Gameloft sets up shop in New Orleans with plans for 150-strong studio

Will work on games for a variety of platforms, not just mobile.

Games publisher Gameloft is opening its latest development studio in New Orleans, where teams will work on games for mobile, games consoles, handhelds and Facebook.

"As it stands, we expect to employ an approximate 150 people in our New Orleans studio over the course of the next 10 years," Gameloft's Samir El Agili tells games blog Joystiq. "But with the fast pace and rapid expansion of the handheld and downloadable market we will adjust that number accordingly should we find it necessary."

Joystiq points to the appeal of New Orleans as a games development hub, thanks to its Digital Media Tax Credit, which offers developers generous tax credits if they operate in Louisiana.

Gameloft is one of the publishers profiting from the explosion in smartphone gaming, having recently announced revenues of around $109 million for the first half of 2011, with 30% of that coming from smartphones and tablets.