By Gary Symons
TLL Editor in Chief
US toy giant Mattel has recruited gaming industry veteran Mike DeLaet to guide its future in digital gaming and Web3 licensing.
The former SVP of mobile game developer Scopely will be tasked with creating new products and licensing opportunities as Mattel’s new global head of digital gaming. In that role, DeLaet’s primary reponsibility will be to expand Mattel’s business in standalone video games, licensed game tie-ins, and helping guide the company’s entry into the metaverse.
DeLaet has worked with Mattel before. When he served as SVP of strategic partnerships at Scopely, DeLaet was involved in deals that saw the company produce licensed mobile games for Mattel, as well as other major licensors like Disney, Marvel and Hasbro.
DeLaet also worked with Rogue Games, a gaming studio that launched games like Oz: Broken Kingdom, and Social Soccer.
The hiring of DeLaet is part of a wider strategy which will see Mattel moving much more decisively into the digital gaming market. In the past, Mattel has licensed a number of its properties for games, worked with Gamefam to release a He-Man game on Roblox, and also launched a Roblox mini-game based on its Hot Wheels franchise.