Jazwares’ David Winter – VP of BlueJ and Games at Jazwares – on launching the company’s new games division

David, Jazwares recently launched a new games division! What made you think you could do that – and whom did you call first?
A fair bit of passion – and a little delusion if I’m being honest! But really, it came from the freedom Jazwares empowers its people to explore. It was the end of 2024 and BlueJ – our Blue Sky Innovation team – had just cleared its plate on other projects, and I was thinking, what’s next for us? I didn’t want to do another item; I wanted to try something more ambitious.

Since I joined Jazwares in 2020, the company’s expanded into several new categories: Pets, Costumes, Construction and Bedding/Pillows were all on the horizon. Games felt like the next frontier, but I knew launching a division, not just an item, was going to be incredibly challenging – I was going to need help. So: I called my mum…

Ha!
Just kidding! I called the people who have been there for me since day one – because I knew I couldn’t do this without them… I called on inventors!

I imagine you could’ve gone down a few routes… What made inventors your first call?
Some of the biggest titles and franchises in the games category have come from independent developers and inventors. If I’m breaking into a business with that kind of creative muscle ready to license their IP, you better believe they’re first on my speed dial.

There are other ways to break into this category, like acquiring companies, buying titles or building out a dedicated games team… But that’s time, money and a large overhead without immediate ROI. I was energized by the idea of launching a division through partnership, and I knew the team and I were ready to take this all the way.

Had you tried games before at Jazwares?
I’d taken a few swings when I first joined. Suffice to say, they didn’t hit. Looking back, I understand why… I knew how to spot a great item, but I didn’t have what was needed to take it all the way back then. That was five years ago. BlueJ wasn’t where it is today… And honestly, neither was I. This time, I could feel it was going to be different.

What changed?
Leading BlueJ over the last five years has pushed the team and me to grow. We’ve evolved from an early concepts group into a triple-threat powerhouse, capable of turning concepts into fully fleshed out businesses, making it a lot easier for the company to greenlight. I learned from my past attempts and came to leadership this time with a fully branded, turn-key opportunity instead of an item. So this fall, we’re launching into the category with four new games – and it’s been really exciting to see it come to light.

What went into developing these titles?
To get into the games business, we really took our time studying the category. From Circana data to retail walks, we dug into every facet of the business: mechanics, price points, packaging, branding, rule sheets… When it came time to choose the titles, I knew exactly how I wanted to do this.

For example?
I chose games you can pick up and start playing almost instinctively; you barely need a rule sheet. But if you do flip it open, the rules are as thoughtfully designed as the packaging, so they’re actually enjoyable and fun to read. Personally, I love quick games that have that little twist or trick you can master… The kind of mechanic that pushes you to outsmart other players just a bit more each time. That’s how “one more round!” can turn into an entire evening. Multi-generational play and licensing are part of our DNA at Jazwares and had to be key elements of our gaming strategy. You’ll see all that and more in these titles.

Great segue! Can you shed light on the titles?
Yes! I’ve pitched this a hundred times over to retail, so it’s nice to immortalise it in print! Starting with a game for our youngest players is Pooch on the Loose from our partners over on Lambton Place: Seven Towns! It’s a friendly chase of cats and dogs that has kids racing around the board collecting tasty treats as puppies! But watch out… There’s a pair of pesky feline Park Purrtrollers looking to nab you in their net and take those treats for themselves! All you need to do is get home with three bones to win before getting caught.

Lovely! What else?
Then we have a fast-flipping card game called Banana Panic – also from our friends at Seven Towns. It’s full of quick thinking, fast reflexes and a bit of light strategy that’ll have you going bananas! This is the perfect game you can bring to family game night, parties, and social ice breakers.

Another card game we have is so fast, smart, fun and addictive… If you can make a three- letter word, you can play Spellio! It’s a word- driven challenge that’s going to spur creativity, conversation, competition and those ‘one more round’ moments. I had the pleasure of being introduced to Max Gelbert and Deb and David Raiser, who were selling their game at New York Toy Fair… When I played this at their booth, it was an instant license for me.

To round out the line, when this opportunity came my way, it was an immediate “connection” and I “closed it off” with them right away. We had the pleasure of developing a game based on the most talked-about dating show on reality TV: LOVE ISLAND! And our game Love Island: Villa Life is going to let you take the Villa vibes home to play like a real Islander. All four games are launching this Fall!

Exciting times. What have you learned from this games journey?
I’ve learned that our core values – passion, collaboration and humility – really do sit at the centre of everything we do. It’s what makes being a Jazmanian and working alongside other Jazmanians genuinely special. I was passionate about trying something new, and – honestly – being a little naive about it helped.

I didn’t know all the reasons why it would be hard, but not knowing the rules means you’re not limited by them. At the same time, I was very aware that I didn’t know everything to get this done. I wasn’t ashamed to ask what might’ve sounded like dumb questions, and leaned on friends and colleagues who walked this road before. It was no surprise that people were more than happy to lend their expertise and share knowledge… Collaboration is what moves things forward. When we’re working together, anything becomes possible.

To my team, I share a special thank you for trusting me to lead us on this journey; for your patience as we navigated the unknown, and your tremendous passion to go above and beyond to drive results.

What’s next for BlueJ?
The sky’s the limit for us. We’re cooking up more game titles, developing new toy product lines and I’m going to keep taking those big swings in new areas. When Mojo gave me that Design Icon award a few years ago, I figured I’d better live up to it.

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