Scopely introduced a number of key milestones achieved up to now: $10 billion in lifetime income for its cellular video games and a billion downloads throughout its portfolio.
In an unique for GamesBeat, Scopely stated it hit these milestones in 2024 and its gamers have additionally clocked greater than 15 billion hours in playtime up to now.
Gamers have clocked these hours within the Los Angeles-based firm’s video games like Monopoly Go!, Stumble Guys, Marvel Strike Pressure, Star Trek Fleet Command and Cube With Buddies.
I’ve written concerning the launch of every considered one of these video games and coated Scopely because the starting. I all the time thought its method to partnering with recreation builders was sensible, and its method to buying customers was fascinating. But it surely was one amongst many cellular recreation firms and its success was by no means assured. It took the wild success of Monopoly Go! — six years within the making — and the $4.9 billion acquisition by Savvy Video games Group to cement its lead.
Scopely’s momentum is tough to disregard. The model is now the No. 1 cellular video games firm within the U.S. and among the many high 5 on the earth outdoors of China.
From humble beginnings to world powerhouse
Eunice Lee, COO of Scopely, talked about how the corporate turned profitable with its Scopely “working system” and “studying machine” on the current GamesBeat Insider Sequence: Hollywood and Video games occasion on December 12.
Scopely’s success didn’t come in a single day. Actually, it’s greater than 13 years within the making.
In a current firm weblog reflecting on the corporate’s milestones, co-CEOs Walter Driver and Javier Ferreira acknowledged the lengthy – and typically painful – journey, writing: “Whereas we celebrated a lot of public wins this yr, they had been a results of years of onerous work and fervour. Having a long-term mindset is vital to game-making, and infrequently comes with struggles unseen. However our Scopeleans proceed to persevere by way of all of it, which is what makes this trade and Scopely so particular.”
Based in 2011 in Los Angeles, Scopely was constructed on the deep-rooted conviction that cell phones had been the following nice discussion board for leisure. With simply 10 workers, the corporate launched its first iconic recreation “Cube With Buddies” in Might of its founding yr.
The social cube recreation had a powerful begin, amassing a devoted viewers. It wasn’t till 2014 when the franchise actually hit its stride after Scopely landed considered one of its first main IP partnerships: a cope with Hasbro for the rights to Yahtzee. In 2015, the Cube franchise expanded to incorporate “Yahtzee With Buddies.”
Greater than a decade later, Scopely’s Cube franchise stays Scopely’s longest-running franchise, attaining nicely over $1 billion in lifetime income.
The corporate itself has additionally grown exponentially. With greater than 2,400 workers and workplaces in over a dozen nations, Scopely has constructed a slate of video games that touches virtually each style and each platform.
Embracing a cross-platform future
Whereas the corporate’s roots lie in cellular leisure, pushing the boundaries of cross-platform play is a part of Scopely’s ongoing technique. 2024 marked the gamemaker’s first foray into launching a mobile-to-console product, bringing “Stumble Guys” for Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Change.
“We had quite a lot of firsts this yr with our groups taking large swings to drive innovation for our gamers,” wrote Driver and Ferreira.
Stumble Guys followers are now not certain to a single machine to play the get together battle royale recreation, and Android and iOS customers can now seamlessly work together with console-first gamers. Consequently, the corporate has added hundreds of thousands to the engaged and lively world neighborhood of Stumblers.
Driver and Javier be aware we will anticipate extra platform-agnostic video games sooner or later from Scopely, acknowledging the Stumble Guys console push “additionally constructed the capabilities for different Scopely groups to ship experiences on new platforms.”
The Scopely tradition
Scopely attributes a lot of its success during the last 13 years to its distinctive work tradition, pushed by ambition, an embrace of failure, and above all else, a dedication to studying.
Early in its founding, Driver and crew established key tradition tenets that proceed to form how Scopely operates right now: play to win; care deeply; ignite ardour and earn loyalty; iterate to greatness; and embrace the journey.
In response to its co-CEOs, these tenets enabled Scopely to garner over 100 awards this yr – probably the most in firm historical past. Recognitions included 1 No. Cellular Sport Maker on PocketGamer.biz’s High 50 checklist, Greatest Writer by PocketGamer.biz and GamingOnPhone, Sport of the 12 months for Monopoly Go! and Time Journal’s 100 Most Influential Firms within the World.
As Lee famous in her hearth chat with gaming veteran Shelby Moledina, Scopely management typically cites the corporate’s Studying Machine tradition – constructed on open communication to shortly share learnings throughout groups – as the rationale the gamemaker has been capable of develop so quickly, win throughout a wide range of genres and platforms, and break new floor in relation to income metrics.
Nevertheless, Ferreira and Driver are fast to acknowledge Scopely’s function goes far past a stability sheet: “Whereas income trajectory could be an indicator of success, it’s not the rationale we do that work. Each Scopelean exhibits up every day to intention to make life higher for hundreds of thousands of individuals by way of play.
This dedication, in flip, offers us the liberty to spend money on new alternatives, new video games, and new experiences for gamers across the globe.”