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New studio AGO Games opens in France

Studio starts up with mission to keep independent spirit alive

A new indie development studio by the name of AGO Games has been set up, with a primary goal of "keeping the independent spirit alive".

The French studio was formed by the developers Stanislas Berton, Ian Clevy and Alexandre Marie, who bring together assorted experience from different areas of the games industry.

Berton comes from a marketing background, but has also worked in games journalism and as a designer, and is an expert in digital distribution.

Clevy is a developer and former employee of the Paris-based studio Kylotonn. And Marie is a graphic artist from French studio Hydravision.

The team describes itself as being passionate gamers and said the new studio will take full advantage of the opportunities offered by digital distribution on both PC and consoles.

AGO Games was set up using private investment, and the studio's first game - a retro-inspired title currently in development - will be entirely self-funded.

"In my opinion, the videogame industry is experiencing the biggest mutation since its creation more than 30 years ago," said Berton. "Many things have changed or will change such as what it means to be a developer or a publisher. New opportunities arise.

"For some, taking advantage of them requires a long and painful process of evolution. For us, this is the foundation of our business model. In many ways I get the feeling that this is a new beginning for the videogame industry. Being young today is an incredible opportunity. It’s easier to learn than to unlearn."

"I had an epiphany when Braid and World of Goo were released," he added, explaining the motivation behind the setting up of AGO. "These two games really changed my life. They showed me that size really does not matter, that you can create great games with small teams. Then, their financial success further proved to me that a new business model was emerging thanks to digital distribution."