Gameloft posted a net loss of €0.8m for the first half of 2008, according to the company's Half-Year Results filing.

However, the company's operating income rose to €1.4 million for the half, compared to €0.8m in the first half of 2007 – a rise of 75 per cent, albeit from a small base.

The results are based on Gameloft's consolidated revenues of €50.3 million for the first half of this year, which were announced a few weeks ago.

The publisher is preferring to focus on its 18 per cent rise in current operating income year-on-year, from €2.3 million for 1H07 to €2.8 million for 1H08. Gameloft has also improved its operating margin from 5.1 per cent to 5.5 per cent year-on-year.

The gap between Gameloft's current operating income and its operating income is mainly explained by the company as exchange rate losses due to the strong Euro. Gameloft says it expects to return to operating profitability for 2008 as a whole.

Other stats from the announcement: Gameloft's equity stands at €47.3 million, with net cash of €12.7 million and no debt.

The publisher hopes for fast growth this year from what it terms 'rich' mobile games for platforms like iPhone and N-Gage, as well as its console business. The publisher refers to Wii, Xbox 360 and PS3 in its financial announcement – the first indication that it plans to take its titles to Sony's console.

Finally, Gameloft's rapid expansion of its development capacity appears to have tailed off. The publisher says it now has "over 3,300 developers" in its studios. In March, in its announcement of full-year results for 2007, the company said it had "nearly 3,400 developers".