FATSHARK ROVIO GAME TECH Issue 01 Created to be ‘the ultimate console racing experience on on experience racing console ‘the be to ultimate Created its at most racing arcade is 9: Legends mobile’, and locations, spectacular handling, Intuitive dramatic. Porsche Ferrari, of likes supercars from the of a roster a fan-base 9 amass Asphalt seen have Lamborghini, and wits split-second and their all Drivers need millions. of spin America, or Midwest in tornados dodge to timing Himalayas. the in from landslides away of range diverse incredibly an for responsible is Gameloft One Kingdoms. Magic Disney to from games, 15-year- the is franchises successful most studio’s the of be to proved game the of Asphalt. The latest version old could and date, to project Gameloft’s challenging most cloud. AWS the to moving by achieved be only Albert Puértolas is the Online Technical Technical Online the is Albert Puértolas studio. Gameloft’s of Director the 2009, in Gameloft joining Before software time spent Spanish engineer at Akaoni programmer as a freelance at programmer as a junior and Studio Studios. Gammick FATSHARK GAMELOFT ROVIO GAME TECH Issue 01 I always knew I wanted to work with with work to knew I wanted I always Myin games. firstBarcelona here was job development games small a really at exist doesn’t startup, anymore. which so I learned us, of six and only There were we because simply time, so little in much actually everything. of a bit do We to had for which a game, publish to managed get I still nine. cloud on being like was me today. feeling same that

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puzzle, solve it’. solve puzzle, going to do it?’ rather than: ‘Hey, here’s a here’s ‘Hey, it?’ do than: to rather going a case of: ‘I want to do this, so how am I am a case of: so how this, do ‘I to want more contextualized problems, where it’s where problems, contextualized more I wanted to do, was super-fun. I still prefer I still super-fun. was do, to I wanted challenge of figuring out how to do things things do to how out figuring of challenge writing down how they might work. The might they how down writing program, I’d have fun drawing games and and games drawing fun have I’d program, and although I hadn’t yet learned how to to how learned yet I hadn’t although and I liked playing games and inventing stuff, stuff, inventing and games playing I liked magic—out of this world. As a young kid, kid, As world. a young this of magic—out a case of ‘mind blown’. I thought it was was it I thought blown’. ‘mind a case of The first time I saw a , it was it was game, The first a video I saw time “I Out magic. it was of thought FATSHARK GAMELOFT ROVIO GAME TECH Issue 01 would react”would “We were nervous how fans “We fans nervous were how Asphalt the of years 15 the through All the driven always has player the franchise, started we The moment discussing car. imagine can assisted-drive, you well, though Even triggered! that debate the original the replace doesn’t TouchDrive driving stance, players and can still choose nervous. use were it, to We we whether would fans long-term how know didn’t groups, focus ran We change. the view different test the to people in brought gathered and mechanisms, driving what know truly didn’t we but feedback, Some day. launch get on we’d reaction the overall but critical, been have gamers percent 85 with a success, been has move at for TouchDrive using now players of least some of their races. itself?” “Why let not the drive car main the of one is TouchDrive between features Asphalt differentiating super-happy we’re and 9, Asphalt 8 and out. There are worked it how about every take to want you when moments but way, best possible the curve in single a complete to need just you times other next the Driving onto level. move to race concentration, your all takes normally go and chill to want just might you when ‘Why thought: the let not We a ride. for its on less You’re or own?’ more drive car there’s so when though, charge in still you you, of ahead track the in a branch left go longer- to the onto choose can a face and a right take or path, but-safer shorter-but-more-treacherous route. to really stand out”to really “To justify“To a sequel, has a game a good had 9: Legends, we With Asphalt right achieve to wanted we what of idea start.from the a already was The game get up it to needed so we old, years few and technology latest in the with speed to specs.car a case It was of: “This a game is else so what working, already is which will What justify to do we a sequel? can stand it out, apart looking from just make better?” players prototyping, During over control more wanted they us told the feel really to cars, able be the to and accelerates between that a difference car better has handling. that one and rapidly trying make into to time of a lot put We even We palpable. more differences those surfaces. road with around played Gameloft has one of the most most the of one has Gameloft games mobile of catalogs diverse world—operating the in its own as such franchises, established Legends, Mania Dragon Asphalt, Dungeon and Combat, Modern It also partners major with Hunter. Disney, holders, including rights Universal, Illumination LEGO, Fox Entertainment, , Entertainment, Mattel,Digital Lamborghini, and Ferrari. DID YOU KNOW ...DID YOU FATSHARK GAMELOFT ROVIO GAME TECH Issue 01 own ambition” Final render render Final “The biggest challenge was our “The our was biggest challenge for do set to out we things the of Some We hard. incredibly were latest game this getting were we what advance knew in massive—by still was it but the far into, project complicated most and biggest where points There were done. ever we’ve lives own our making were knew we we wanted really really, we but harder, a lot new this make extra to that go to mile last. better the so much than That game making up ended what is commitment today. is it 9 what Asphalt “You can’t please everyone” “You 9 Asphalt to changes of a lot made We for ask Players feedback. player on based it’s so not though, things different many consensus a true at arrive easy to always wants. a whole as community the what of regular but everyone, can’t please You see what to us allow checks community the about dislike or like people most fruits low-hanging are there If game. we when them action and log we there, a community actioning can. Sometimes, amount a considerable request involves try incorporate always to work,of we but can. we if feedback 3D model

