Even if you’re not a big car simulation fan, you’re probably familiar with Thrustmaster. You may have come across one of their flight simulator joysticks , their simracing steering wheels. Or maybe you’ve just come across their name in a supermarket. Behind this brand, there’s a pretty crazy story. That of the Guillemot brothers, who for almost 40 years have been building a veritable videogame empire.
Today, I’d like to take a look at the Thrustmaster brand. It’s not for nothing that Thrustmaster has been at the top of the simracing hardware sales charts for over 30 years. I’ve discovered a lot of unexpected things during my research, and I hope I’ll be able to share some of them with you too 🙂
Thrustmaster’s American beginnings
The company was founded in 1990 in Hillsboro, Oregon, by engineers and pilots from the U.S. Air Force, Navy and NASA. Unaccustomed to the trials and tribulations of setting up a company, the team enlisted the help of Norm Winninstad. An engineer who had helped create several large companies since the 60s.
In 1991, they launched the very first HOTAS (joysticks). The first model was the Mark I Weapons Control System for flight simulators.
A joystick that may seem very rudimentary today, but at the time it was a revolution in the world of flight simulation.
Several models followed, and the brand quickly made a name for itself. After all, they were the first on the market.
Then, in 1994 , they entered the world of car simulation with their very first steering wheel. The Formula T1 Driving Controls.
And already it was clear that the model was very complete, with a shifter and a seemingly sturdy pedalset.
The brand literally took off, and between 1995 and 1998, Thrustmaster increased its annual sales from $15 million to $25 million.
And in 1999, a French company, Guillemot Corporation Group, bought out the Thrustmaster name and the gaming part of the business for $15 million.
The creators of the brand have never revealed it but there is a theory from Youtuber OC Racing which seems solid. Let’s remember that the brand was created by engineers and pilots all from the world of aeronautics.
In English Thrust means “thrust” and Master “master”. And in the aeronautical world, thrust is the force that sets a flying object in motion.
The company focused exclusively on the creation of HOTAS for flight simulators. The name Thrustmaster “Masters of Thrust” therefore takes on its full meaning. Of course this is only a hypothesis.
The Guillemot brothers
Claude, Christian, Yves, Michel and Gérard Guillemot grew up surrounded by entrepreneurs. Their family is in the wholesale distribution of agricultural products. In addition to their studies, they work part-time in the family business.
Supported by their parents, the five Guillemot brothers launched Guillemot Informatique in 1984. The company sells computer hardware and video games unavailable in France. By their second year in business, they were supplying French schools.
This was followed by distribution partnerships with Auchan and Carrefour, among others. The company took on a new dimension, moving beyond the borders of France and now tackling the European market.
But even as the company expands, the Guillemot brothers are irrevocably drawn to a fast-growing field: the world of video games. As a reminder, this was the era of the Commodore and Atari game systems. It was the prehistory of video games, they knew they were going to explode, and they wanted in on the action.
With this in mind, in 1986 they launched a new company that you’re all familiar with: UbiSoft!
I’m not sure I need to introduce you to this company. Today, it’s one of the biggest video game developers in the world.
And as you can see, they had a very distinctive logo at the time 🙂 A logo they kept from 1986 to 1989.
In 1988, Guillemot decided to create its own gaming peripherals. In 90, they released their first “Guillemot” models. At the same time, they became exclusive distributors for Soundblaster sound cards and Thrustmaster.
The videogame world evolves at breakneck speed
A whole host of new developments arrived, from floppy disks to CD-ROMs. The first 3D graphics, the first consoles… In the early 90s, the video game world was evolving at breakneck speed. Guillemot launched the Maxi Sound range, which became one of Soundblaster’s biggest competitors. Of course, their distribution contract came to a screeching halt.
The company also began creating gamepads, steering wheels, joysticks… even graphics cards! You get the idea? They want to dominate, be present on all the fronts that count and make a name for themselves.
Takeover of Thrustmaster and development of the Guillemot empire
In 1998, Guillermo Corporation was listed on the Paris stock exchange . The company was now practically unstoppable, and attacked the North American market by setting up a research and development center in Montreal. The thing is, the Guillemot name doesn ‘t really work in America. Nobody knows it, and it’s a pain to pronounce for English speakers.
