No Cliché closes shop

No Cliché has officially confirmed recent speculation by announcing that the company has stopped all game development and has laid off most of its staff. The development of its upcoming Dreamcast survival-horror game, Agartha, has been cancelled at this time. However, the managing staff and original founders of the company have stayed intact and are currently investigating several options, including the company's rebirth at some point in the foreseeable future.

"Due to Sega's decision to stop development in Europe, No Cliché has stopped its activity," the company said in a statement on its Web site. "Almost all employees have been made redundant. Agartha, the horror-adventure game, is also cancelled."

No Cliché, which had a close working relationship with Sega of Europe, has felt the effects of Sega's significantly reduced operations in the European market. The company had previously released Toy Commander for the Dreamcast. Agartha, prior to its cancellation, was being developed exclusively for the European market.