Concept FROM CONCEPT TO REALITY CONCEPT TO FROM

gut feeling” towards a key goal, we’ll let it go. it let we’ll goal, a key towards or third alteration, or isn’t contributing contributing isn’t or alteration, third or palpable improvement after the second after second the improvement palpable process, if something doesn’t show a show doesn’t something process, if feeling. Normally in the development development the in Normally feeling. lot of that is down to intuition and gut gut and intuition to down is that of lot investing a lot of time and money in. A in. money and time of a lot investing consensus that a new feature is worth is feature a new that consensus onto something when there’s a clear a clear there’s when something onto to convince everyone. You know you’re you’re know You everyone. convince to team, but few of those are strong enough enough strong are those of few but team, You come up with so many ideas as a as ideas so many with up come You “It’s and intuition about all FATSHARK GAMELOFT ROVIO GAME TECH Issue 01

for backing-up server backing-up so for we logs, users, without the went launch hitch”a We wanted to generate a volume of traffic traffic of a volume generate to wanted We hundreds ran so we launch, to similar use We bots AWS. of on thousands of Service (Amazon Storage Simple Amazon S3) we much worry to how need don’t about fantastic. is which back-up, “Despite surge the of huge firstthe Barcelona the 9 was time Asphalt After launch. a cloud done had studio stress game, the for work the all doing was everyone as massive were levels could that things the all of thinking wasn’t enough there If wrong. go still a with up ended have could we provision, users where couldn’t scenario nightmare go launch the Seeing game. the launch surge huge the issues, despite any without relief. a huge was in, users came of that thousands of bots” of thousands companies. As started we as soon play companies. to could it what saw and it with around package, full the was it realized we do, servers our run to AWS’ on decided and It EC2). (Amazon Cloud Compute Elastic ourselves, it do couldn’t we wasn’t that been have would it that more was it typically We expensive. prohibitively requests of a minute— thousands process we On launch, a day. millions of dozens we’d 10-timesif and more, to five had company, the within that handle to tried more way for provisioning been have we’d later. need we’d than “We used of hundreds Container Elastic also Amazon used We during before and ECS), Service (Amazon We bot setup first the weeks of launch. game the tests, AI running had we where then players, and human mimicking and infrastructure, to stress to whole the tried out and in everything scaling was check issues. major no were there and correctly, against newchallenges” expensive” prohibitively been With Asphalt 9, we wanted to be fully fully be to wanted we 9, With Asphalt a cloud needed knew we so we online, first, AWS of because thought service. We provider, cloud running longest it’s the of a lot by used and well-documented, “We are constantly comingup so are there side, development On the art the in putting of unknowns many impossible It’s almost a game. together going you’re challenges what predict to not we’re because against, up come to cookie-cutter same the making always on worked always we If games. games, poker or dominoes tic-tac-toe, but reduced, be would issue that maybe a racing on working be could we today a , tomorrow and game all against up coming constantly so we’re haven’t we sortschallenges different of before. faced would’ve it ourselves “Doing