But that’s okay, because in July 1999, they raised funds to buy the name AND the gaming peripherals division of Thrustmaster. And in December of the same year, they bought the graphics card company Hercules . Why not, right?
But as that wasn’t enough, still in 1999, they launched the Gameloft studio. If you don’t know Gameloft, it’s one of the leading giants in mobile gaming… They were the first to send game applications to the Apple App Store in 2008.
That’s when things really started to accelerate for Thrustmaster.
As early as 1999, they released a licensed replica of the Ferrari 360 Modena steering wheel.
They even released a Pro version with an integrated shifter.
Then, in April 2000, the Guillemot brothers pulled off a masterstroke (yes, another one). Gameloft bought 80% of L’Odyssée Interactive. Doesn’t that ring a bell? It’s the publisher of JeuxVideo.com, the biggest French-language video-game news site.
STOP!
I’d like to take two seconds to think about it. This means that, from this moment on, the Guillemot brothers own :
- The biggest brand of gamingperipherals
- One of the biggest game development studios in the world
- One of the world’s largest game app development studios
- Access to the entire computer world, with graphics and sound cards
- The biggest French-language video gamenews site
- 2 R&D offices on 2 continents
- A worldwide distribution network , with products available in major supermarkets.
Is it clear that they’ve won or not? I’ll leave you to ponder all the ramifications and opportunities that come with holding these kinds of cards. It’s really incredible what they’ve created, and from an entrepreneurial point of view it’s just masterful. Hats off to them.
Of course, development never stops. So in 2001 they obtained the Xbox license.
And then 2002 saw the release of the very first Ferrari-licensed F1 steering wheel, inspired by Michael Schumacher’s wheel. With Retour de Force, please!
The Gran Turismo license: the golden ticket to simracing
Among the competitors of Thrustmaster, and therefore of the Guillemot family, are Logitech and Fanatec. And while the Germans at Fanatec don’t really target the same clientele, it’s a different story at Logitech.
And the annoying thing is that Logitech has held the official Gran Turismo license since 2001.
Which means it benefits enormously in terms of marketing, since Gran Turismo is already at the height of its fame among motorsport enthusiasts.
No problem! In 2011, Thrustmaster succeeded in reclaiming the license from Logitech.
It’s a victory that will mark a turning point in the brand’s history. And for the occasion, they’ve prepared a new steering wheel that’s sure to mark its generation!
The model that slaps the face
Out comes the T500. (Test available here)
Unprecedented force feedback power. Precise force feedback. A T3PA Pro pedalset for the all-metal RS version, adaptable for GT or Formula… It’s obviously a hit.
All the more so since the T500 is equipped with the first Quick Release system for changing steering wheels. The ecosystem expanded with the TH8a shifter, released a few months later, and the Ferrari F1 Wheel Add-on.
Turbulence and success
In 2015, Bolloré’s Vivendi group began buying Gameloft and UbiSoft shares. Bolloré had a plan: to take control and bring both companies under Vivendi’s thumb. Despite the efforts of the Guillemot brothers, Gameloft falls into Vivendi’s hands in 2016.
At Thrustmaster, the news is a little better. The brand is releasing a new steering wheel: the T300. An iconic model that, more than 6 years after its release, is still one of the best products for new simracers.
Thrustmaster T300 in brief
In 2017, Sparco becomes the brand’s partner. The ecosystem has become very complete with a handbrake, steering wheels for all styles. Entry-level and mid-range bases for all platforms..
In 2020 , they’re even releasing the T-LCM pedalset. Their very first pedalset with Load Cell sensor brake. In short, everything seems to be going like clockwork..
Fanatec turns the tables
And then, in 2021 , Thrustmaster takes a hit (yes, I use that word, don’t you?). The brand is preparing a new Gran Turismo-licensed model, the T-GT 2, priced at €650.
But it’s precisely at this moment that Fanatec announces the CSL DD. Simracing’s very first low-cost Direct Drive. And when I say inexpensive, I mean that if you scratch around on the prices, you can get a little Direct Drive setup for the same price, or even just a little more than the T-GT2, which is based on belt-driven technology.
