Agate Studio

Agate is an Indonesian video game development company headquartered in Bandung, West Java. Founded on April 1, 2009, the studio grew from a student-led experimentation project into a diversified game and interactive-application business. Its work has included entertainment games, browser and social games, advertising games, training simulations, serious games, publishing, localization, and gamified business systems. The founders first met as university students in October 2007 and attempted to create a game without a budget or prior development experience. Although that initial project was abandoned after reaching a playable state, the experience led the group to develop Ponporon! for Microsoft's Dream Build Play competition. The game was presented at the Indonesia Game Show in 2008 and helped encourage the team to establish a formal company the following year. Agate initially concentrated on Flash games, reflecting the Indonesian market and distribution environment of the late 2000s. In 2010 it expanded into advergames and service-oriented game projects. The company also merged with Lucidrine, a studio associated with the Valthirian Arc series, bringing that franchise into Agate's broader development portfolio. In 2011, Agate opened a Yogyakarta operation, established a publishing division, partnered with Chillingo, began exploring console development, and entered browser-based social games. The company subsequently broadened its commercial activities. It began third-party publishing in 2012, while Football Saga reportedly reached approximately 58,000 monthly users and 10,000 daily active users at its peak. That year Agate became the first Indonesian representative at Tokyo Game Show's Asia New Stars exhibition, which introduced emerging Asian developers to an international audience. In 2013 it helped establish the Indonesia Gaming Association and partnered with Square Enix to publish and localize Sengoku IXA in Indonesia. A 2014 collaboration with Les' Copaque Production involved developing a game based on Upin & Ipin. Alongside entertainment software, Agate developed a substantial serious-games and gamification practice. Its projects have included gamified enterprise systems, advertising experiences, and training applications designed to simulate workplace situations. The company has reported work for organizations including Microsoft, Samsung, Coca-Cola, and Electronic Arts, and has worked with publishers such as Square Enix and Electronic Arts. By 2015, its serious-game business had expanded beyond Indonesia and Southeast Asia. In 2016, Agate raised a reported US$1 million pre-Series A investment led by Maloekoe Ventures and further expanded into corporate training games. Agate continued to build strategic partnerships in the Indonesian technology ecosystem. In 2017 it partnered with Telkom Indonesia and increased its employee count by more than 45 percent compared with the previous year. Its entertainment profile received renewed international attention in 2018 with Valthirian Arc: Hero School Story, published with UK-based PQube for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC. In 2019, Agate and Telkom Indonesia announced Oolean at Telkom Digisummit, with the stated aim of strengthening and developing Indonesia's game industry. The same year, Agate collaborated with CIAYO Stories on the visual novel Memories. In 2021 Agate acquired Freemergency, the studio behind Retrograde Arena. In 2022 it relaunched its website and described its broader direction using the language of metaverse design, development, and creation. Across its history, the company has positioned itself at the intersection of game development, interactive entertainment, enterprise gamification, and Indonesia's emerging digital-content industry.

Agate's origins date to October 2007, when its future founders met as university students and attempted to create a game with no budget and little development experience. Their first project was abandoned after reaching a playable state, but the lessons from that attempt led to Ponporon!, a game submitted to Microsoft's Dream Build Play competition. Ponporon! was showcased at the Indonesia Game Show in 2008 and became an important catalyst for the team's decision to create a company. Agate was formally founded on April 1, 2009, in Indonesia. Its early business focused on Flash games, then moved into advergames and service games in 2010. During that period, Agate merged with Lucidrine, another Indonesian studio connected with the Valthirian Arc franchise. The merger helped establish a continuing entertainment-game line while Agate explored commercial and client-oriented work. In 2011, the company expanded geographically by establishing Agate Jogja in Yogyakarta. It also added a publishing division, formed a partnership with Chillingo, began console-game development, and entered browser-based social games. Together with Kummara and AnimartDigi, Agate organized Indonesia Bermain in Bandung in October of that year; the event reportedly drew 7,000 people and reflected the company's participation in Indonesia's developing game culture. Agate started third-party publishing in 2012. Its Football Saga social game reached a reported peak of approximately 58,000 monthly users and 10,000 daily active users. The company also represented Indonesia at Tokyo Game Show's Asia New Stars exhibition, an event focused on emerging Asian developers. In 2013, Agate helped co-found the Indonesia Gaming Association and partnered with Square Enix to publish and localize Sengoku IXA for the Indonesian market. In 2014, it partnered with Les' Copaque Production on a game related to Upin & Ipin. A major part of Agate's business became serious games and gamification. The company created gamified systems, advertising experiences, and training games that simulated workplace environments. Its client and partner references have included Microsoft, Samsung, Coca-Cola, Electronic Arts, and Square Enix. By 2015, its serious-game activities had expanded outside Indonesia and Southeast Asia. In 2016, Agate secured a reported US$1 million pre-Series A investment led by Maloekoe Ventures and expanded further into corporate training games. In 2017, Agate partnered with Telkom Indonesia and recorded employee growth of more than 45 percent compared with 2016. In 2018, it released Valthirian Arc: Hero School Story with UK publisher PQube on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC. In 2019, Agate and Telkom Indonesia announced Oolean, an initiative intended to nurture and improve Indonesia's game industry. Agate also collaborated with CIAYO Stories on the visual novel Memories. The company acquired Freemergency in 2021. In 2022, Agate relaunched its website and presented itself as a developer and creator of metaverse-related experiences. Its documented trajectory shows a progression from small independent game projects to a broader studio serving consumer-game, publishing, localization, enterprise-gamification, training, and interactive-technology markets.

