Computer games role for ex-Ferrero marketer

Games publisher Ubisoft has appointed former Ferrero marketer Mark Slaughter to head its casual games marketing team.

Slaughter, who is also a former Sara Lee marketer, will be the first group brand manager for the casual gaming division and will report to Ubisoft marketing director John Rosenblatt.

He will be responsible for titles including the Petz and My Coach series. Ubisoft is set to launch My Health Coach : Manage Your Weight next month, a game that guides players through an exercise regime designed to increase their levels of fitness. The release comes after the success of Wii Fit, which came out in April.

Ubisoft, which develops, publishes and distributes games including Assassin’s Creed and the Brothers in Arms series, has been developing its casual gaming products, aimed at audiences not traditionally associated with computer games. It created a dedicated casual games division last year.

Computer games manufacturers have been moving towards family-friendly games in recent years. Earlier this year, Codemasters announced plans to shift away from action titles towards casual games (MW April 3). However, Ubisoft says it is not moving away from its traditional computer games and will seek to develop both divisions.

Meanwhile, Ubisoft has also appointed Matt Benson as a brand manager in its core gaming division. He joins from rival Electronic Arts and will report to group brand manager John O’Reilly.