Scottish developer TAG Games is the latest indie firm to consider switching to iPhone as its lead platform, rather than Java. And the reasons mirror those of other developers - frustration with the current mobile games ecosystem.

“We’re exasperated with the industry, and we’re obviously not the only ones - look at Fishlabs,” says co-founder Paul Farley, referring to the German firm's decision to ditch operator portals in favour of other distribution channels.

“We’re exasperated that there are key, obvious issues that have been around for five or six years that have not been addressed. We’re not in a position to address them, and for those that are - the handset manufacturers, the operators - gaming is such a minor part of their business. Maybe we were naive to think they ever would have a desire to fix them.”

TAG has a good reputation in the Java space for titles like Rock'n'Roll and GTA-inspired Car Jack Streets, which made it into Pocket Gamer's top ten titles for 2008. But the company has experienced trouble getting these games promoted effectively on operator portals - despite teaming up with I-play for the latter title.

“Java is not the best technology in the world, but we could still have done quite a lot with it," says Farley.

"It’s almost like, with every opportunity, barriers have been put in the way of having a successful business - you’re always fighting against that. It’s been hard. And I’m not sure if that’s going to change now. We’re in a situation where we’re thinking where do we push original content? It’s very hard to make any kind of argument to do anything original in traditional mobile right now.”

Even with Car Jack Streets, a good title in an under-explored genre, it looks like network operators aren’t biting: “I think if Car Jack doesn’t do really well, why would we ever take the risk of doing original content on mobile again?”

So what’s the answer for TAG and other small developers? Anyone present at the recent Mobile Games Forum in London will probably guess. “We’re going to see a massive decline in traditional mobile game development this year - no doubt about it,” says Farley.

“We’ll see a massive increase in iPhone and Android development, but we’ll also see mobile developers saying 'we’ve tried this, but now we’re going to take our talent elsewhere, to other platforms like Xbox Live Arcade'.”

Tag has already converted Rock ‘N’ Roll to iPhone and is working on a translation of Car Jack Streets, as well as an original title, Astro Ranch. It looks likely that iPhone will become the lead platform for the studio - an unthinkable proposition just six months ago.

“iPhone has really given mobile gaming the shot in the arm that it needed," says Farley, although he admits that some developers have justifiable complaints about their games getting lost on the App Store.

However, he thinks that consumers are the winners, getting access to a wide range of titles, including plenty of truly original games. Which, he claims, makes a stark contrast to the existing J2ME world.

"Mobile gaming has been pretty much devoid of new ideas. I mean Digital Chocolate have tried to do some cool stuff, their in-house guys, Sumea, produce really nice, polished games – but they’ve not always got the success they deserved.

"And back in the day, I-Play had Skipping Stone – it should have been a number one game, it’s perfect for the platform, the critics loved it… but instead you had - gosh, I don’t want to pick on anything - but titles like Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and Deal or No Deal - and you’re just thinking, are we wasting our time trying to do something different?”

That said, TAG clearly isn't abandoning Java altogether. The developer has several J2ME titles underway, including The Imp and Zuma-esque puzzler Tumblebugs. However, Farley says the current state of affairs is making it difficult for developers like TAG to justify their investment in original-IP mobile games.

"We’re talking to a lot of the mobile development community right now - many have already moved across [to iPhone] and those that haven’t, will," he says.

"For us it’s just a matter of time before we start focusing fully on the high-end, and on iPhone. You know, even just taking one chunk out of that chain - the operators - means more revenue for us. We don’t have to do massive volume. It just needs to be reasonable, and right now those platforms will allow us to do it."