French publisher Gameloft has announced the opening of a new US studio based in Seattle.

Gameloft Seattle will focus on creating the next generation of free-to-play games, notably mid-core, social games.

In North America, Gameloft already has offices in San Francisco, New York and New Orleans, but the move comes as the company has failed to develop global hit F2P games from its studios based in developing countries such as China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Argentina. 

Upping the ante

The Seattle studio will be led by studio manager Michael Fitch, who has gained experience working at companies such as Atomic Games, Red Storm Entertainment, THQ, and, most recently, Tencent.

"Our vision for this studio is to create a higher standard for the intersection of online, competitive, and socially integrated games," said Fitch

"The mobile platform brings unique opportunities with its always-available experiences. We look forward to bringing great games to market."

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