Lasky leaves EA Mobile

In December 2005, Electronic Arts bought its way into the mobile entertainment industry for about $680 million with the acquisition of Jamdat Mobile, a cell phone gaming company headed by Mitch Lasky. Lasky was able to stay at the helm of what was once his company as EA's executive vice president of its online and mobile division, but now the Jamdat founder is cutting the last ties with his former company.

High-tech venture capital firm Benchmark Capital announced yesterday that it is making Lasky a general partner. In his new role, Lasky will help the firm identify investment opportunities in areas including mobile content, gaming, and digital privacy.

Replacing Lasky at EA will be another founding member of the Jamdat executive team. Michael Marchetti, formerly vice president and COO of EA Mobile, was also the COO of Jamdat from its inception until its acquisition by EA. Effective April 2, Marchetti will be the senior vice president and general manager of EA Mobile, but he won't inherit Lasky's responsibilities for the company's online division.