Given it's experienced double-digital sales in almost all quarters for the past couple of years, it's no great surprise that Gameloft's executives are a pretty happy bunch.

Yet, behind those headlines, plenty has changed in terms of the way the company is earning its cash.

All its new smartphone games now include in-app purchases, with the free-to-play model particularly coming to the fore.

Much from many

"We took the decisions about 12 months ago and we're pretty happy with the results," says Baudouin Corman, the company's VP publishing Americas, about the change of strategy.

He says one of the most interesting results of the switch has been the attitude of its developers.

"They are happy with the shift of culture as teams keep working on their games," he says of the new service-based approach.

"This is good because it's important that they are passionate about their work. That's needed for us to keep setting the bar higher."

Good with GREE

Indeed, many aspects of the mobile games business are in flux; another that Gameloft's dealing with is the rise of the big Japanese social gaming networks.

It's signed a one title deal with GREE for its Gang Domination game.

"We need to maximise our reach. We get to publish the game, so we keep ownership, and they are the platform," Corman says. "Let's see how it goes."

He also argues that GREE's strength in the Japanese market means Gameloft is keen to co-operate to gain more access there.

"It's an important market for us," he says.

Different strokes

More generally, Corman sees the social network business as fragmented, so deals with GREE don't lessen the importance of its own Gameloft Live service.

"They are not the same," he says. "A VIP lounge is different to the corridor and the road.

"Gameloft Live is a special service for our fans. It's not perhaps for everyone. We use GREE so gamers can connect to as many friends as possible, but we'll also keep investing in Gameloft Live. It's our special relationship with our fans."

Platform plenty

As for other challenges and opportunities, Corman says Gameloft's keen to support new hardware such as the various smart TV platforms and Windows 8.

"Early support can provide a big win," he says, noting that in examples such as Palm's webOS - which Gameloft supported - it can be a waste.

"No one really knows about smart TV," he says. "I think there will be a lot of regional variation in terms of game usage, but it makes sense in emerging countries that don't have strong console markets."

He also points out that "a lot of companies have an interest in the success of Windows 8".

Big in the USA

Still, while such new hardware will keep Gameloft's developers busy, in terms of Corman's day job, he says the North America market - around 30 percent of Gameloft's sales - is particularly competitive.

"I think Zynga's done a good job on mobile, although it's been less successful in Europe," he adds of a new competitor in the social mobile scene.

Partly this is due to what he calls the specific demands and tastes of the US market, combined with the requirement for expensive marketing - something Gameloft has largely ignored to-date.

The company is looking to raise its profile in the US, however, both in terms of its games, and its corporate activities. Its shares are now available via an over-the-counter ADR program and it's looking to improve the amount of financial information it provides too.

In most aspects of its operations, then, it's all systems go.

Or as Corman puts it, "it's a new world where everything is possible".