In an industry overflowing with news regarding layoffs, closures, and reduction, any example of a company withstanding the tests of time is worthy of celebration. Gameloft is one such company, and right now it's in celebration mode as it commemorates its 25th anniversary.
What started as a small mobile gaming outfit has grown into a firm that employs over 2,900 people across 10 studios. With a mix of popular original IP and licensed games in its portfolio, Gameloft is poised to stick around for the foreseeable future.
GameSpot sat down with Gameloft CEO Alexandre de Rochefort to reflect on the past 25 years of Gameloft's history. He speaks about the main reasons Gameloft has been able to persist, four essential turning points in the history of the company, and the challenges of overcoming the perceived stigmas of the mobile gaming scene.
Asphalt 9: Legends
If there's a single word de Rochefort would use to describe Gameloft's persistence in the gaming industry--and he would know, as he's been with the company for its entire existence--it's "agility." In his view, the company has always shown the ability to adapt when needed, especially at the dawning of the mobile gaming boom.
"Every six months, it seems, we've been faced with critical changes, either within Gameloft or within the industry," de Rochefort says. "The number one reason I'm still here in the company is that I'm still having fun, because every six months there's something radically new happening." Laying out the timeline of Gameloft's history, de Rochefort points to four key moments that, according to him, played a major role in the direction Gameloft would take.
The first date the Gameloft CEO mentions is January 2003, when the Java programming language was added to Nokia and Siemens mobile phones. This, as de Rochefort explains, was the spark needed to turn the mobile gaming industry into what it is today.
"2000 through 2002 were extremely harsh years, both for Gameloft and for the few competitors that we had at the time, because nothing was happening in our space," de Rochefort explains. "We were right in our vision, but we were too early; thank God the Java technology was introduced.
The second core date in Gameloft's history is also a universal change: July 2008, which marked the introduction of the Apple App Store for the iPhone. This was a "game-changer," as de Rochefort describes, not only for Gameloft but for the entire industry, as it "kickstarted the growth of the industry" via smartphone and tablet gaming.
Next on de Rochefort's list of key moments is more nebulous than the previous two, but its effects are no less important: de Rochefort credits the rise of free-to-play gaming from 2010-2012 as essential to Gameloft's future, as it marked a second boom in the mobile gaming sphere--as well as gaming as whole. "For me, [free-to-play] goes well beyond mobile; it's a defining moment for the video game industry," he said.
The final milestone on the list of important dates, unlike the previous two, is specific to Gameloft: In January 2019, the company decided to branch out from phones and tablets to home consoles and PC, and doing so allowed them to grow the business not just in revenue, but in partnerships with other companies.
"At the time, Apple and Google were our biggest partners--and for a time, our only partners," de Rochefort said. "Now, when I look at the charts, we have seven, eight, nine different partners, and Apple and Google are now somewhere in the middle." Who, then, has taken their place at the top of Gameloft's partnership ranks? According to de Rochefort, it's Nintendo.
De Rochefort says that while moving away from mobile exclusivity has some drawbacks, it ultimately allows the company to be more agile in the long run. "By transitioning these teams to PC and console, we do release less games than we used to per year," he explains, "but the ambition that we have on those games is way more significant. Now, the majority of our games are meant to be cross platform between PC, console, and mobile."
Disney Dreamlight Valley
For some, the term "mobile game" comes with a set of stereotypes rooted in the predatory "gacha"-style tactics designed to separate a player from their money. de Rochefort is very aware of this, and he prides himself on Gameloft's games creating a barrier between those methods and the studio's games.
Having lived through the entire history of mobile gaming, de Rochefort feels the company is uniquely qualified to avoid such pitfalls. "We've been in the mobile space forever, and this was not how mobile gaming used to be," he says.
"With our Java games from 2003-2008, and then from 2008-2012, we were selling super high-quality mobile games for a premium price of $5 to $10," de Rochefort says. At the time, things were fair, straightforward, and easy to understand--and then free-to-play arrived."
There's a clear divide, in de Rochefort's opinion, when it comes to the overall reaction to free-to-play games. Some players, particularly younger players or those living in countries where mobile gaming is the most ubiquitous, are used to the free-to-play model and can identify when a game is particularly aggressive. Other players, those who grew up with console and PC gaming before mobile phones became a viable platform, are the ones who look down on the practice as predatory.
For his part, de Rochefort recognizes that "some games have been super aggressive and hurt the industry badly," but he has worked to ensure that Gameloft treats their players as fairly as possible. "I think free-to-play is fine, but it's important for the companies in this industry to make sure that we stay within the boundaries of what is fair to the user, and we really try to do that," he says. "I really don't think we're one of the greedy companies."
de Rochefort cites Disney Dreamlight Valley as an example: DDV is a premium game with an upfront cost, and it does include extra items and cosmetics purchased with in-game currency. However, as de Rochefort describes, "you can finish and can play every part of the main game without ever having to spend any extra money, and we try to avoid the traps of being too aggressive with things like paywalls and the like."
