When we last caught up with Dundee developer CobraMobile at the start of 2009, it was launching its 99c/59p snack range of iPhone games. Since then it's hooked up a distribution deal with Warner Bros and self-published some high quality original content of its own.

So we returned to the source, MD Mark Ettle, to find out why, how and what's next.

PocketGamer.biz: You've been successful with games such as iBomber so what are your plans to support them?

Mark Ettle: Our original games like iBomber and Low Grav Racer have been good to us, and as with all our iPhone titles, we'll support them with at least three or four updates. These are generally extensions to the game experience, so extra levels, user requested features, etc.

We work really hard to make sure that our initial 1.0 releases are as bug free and as player friendly as possible so we're supporting them with value-added features that extend the life and playability of the product, not bug fixing.

You recently signed a distribution deal with Warner Bros. Why?

It means we have distribution options open to us other than self-publishing. Cobra is a small independent developer. We've proved to be very good at developing great games and self publishing those games but Warner Bros can simply do things bigger and better and have a wider reach than we can ever hope to have. It's also been very supportive and enthusiastic about our games and our roadmap which helps us stay on target and create better stuff. So far the deal has been going very well.

Do you think more big media companies will be coming to the App Store?

I think it makes perfect sense for big media companies to be moving onto the App Store. These companies need to move where the eyeballs are and right now the eyeballs are on iPhone. Note though, iPhone isn't the only main event in town. There are also a lot of eyeballs on the likes of Spotify, Facebook, etc.

I don't think, however, that it automatically needs to be in the games space. I see a whole raft of opportunities in the iPhone mobile and content space for media companies outside of games. We're currently working with a few traditional print publishers and are looking at how we can take and expand their IP into this space.

Do you have any plans to get your hands on Warner's licences?

We have no plans at present to take any of Warner's IP to App Store – but "at present" only means "this week" in the games industry.

What's your approach to mobile development now? Are you still active with Java and smartphone?

Our focus has pretty much completely shifted to iPhone and the new smart digital distribution platforms, like PSP. It may shift back but that's not on our current roadmap. Mobile was good to us and we learnt a lot from it but we always felt it could have been a lot better, a lot easier and a lot less painful.

Our overall approach to development is that we make great entertainment products and we work hard to take basic ideas and concepts that work and which are solid, and craft these into real gems of games. We're lucky in that we've built a strong stable of original IP which we're beginning to exploit across various new platforms.

What are your views on the price versus volume battle currently being fought with respect to 99c/59p games?

It's the Great Catch 22 of App Store. With some games it works. With some, it doesn't. There's a lot of debate on this issue and how it skews games' popularity but truth is most developers would rather be selling a lot rather than a little and if price is key to getting sales movement and momentum, then price is going to be a factor.

To me, it's just like retail. Why does Marks & Spencer drop its prices? To increase sales volume in a static market and to boost overall revenue. It's not rocket science.

Cobra is in this for the long haul so we have pricing strategies in place when our products launch and this has been working for us so far. We have two main internal targets. Number one is Return On Investment and number two is driving profit on a title. We've learnt very quickly how to best make and publish a game on the App Store and surpass our own targets.

One of the great advantage of App Store publishing is its dynamic nature, in that you can change your price point when you want and have that quickly reflected in store. As an example, we've just done a special offer with iBomber, dropping the price point to 99c/59p while a new update arrives.

What opportunities do you see with the likes of PSN and DSiWare?

We're looking at several opportunities for our own IP right now and PSP is confirmed as one of them. We've just finished off adding PSP to our internal technology base so it's a platform we fully support development for. The PSP is a great platform and the opportunities going forward can't be ignored. I think Cobra's unique and original game IP is perfectly suited to engage and entertain PSP users. We'll be announcing the first game we'll be bringing to the PSP platform shortly.

In terms of DSiWare, we have the IP, platform technology, working demos and the understanding, but we've not yet seen the opportunities open up as much as we've seen on other platforms.

Our thanks to Mark for his time.