The appointment of Mena Sato Kato, former Sony executive, as director of partnerships in Japan for Xbox, marks an important turning point for Microsoft, which seeks to regain the trust of Japanese studios After struggling during the Xbox One era, Kato was on a mission to improve relations with Japanese studios and emphasized the Xbox’s necessity for publishers’ expansion into the market.
In his statements to Bloomberg, Kato highlights the importance of Xbox to Japanese publishers, arguing that relying solely on PlayStation may be an obstacle to the company’s growth. Work closely with Xbox President Sarah Bond and Japanese game studios to facilitate and enhance partnerships.
Japanese publishers will certainly need us to develop their business. It would be difficult to do this with just the PlayStation
The path to transformation
Although negotiations could take time, Kato recognizes the challenges and the need for change. He highlights the Xbox Windows PC market as a growth avenue, highlighting the success of Japanese companies like Capcom in markets outside of Japan thanks to this platform.
We are facing a challenge and that means there are still many things we can and must change.
Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, is working to strengthen relationships with Japanese companies. This includes partnerships with Square Enix, such as the upcoming release of Final Fantasy 14 Online on Xbox platforms in spring 2024, a significant step towards Xbox’s expansion into the Japanese gaming market.