The successful launch of Disney Dreamlight Valley will not have been a flash in the pan.
"
Six months after its release, it remains our number one game
," said Alexandre de Rochefort, CEO of video game publisher Gameloft (Vivendi group).
A specialist in mobile games for more than 20 years, Gameloft made its very first foray into the console and PC games industry with Disney Dreamlight Valley.
"
Three years of development have been repaid in two weeks of marketing
", recalls the manager.
This adventure game, where the player must solve quests in several worlds of Disney cartoons, weighs heavily in Gameloft's annual results.
Out of 321 million euros in turnover for the year 2022 (+21%), just over 50 million come from Disney Dreamlight Valley, or 16% of the total.
Operating profit was 27 million euros, compared to 19 million in 2021 and a loss of 7 million in 2020.
“
Between October and December, for the first time in our history, we crossed the threshold of 100 million euros in quarterly revenue.
31% of these revenues came from console and PC games
”, with Disney Dreamlight Valley at the forefront, continues Alexandre de Rochefort.
A Disney karting game this year
Released in September, this game available on PC and all consoles on the market is currently sold from 30 to 70 euros.
Since the end of February, it has offered players the opportunity to buy cosmetic content (clothing, decorative items, etc.) to personalize their avatars and their virtual houses.
"
It's off to a strong start
," says the manager.
Every two months or so, the game benefits from free new universes to explore (Toy Story, the Snow Queen, the Lion King, etc.) and quests to complete.
These fast-paced updates reflect Gameloft's legacy in mobile gaming, where this pattern is the norm.
Gameloft has decided to take a step aside towards the console and the PC in view of the difficulties of the mobile game industry.
Finding a place there is increasingly difficult, and spending on acquiring new players is soaring.
Gameloft's mobile revenues have thus only increased by 1% in 2022. "
It would not have been reasonable to continue to be so exposed
", explains Alexandre de Rochefort.
Gameloft is therefore multiplying partnerships with Apple Arcade and Netflix, which pay for its mobile games to integrate their catalogs on subscription.
In addition, the group has formalized the closure of one of its studios in Budapest, a specialist in mobile games.
It employs a hundred people.
On consoles and PC, Gameloft has set itself a dual objective.
First, release a new title every year.
For 2023, it will be the Disney
kart racing game Speedstorm
.
Finally, revenue from consoles and PC should reach 50% by 2026.