Thrustmaster T-GT 2 in brief
Fanatec CSL DD in brief
This is all the more regrettable as it has surely also had an impact on the launch of their Ferrari SF1000 steering wheel. Released at the end of August 2021, this is the first mid-range steering wheel with a massive screen, clutch paddles and a carbon finish.
Priced at €400, it would put the brakes on all competing models on the market.
And to add insult to injury, Fanatec publicly announced that they had signed with Gran Turismo to release the GT DD Pro, a Playstation version of the CSL DD with a Polyphony-designed wheel. So, to put it plainly, the Germans are slapping Thrustmaster in the face on their own turf. With these announcements, selling the T-GT2 becomes a little more complex.
But Thrustmaster still has an advantage! Their name is known the world over, and even if you don’t know much about simracing, you’ll have seen a Thrustmaster box in a store. And above all, their distribution network is far more powerful than Fanatec’s. So it’s not irreparable, but we’ re going to have to act very quickly.
The marketing error
In the rush, a marketing campaign was launched on Thrustmaster’s social networks, announcing the imminent arrival of a Direct Drive. Every two months, Thrustmaster sends us an enigmatic photo with a note to make us “salivate “. But reactions to this campaign have not been kind at all from fans.
I’m not sure the campaign did them much harm in the long term, but it didn’t have the desired effect at all. It wasn’t memorable, and everyone moved on to something else in a matter of days. And the “something else” in question is Fanatec.
We should finally have the announcement of this new Direct Drive by the end of 2022. And I can’t wait to see what Thrustmaster comes up with to counter Fanatec. Logitech is also quietly preparing its Direct Drive, but more on that later.
The challenges facing the Guillemot brothers
I can’t wait to see what innovations Thrustmaster will be able to bring to its Direct Drive. They have a complete ecosystem, an incredible fan community and a huge distribution network. Not to mention the fact that they have the means to pull out all the stops in terms of marketing.
Throughout their adventures, the Guillemot brothers have proved that they have a rare intelligence. Where “smart guys” simply copy and focus on marketing, Thrustmaster has always brought innovation to gamers. And let me tell you, I’d rather 1,000 times have a smart guy who gets it wrong than a smart guy who gets it right. A question of panache 😉
They’ve got a big challenge ahead of them, and I’m sure their R&D centers are working hard to meet it. Because, let’s face it, a lot of people are waiting for them to turn the corner.
To stay in the race, they need to keep their prices convincing. They need powerful , precise force feedback. Because it’s not enough to bring out cheap DDs, they also have to be good ones… As we’ve seen with the multitude of Chinese brands that are proliferating at the moment.
Win back strong licenses to catch up with Fanatec, which now has Gran Turismo and Formula 1. But above all, solve the Quick Release headache!
The Quick Release challenge
Let me explain: many people complain about Thrustmaster and Fanatec’s QRs. They’re said to be outdated, impractical, too old… But, my dear friends, don’t forget that Thrustmaster was the very first to bring a QR to a consumer steering wheel. Obviously, after more than 10 years, guys like Simagic or Moza can come along and put more professional QRs right from the start. A new brand can do it without a problem!
The problem with Thrustmaster and Fanatec is that they have a whole ecosystem and hundreds of thousands of players who are already customers. Releasing a new base with a new QR that’s incompatible with the old ones means alienating all those who bought the old steering wheels. So we need to find a buffer solution that allows the old QRs to be adapted to the new ones.
Fanatec is slowly doing just that, offering only wheels with detachable QR1s, precisely so that fewer and fewer of their customers will be using the old wheels with fixed QRs. But all this takes time. And I can’t wait to see how Thrustmaster and the Guillemot brothers deal with the problem.
So, that’s it?
Phew, I’ll admit that when I started my research, I didn’t think the Guillemot story would interest me so much. From an entrepreneurial point of view, it’s impressive the intelligence and talent with which they’ve pushed their companies to the top of their game.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this retrospective. By the way, if you’ve made it to the end of this article, all you have to do is tell me what you thought in the comments. I’d be delighted to discuss the subject with you! See you just below 🙂