• 2021

  Freemergency is acquired

  [1]Agateen.wikipedia.org

  Agate acquires Freemergency, the studio behind Retrograde Arena.

• 2018

  Valthirian Arc: Hero School Story is released

  [1]Agateen.wikipedia.org

  The third Valthirian Arc installment is released with PQube for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

• 2015

  Serious-games business expands internationally

  [1]Agateen.wikipedia.org

  Agate's serious-game activities expand beyond Indonesia and Southeast Asia.

• 2013

  Indonesia Gaming Association and Square Enix partnership

  [1]Agateen.wikipedia.org

  Agate helps co-found the Indonesia Gaming Association and partners with Square Enix on Indonesian publishing and localization for Sengoku IXA.

• 2012

  Third-party publishing and Tokyo Game Show representation

  [1]Agateen.wikipedia.org

  Agate enters third-party publishing, while Football Saga reaches reported peak user figures and Agate represents Indonesia at Asia New Stars.

• 2011

  Agate Jogja and publishing operations are established

  [1]Agateen.wikipedia.org

  The company opens an operation in Yogyakarta, adds publishing activities, partners with Chillingo, and begins console and browser-social-game development.

• 2010

  Expansion into advergames and service games

  [1]Agateen.wikipedia.org

  Agate broadens its work beyond Flash games into advertising-oriented and service-oriented game projects and merges with Lucidrine.

• 2009

  Agate is founded

  [1]Agateen.wikipedia.org

  Agate is formally established on April 1.

• 2008

  Ponporon! is showcased

  [1]Agateen.wikipedia.org

  Ponporon!, created for Microsoft's Dream Build Play competition, is shown at the Indonesia Game Show.

• 2007

  Founders begin experimenting with game development

  [1]Agateen.wikipedia.org

  The future Agate founders meet as students and attempt to create a game without a budget or previous development experience.

A multi-disciplinary Indonesian game company combining entertainment-game development with serious games, enterprise gamification, training simulations, publishing, and localization.

• Video game franchise

  Valthirian Arc series

  A game franchise associated with the Lucidrine studio that became part of Agate's portfolio. The series continued under Agate and combines role-playing and school-management concepts. Its third installment, Valthirian Arc: Hero School Story, extended the franchise to major console and PC platforms.

• Console and PC video game · 2018

  Valthirian Arc: Hero School Story

  The third installment in Agate's signature Valthirian Arc franchise. Developed with UK publisher PQube, it was released in 2018 for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC, giving the Indonesian studio a prominent international commercial release.

• Browser and social game

  Football Saga

  A football-themed social game that became one of Agate's notable early online products. It reportedly reached a peak of approximately 58,000 monthly users and 10,000 daily active users in 2012.

• Visual novel · 2019

  Memories

  A visual novel created through Agate's collaboration with CIAYO Stories in 2019. The project illustrates Agate's work across interactive narrative and locally oriented digital entertainment.

• Video game

  Retrograde Arena

  A game associated with Freemergency, the studio acquired by Agate in 2021. The acquisition brought the title and its development team into Agate's wider portfolio.

• Enterprise software and interactive services

  Serious games and gamification services

  Agate develops gamified business systems, advertising games, and training simulations. These projects are designed for organizations that want to communicate, train employees, or simulate workplace environments through interactive software.

• 2011Indonesia Bermain

  Indonesia

  Agate joined Kummara and AnimartDigi to organize Indonesia Bermain in Bandung, a public-facing event centered on games and Indonesian game culture.

  Outcome. The event reportedly attracted approximately 7,000 attendees.

  Source

• 2021

  Acquire FreemergencyM&A

  Background

  Freemergency was the studio behind Retrograde Arena.

  Action taken

  Agate acquired the studio.

  Aftermath

  The transaction expanded Agate's internal development portfolio and brought Freemergency's work under Agate.

  Source

• 2018

  Release Valthirian Arc: Hero School StoryProduct launch

  Background

  Agate sought to continue its established Valthirian Arc franchise on international platforms.

  Action taken

  Working with PQube, Agate released the game for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

  Aftermath

  The release gave Agate a multi-platform international game launch.

  Source

• 2016

  Expand serious games into corporate trainingStrategy

  Background

  Agate's serious-games business had begun expanding outside Indonesia and Southeast Asia.

  Action taken

  The company expanded its work into training games for companies and secured a reported pre-Series A investment.

  Aftermath

  The move strengthened Agate's enterprise-oriented business alongside its consumer-game development.

  Pre-Series A investment. US$1,000,000 (2016)

  Source

• 2010

  Move from Flash games into commercial game servicesStrategy

  Background

  Agate began in a market where Flash games were an accessible development and distribution format.

  Action taken

  The company expanded into advergames and service-oriented game projects while merging with Lucidrine.

  Aftermath

  The change broadened Agate's business beyond standalone entertainment games and connected it with the Valthirian Arc franchise.

  Source

1. 1Agateen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Agate official websiteagatestudio.com