E3 is less than a week away, and since a triad of DIY writers will be attending the event to provide you WALL-TO-F@CKING-WALL COVERAGE (or you know, try to get a few conversations and previews with those indo devs wandering around) I thought it a boon to get a head start on all the madness, and with a related press release arriving in the inbox this morning, there’s something significant to share.

Frozenbyte–developer of the all around excellent puzzle platformer Trine–has been busy behind the scenes, with word arriving that the studio has partnered with publisher Atlus to release a yet to be announced digital distribution title. The game is currently targeted for a 2011 release and more info will be announced next week at E3.

While no platforms were provided in the press release, ‘digital distribution’ all but confirms it will have a PC version and begs the question if PSN or perhaps even XBLA or WiiWare will be involved as well. We’ll have more when the announcement hits sometime during the Expo. From the full press release:

IRVINE, CALIFORNIA – Atlus U.S.A., Inc., publisher of Demon’s Souls, GameSpot.com’s 2009 Game of the Year, and Frozenbyte, developers of Shadowgrounds and the award-winning Trine, today announced a publishing partnership for an as-of-yet unannounced 2011 digital distribution title.

“In a short amount of time, Frozenbyte has established itself as a premiere international developer, delivering original, critically-acclaimed interactive entertainment,” stated Tim Pivnicny, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Atlus. “Their last release, the cooperative physics-based action-platformer Trine, achieved arguably more acclaim and success than anybody expected, and left an indelible mark on the industry as to how new technology can help completely redefine a classic gaming genre. We’re incredibly excited for the opportunity to help them bring their next impressive project to the international gaming community.”

“We couldn’t be happier signing our new game with Atlus. As an independent developer we felt that partnering with a publisher who is flexible and shares our vision of the game was the best way to bring the game out to a large audience,” said Lauri Hyvarinen, CEO of Frozenbyte. “We can’t wait to unveil the mystery – I’m confident that we’re creating one of the best titles of 2011!”

More details about their upcoming project will be disclosed upcoming E3 2010 Expo in Los Angeles, California.

About Atlus U.S.A., Inc.

Located in Irvine, California and founded in 1991, Atlus U.S.A., Inc. is renowned for its proud tradition of publishing exceptional role-playing games with strong niche appeal. The Atlus library of critically acclaimed video games includes Demon’s Souls, Odin Sphere, the Trauma Center series, and the award-winning Shin Megami Tensei series. For more information, visit http://www.atlus.com.

For breaking news, special promotions, insider info, and more, visit http://www.atlus.com/faithful to join the ranks of the Atlus Faithful!

About Frozenbyte

Frozenbyte is an independent game developer focused on games based on original IP for consoles and PC. Frozenbyte’s current original IP titles include the highly acclaimed Shadowgrounds series and Trine. The company is currently working on two projects. Frozenbyte was founded in 2001 and is based in Helsinki, Finland. Please visit the official website at http://www.frozenbyte.com for more information.