  The Heavy Gear animated series, which is a prime example of computer-generated animation, won't start appearing on U.S. television stations until January.  As of right now it appears that the series will run in syndication rather than in one of the major networks 'kid's' animation ghettos.

 

From the look of the illustrations released so far, Heavy Gear appears to have the look of a typical computer animated television series.  The concept is simple and the program is obviously aimed a kids, but there is never enough ground-shaking mecha combat on U.S. TV, so fans of the genre will seek this program out.  ICv2 will try and keep on top of the scheduling and let retailers know when and where this series will be running.  The Dream Pod 9 Heavy Gear RPG should benefit considerably when the series is shown on TV, and miniatures for a 3-D version of the game will also be available.