from scratch” from player. there’s a bigger tactical element for the the for tactical element a bigger there’s and you’re more likely to crash. It means It means crash. to likely more you’re and route, but there’s less grip so it’s riskier, soit’s riskier, grip less there’s but route, drive across the sidewalk for a shorter for sidewalk the across drive you’re driving on. For example, you can can you example, For on. driving you’re to play around with the road surface that surface road that the with around play to The new physics engine also allowed us us also allowed engine physics The new more natural and realistic graphics. graphics. realistic and natural more surfaces in the game, resulting in much much in resulting game, the surfaces in light refractslight reflects and different on allowed us to effectively represent how how represent effectively to us allowed and all the other game assets, game other it the as all and changed how we produced backgrounds backgrounds produced we how changed physically-based rendering with HDR. with rendering It physically-based scratch, and it was the first usedwe’d time game engine for Asphalt 9 was built from built 9 was Asphalt for engine game the in-house tech stacks The in-househad. the tech we to do a sequel, we couldn’t do it with with it do couldn’t we a sequel, do to We realized early on that if we were going going were we if that on early realized We “We built the game engine FATSHARK GAMELOFT ROVIO GAME TECH Issue 01 like you’re on a $4,000 on you’re like PC” The day we can do that with something something with that do can we The day sunglasses, it’ll my completely a be like non-of lot are a There different story. these all for applications gaming they’ll point, some at and technologies, interfaces where point the to converge be so you’ll multi-use, VR ARfor and have your call games, play to use them to able internet. The the parents,browse and market is, a mainstream it’s not problem It’s slowly. getting but there, now. right “Playing on your mobile will look will mobile your “Playing on globe the across get 5G we When bandwidth, huge such with consistently, the of quality the as long as and the feel really we’ll good, is connection There are solutions. streaming in advance like noticeable, it’ll where more be games aresuper- there where game a fighting to able be You’ll fast reflex reactions. will that games amazing-looking play matter same, no the feel and look always from. You’ll them playing you’re where phone, mobile from your play to able be a on playing you’re if as look they’ll and $4,000 PC. for great be to It’s also going have won’t cross-platforming you because between worry differences to the about PC—the or platform Switch, iOS, Android, game the because platform matter, won’t everywhere. same the look will slowly” about racing” “AR and VR and are getting“AR there and possibilities, of a lot AR VR and have there, out VR great games some are there of barrier the there’s player, the for but expensive heavy, a big, purchase to having plus gaming, for only is which headset into cabled be to needing and accessories, advancing is The technology a terminal. ready. isn’t interface the but rapidly, “Cars you can only dream dream “Cars only can you Asphalt’s behind Part reason the of it’s is very a long-running success versions the at look you If franchise. look don’t they ago, years from several Clearly, today. do they like anything the way the love then from back players looks and it though even now, is game still There’s differently. completely plays played they Asphalt it’s the feeling that likely more so they’re ago, years those all the Open now. again a shot it give to monster this find you and today game high-pace, graphics, realistic-looking with fans sports racing and that brands car about. What’s not gaga go me) (including to like? FATSHARK GAMELOFT ROVIO GAME TECH Issue 01 TEAM STATS & FACTS STATS Art Leads: Nacho Mangiagalli, Dmitri Lorente Jimmy Yagüe, Composer: Martin Labelle, Vincent Dubé Nicolas Courcy, Executive Producer: Sylvain Billaud Producer: Aska Marín, Suzuki Ignacio Lead Software Engineer: Riera Arnau Font Designer: Game Lead García Marc Game Designer:Principal Antoine Cabrol GAME STATS & FACTS STATS Fast fact: release, On worldwide four 9 reached Asphalt million cross-platform a than less in downloads week. Genre: Racing Platforms: 10, Windows iPad, iPhone, Switch Nintendo and Android Units sold: +80m downloads Launch date: July 2018 Metacritic score: 74 STUDIO eam Size: STATS & FACTS STATS T 150 AWS ServicesAWS include: and EC2 Amazon ECS Amazon Biggest hit game: Rush, 900m+Minion awards: Key Best for Award PG Legends 2006-2016’; Publisher Design 2019 Apple’s Gamer’s Pocket Award; Best Audio/Visual 2019 Accomplishment Award; Best Sports 2019 Webby’s Game Award Follow: @Gameloft Founded: 1999 Barcelona

fresh twist players to keep entertained” any any more! different to anything else, anything but I to can’t different say coming up, which will be considerably considerably be will which up, coming Spoiler alert: There’s another special event event special another alert: There’s Spoiler and enable gamers to play differently. differently. play to gamers enable and to be bigger, have slightly different rules, different rules, slightly have bigger, be to special events in the game. These tend These tend game. the in events special The hardest thing is coming up with new new with up coming is thing The hardest easy bits. huge part of a new game, but they’re the the they’re but part game, huge a new of environments. Obviously, those are a are those Obviously, environments. just a matter of bringing out new cars new out or bringing a matterjust of things to keep players entertained. It’s players not keep to things will make this bit better?’ You need new new need better?’ bit this You make will exactly why. What’s the next What’s the twist exactly why. that much; let’s see if we can understand can let’s we see if much; ahead: ‘Players don’t like this aspect as this ‘Players like don’t ahead: finding a game. We’re always thinking thinking always We’re game. a finding and try to stay on top of how players are are players try how and of stay top to on We take quality of service of quality verytake seriously We “We’re always looking for a looking “We’re always