He also mentions in-game advertising as an example; free-to-play games feature many in-game ads, but "less than 10 percent of [Gameloft's] revenue" comes from advertising. "We've always wanted to make sure we make real gaming experiences," de Rochefort says. "That's why we didn't go hypercasual; it's simply not in our DNA."
The Oregon Trail (2019)
Just before the interview, Gameloft announced a 25th-anniversary celebration which would give players across its portfolio free in-game currency. 21 different games are included in the promotion, and maintaining 21 different games is no small feat. de Rochefort, however, says the company is well-equipped to handle them thanks to its 2900 employees across 10 studios.
The company was not immune to the recent wave of layoffs, however, with Gameloft Toronto seeing 49 employees laid off in 2024. de Rochefort is hopeful the worst is in the past, both for Gameloft and the industry at large, as long as companies are realistic in their goals.
"I think the industry is arriving at a more mature state after three difficult years for the video game industry," de Rochefort says. "We are optimistic, because we simply accept the fact that the industry is not going to grow double digits like it had in the 10 years prior to 2021. I don't see the growth engine that could allow the industry to grow like that coming in the next four or five years."
For Gameloft's part, staying afloat means a healthy mix of original IP and licensed games, and there are a lot of plans in the pipeline. Internal IP like Asphalt, Gangstar, and Dungeon Hunter are balanced with the aforementioned Disney Dreamlight Valley, an upcoming Dungeon and Dragons game in partnership with Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast, and a few other "unannounced titles" on the way.
The "agility" that's so important to de Rochefort's vision can also be seen in how many platform Gameloft games can be found on: along with PC, consoles, and traditional mobile marketplaces like the App Store, the company has focused on newer subscription services like Apple Arcade and Netflix Games to show off their games.
"I think we're the biggest supplier of games to Apple Arcade; we've launched eight games with them already, and we have more to come," de Rochefort says. "Same thing with Netflix, we've released four games there, and hopefully we'll have more games coming in the future."
As far as what future Gameloft titles may look like, however, the company knows there's no specific blueprint to follow. "There's no miracle recipe for a blockbuster, as you know, because if there were, we would all be doing the same games," de Rochefort says.
He does, however, make one prediction: The days of Gameloft developing games exclusively for mobile devices are likely over. "We will try and maximize our odds by being super clear on what kind of games we want to do, and we want to do cross-platform," de Rochefort explains. "We will probably not do mobile-only games anymore; if anything, we'll do a PC and console game, and we'll make the effort of porting the game to mobile."
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What started as a small mobile gaming outfit has grown into a firm that employs over 2,900 people across 10 studios. With a mix of popular original IP and licensed games in its portfolio, Gameloft is poised to stick around for the foreseeable future.
GameSpot sat down with Gameloft CEO Alexandre de Rochefort to reflect on the past 25 years of Gameloft's history. He speaks about the main reasons Gameloft has been able to persist, four essential turning points in the history of the company, and the challenges of overcoming the perceived stigmas of the mobile gaming scene.
Asphalt 9: Legends
"Agility" is key
If there's a single word de Rochefort would use to describe Gameloft's persistence in the gaming industry--and he would know, as he's been with the company for its entire existence--it's "agility." In his view, the company has always shown the ability to adapt when needed, especially at the dawning of the mobile gaming boom.
"Every six months, it seems, we've been faced with critical changes, either within Gameloft or within the industry," de Rochefort says. "The number one reason I'm still here in the company is that I'm still having fun, because every six months there's something radically new happening." Laying out the timeline of Gameloft's history, de Rochefort points to four key moments that, according to him, played a major role in the direction Gameloft would take.
The first date the Gameloft CEO mentions is January 2003, when the Java programming language was added to Nokia and Siemens mobile phones. This, as de Rochefort explains, was the spark needed to turn the mobile gaming industry into what it is today.
"2000 through 2002 were extremely harsh years, both for Gameloft and for the few competitors that we had at the time, because nothing was happening in our space," de Rochefort explains. "We were right in our vision, but we were too early; thank God the Java technology was introduced.
The second core date in Gameloft's history is also a universal change: July 2008, which marked the introduction of the Apple App Store for the iPhone. This was a "game-changer," as de Rochefort describes, not only for Gameloft but for the entire industry, as it "kickstarted the growth of the industry" via smartphone and tablet gaming.
Next on de Rochefort's list of key moments is more nebulous than the previous two, but its effects are no less important: de Rochefort credits the rise of free-to-play gaming from 2010-2012 as essential to Gameloft's future, as it marked a second boom in the mobile gaming sphere--as well as gaming as whole. "For me, [free-to-play] goes well beyond mobile; it's a defining moment for the video game industry," he said.
The final milestone on the list of important dates, unlike the previous two, is specific to Gameloft: In January 2019, the company decided to branch out from phones and tablets to home consoles and PC, and doing so allowed them to grow the business not just in revenue, but in partnerships with other companies.
