As one of the best and most profitable mobile publishers, PopCap acts as a bellwether for the industry.

It's been quick onto Apple devices but licences its games to EA Mobile in terms of Java and Brew.

When it comes to new smartphone platforms, its actions are also being closely watched. Despite talking up Android, no games have yet been released, but it was a launch partner for Microsoft's Windows Phone 7.

With that in mind Pocket Gamer's Android editor Jon Mundy has been talking to PopCap to find out what's going on.

Microsoft vs Google

"We made the immediate decision to port to WP7 because we believed Microsoft did a good job with the new OS," explained development director Sameer Baroova.

"It offered a viable smartphone OS alternative to the iPhone with a compelling user experience around game discovery and connected gameplay experience with the inclusion of Xbox LIVE."

When it comes to Android, the issue is fragmentation.

"We don't aspire to be trendy; sometimes we're not first to a particular platform but we do value being the most polished," he explains, confirming that Peggle and Plants vs. Zombies will come to Android in early 2011.

Broken shop window

The issue of how to monetise those games is another big issue for PopCap, which has operated a traditional paid for business model.

"As most people, including Google, will acknowledge, the current implementation of the Google Android Market leaves something to be desired in terms of discoverability and reliability," Baroova said.

"The beauty of Android as an open platform means that we also have choice as a publisher. Although we may place our products into the Android Market, that doesn't limit our ability to simultaneously explore other storefronts as well such as announced Amazon Android app store, GetJar and so forth.

"We believe that each of these stores will different strengths with different users and we will likely support more than one storefront."

You can read the full interview over on Pocket Gamer.