One of the key social-mobile players in 2011 was US developer Storm8, which also operates under its female-focused TeamLava label.

Underlining its stature, the company announced two key metrics during the year - over 200 million iOS and Android downloads and its '$1 million day'.

We caught up with CEO and co-founder Perry Tam to get his take.

PocketGamer: What do you think was the most significant event for the mobile games industry in 2011?

Perry Tam: Zynga's IPO was definitely the most significant event for the mobile games industry in 2011.

While it doesn't have a large mobile presence at the moment, it has been clear about its goals for the space and this move will no doubt have a huge impact on both mobile and social games.

What was the most significant event for your company?

In June, Storm8 had its first million dollar day, which was a very significant milestone for the company.

Because we're completely bootstrapped, achieving this kind of success so early on really solidified in our minds - and I think in the minds of our competitors - that Storm8 is a formidable player in the mobile-social games sector.

What was your favourite mobile game of the year?

I'm a big soccer fan, so I would have to say PES 2012 - Pro Evolution Soccer is my favourite mobile game of the year. I started out playing this game on PlayStation 3, and really took to it, as it gives me an incredibly realistic soccer gaming experience.

It almost feels like I'm literally controlling the ball on the field when I play the game. Now that the game is on my iPhone, I can play this game anytime and anywhere, so I get to play it even more.

What do you predict will be the most important trends in 2012?

In-app purchases via the freemium model will be an important trend in 2012.

As has been the case for awhile, the vast majority of the top grossing app spots will be occupied by games, and most of those games will be designed with freemium in mind, so in-app purchases will become the primary way for developers to monetise.

What's your New Year's resolution and what resolution would you enforce on the industry?

For Storm8, we'd like to expand our reach and success beyond just the social-mobile RPG and simulation game genre in 2012, and - in general - bring our games to a larger audience.

As far as the industry, I'd like to see mobile games continue to become more truly social so players can engage and compete with their friends and other players on a much deeper level.

Thanks to Perry for his time.