"At the time, Apple and Google were our biggest partners--and for a time, our only partners," de Rochefort said. "Now, when I look at the charts, we have seven, eight, nine different partners, and Apple and Google are now somewhere in the middle." Who, then, has taken their place at the top of Gameloft's partnership ranks? According to de Rochefort, it's Nintendo.
De Rochefort says that while moving away from mobile exclusivity has some drawbacks, it ultimately allows the company to be more agile in the long run. "By transitioning these teams to PC and console, we do release less games than we used to per year," he explains, "but the ambition that we have on those games is way more significant. Now, the majority of our games are meant to be cross platform between PC, console, and mobile."
Disney Dreamlight Valley
Defeating the stereotypes
For some, the term "mobile game" comes with a set of stereotypes rooted in the predatory "gacha"-style tactics designed to separate a player from their money. de Rochefort is very aware of this, and he prides himself on Gameloft's games creating a barrier between those methods and the studio's games.
Having lived through the entire history of mobile gaming, de Rochefort feels the company is uniquely qualified to avoid such pitfalls. "We've been in the mobile space forever, and this was not how mobile gaming used to be," he says.
"With our Java games from 2003-2008, and then from 2008-2012, we were selling super high-quality mobile games for a premium price of $5 to $10," de Rochefort says. At the time, things were fair, straightforward, and easy to understand--and then free-to-play arrived."
There's a clear divide, in de Rochefort's opinion, when it comes to the overall reaction to free-to-play games. Some players, particularly younger players or those living in countries where mobile gaming is the most ubiquitous, are used to the free-to-play model and can identify when a game is particularly aggressive. Other players, those who grew up with console and PC gaming before mobile phones became a viable platform, are the ones who look down on the practice as predatory.
For his part, de Rochefort recognizes that "some games have been super aggressive and hurt the industry badly," but he has worked to ensure that Gameloft treats their players as fairly as possible. "I think free-to-play is fine, but it's important for the companies in this industry to make sure that we stay within the boundaries of what is fair to the user, and we really try to do that," he says. "I really don't think we're one of the greedy companies."
de Rochefort cites Disney Dreamlight Valley as an example: DDV is a premium game with an upfront cost, and it does include extra items and cosmetics purchased with in-game currency. However, as de Rochefort describes, "you can finish and can play every part of the main game without ever having to spend any extra money, and we try to avoid the traps of being too aggressive with things like paywalls and the like."
He also mentions in-game advertising as an example; free-to-play games feature many in-game ads, but "less than 10 percent of [Gameloft's] revenue" comes from advertising. "We've always wanted to make sure we make real gaming experiences," de Rochefort says. "That's why we didn't go hypercasual; it's simply not in our DNA."
The Oregon Trail (2019)
Positioning for the future
Just before the interview, Gameloft announced a 25th-anniversary celebration which would give players across its portfolio free in-game currency. 21 different games are included in the promotion, and maintaining 21 different games is no small feat. de Rochefort, however, says the company is well-equipped to handle them thanks to its 2900 employees across 10 studios.
The company was not immune to the recent wave of layoffs, however, with Gameloft Toronto seeing 49 employees laid off in 2024. de Rochefort is hopeful the worst is in the past, both for Gameloft and the industry at large, as long as companies are realistic in their goals.
"I think the industry is arriving at a more mature state after three difficult years for the video game industry," de Rochefort says. "We are optimistic, because we simply accept the fact that the industry is not going to grow double digits like it had in the 10 years prior to 2021. I don't see the growth engine that could allow the industry to grow like that coming in the next four or five years."
For Gameloft's part, staying afloat means a healthy mix of original IP and licensed games, and there are a lot of plans in the pipeline. Internal IP like Asphalt, Gangstar, and Dungeon Hunter are balanced with the aforementioned Disney Dreamlight Valley, an upcoming Dungeon and Dragons game in partnership with Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast, and a few other "unannounced titles" on the way.
The "agility" that's so important to de Rochefort's vision can also be seen in how many platform Gameloft games can be found on: along with PC, consoles, and traditional mobile marketplaces like the App Store, the company has focused on newer subscription services like Apple Arcade and Netflix Games to show off their games.
"I think we're the biggest supplier of games to Apple Arcade; we've launched eight games with them already, and we have more to come," de Rochefort says. "Same thing with Netflix, we've released four games there, and hopefully we'll have more games coming in the future."
As far as what future Gameloft titles may look like, however, the company knows there's no specific blueprint to follow. "There's no miracle recipe for a blockbuster, as you know, because if there were, we would all be doing the same games," de Rochefort says.
He does, however, make one prediction: The days of Gameloft developing games exclusively for mobile devices are likely over. "We will try and maximize our odds by being super clear on what kind of games we want to do, and we want to do cross-platform," de Rochefort explains. "We will probably not do mobile-only games anymore; if anything, we'll do a PC and console game, and we'll make the effort of porting the game to mobile."
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