Remode founders open new UK studio Strike Gamelabs

The founders of the now closed Remode have opened a new studio in Cornwall called Strike Gamelabs.

Formed by Ella Romanos, Martin Darby and Gareth Lewis, the small team has secured investment for a new game to be released in 2015.

No final decisions have yet been made on the target platform, but Darby told Develop the title could be released for PC or console, and will be targeted at core gamers.

“I think in the industry right now, we are in a sort of rock and roll kind of time for independent development where small teams can get together with the right game and release it globally and create a big hit,” he said.

“When we got into the industry it wasn’t really like that at all, or it was much, much smaller. I think from my point of view as a designer that is incredibly exciting. I look at it and think why wouldn’t you want to be a part of something like that.”

The trio’s former studio, Remode, was closed in March earlier this year as they had ambitions to move away from work-for-hire and into original IP development.

Speaking to Develop on the decision to shut down the studio and form Strike Gamelabs, Romanos said the only way to work on their own projects was to start anew.

“In Remode we were starting to transition to own IP, but we really had quite a lot of challenges doing both,” she said.

"Eventually Martin and I decided that if we were going to focus on our own IP, really the only feasible way to do it was to close Remode and start anew studio where we just make our own games.”