Yesterday Scottish developer Tag Games announced it was going to become an App Store publisher, and now UK Java aggregator Thumbstar Games has revealed similar plans.

Formed by game veterans from companies such as Sony, Rage, Zoo and ifone, the Liverpool start-up has been building up its mobile publishing network for a year or so, and now is looking to expand.

We caught up with MD Martin Kitney to find out more about the company’s App Store plans.

Pocket Gamer: Why's Thumbstar going into iPhone publishing?

Martin Kitney: It's something we've been looking at for some time, but have been waiting for the right titles. Obviously the market is very appealing, but it has to be done in the right way especially on a marketing level. Our core business remains Java aggregation, but with the skills within the company, it makes sense to move into this area.

What are you looking for in terms of the games you're sourcing?

We're open to what's out there. The App Store is crowded as everybody knows but the beauty of it is consumers will always be open to new content. We source Java titles from all over the world and there is a lot of potential out there.

What skills can you bring to developers that they don't already have?

The biggest thing we noticed from our conversations is developers don't do any PR and marketing. This is the value Thumbstar provides.

When we speak to developers who've shifted from Java to iPhone, many seem to think they can just launch a game on the App Store and watch the money roll in. Our feeling is that iPhone is now in the mould of a traditional console. On those lines, publishers would never release a game into a retail environment and do nothing to promote it.

At Thumbstar Games, we come from both mobile and console backgrounds so have strong views about this. For us, the iPhone is no different to a traditional console; games need to have plenty of PR and marketing behind them to get the benefits in terms of exposure, which will lead to increased sales.

This not only has a positive effect on sales but also on creating a brand for the game and the developer. In terms of marketing, we aren't only talking about traditional mobile press, but lifestyle, TV and national newspapers too, as these are the areas of interest when gaining true mass market exposure.

What's the plan in terms of when you hope to have the first games out?

We're planning on January 2010 for launch of the first title, with around 10-15 titles per year.

What's the business model in terms of whether you'll fund development etc?

This all depends on the developer and game. There may be some developers who just want publishing support. Alternatively there could opportunities to co-fund an idea. It’s open ended.

Do you plan to get any licenses or take any of your mobile properties over to iPhone?

It will be a mixture of both. Our first title will be a console game coming over to iPhone but there's a lot of potential for new concepts or original Java titles.

Do you have any plans for any other platforms?

We will look at areas such as Android and portable consoles, but there's also the possibility of taking a game to PlayStation 3, Wii or Xbox 360. For the right title, we have the ability to make this happen, which is an exciting prospect.

Thanks to Martin for his time

You can follow what Thumbstar Games gets up to via its website.