Ex-Sony executive says Japanese game companies need to partner with Xbox to grow 

Former PlayStation executive and current Xbox partnership director Mena Kato stated that Japanese game publishers need to partner with Microsoft if they want to grow, as depending solely on Sony’s PlayStation will limit them. 

Mena Kato is an industry expert who joined Microsoft in July 2023 to lead Japanese global partnerships operations at Xbox. She had previously worked as an executive at Sony Interactive Entertainment for 8 years.  

With Microsoft being overwhelmed in the Japanese console market by fierce competition from Nintendo and Sony, Kato is tasked with strengthening Microsoft’s relationships with Japanese publishers and improving Xbox’s presence in Japan.  

According to Bloomberg Japan, Kato described Xbox’s current position in Japan as challenging, but also added, “If Japanese publishers want to further expand their businesses, it’s going to be difficult if they don’t create partnerships with us (Microsoft). They’re going to reach the limit of their growth if they depend only on Sony Corporation’s PlayStation.” 

The report also mentions that Kato is taking part in daily dialogues with Japanese publishers so that she can convey Japanese industry opinions to Microsoft’s headquarters. She believes that failing to include Japan’s creative and innovative game publishers will hinder Xbox’s global success. 

For a long time following the release of the original Xbox, Microsoft’s expansion policy did not sufficiently prioritize the Japanese market. This led to Nintendo’s and Sony’s consoles dominating the Xbox both commercially and in brand power. Recently, Microsoft seems to be taking steps towards strengthening Xbox’s standing among Japanese game publishers. As Xbox has a stronger foothold in the home console market in the West, the inclusion of more Japanese creators could also lead to more Japanese titles reaching overseas markets.