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What you need to know​

• Mena Sato Kato worked previously as the Vice President of Mobile Business for Sony Interactive Entertainment.
• She was with Sony for about 8 years before leaving in 2021.
• According to an announcement on her LinkedIn, she has been hired by Xbox as the Director of Partnerships in Japan as part of the Gaming Ecosystem Organization.
• Mena Sato Kato lists on LinkedIn that she is "responsible for leading partnerships for Japanese publishers at Xbox."

If there's one thing fans of Xbox are very vocal about missing out on, it's JRPGs and other large releases from Japanese developers or publishers. PlayStation's ongoing love affair with Square Enix has led to Xbox players missing out on the Final Fantasy 7 remaster and Final Fantasy 16. However, Xbox CEO Phil Spencer recently appeared on the Square Enix stage to announce a new partnership to bring more Square Enix titles to the console. However, a recent job change announced on LinkedIn may be just what Xbox needs to develop better relationships with Japanese publishers.

Mena Sato Kato, an executive who spent 8 years in leadership roles at Sony Interactive Entertainment, announced via LinkedIn she has joined Xbox as the Director for Partnerships Japan.

According to Mena Sato Kato, her new role at Xbox will be to lead partnership efforts that support Xbox's Japanese partners on a global scale. She expects the role to be a new chapter and one that will be "Unlocking new experiences in the game industry."

In the post, Kato expressed she was looking forward to seeing colleagues at the Tokyo Games Show from September 21 to September 24 this year. Xbox is expected to attend what has been teased as "the biggest Tokyo Game Show," with the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association (CESA) releasing a statement acknowledging fans' high demand for the show.

Former Sony executive joins Xbox to lead Japanese partnership operations

Mena Sato Kato was previously the Vice President of Mobile Business for Sony.

www.windowscentral.com

 

[saintjules]

Sounds like the right move. Someone with a native tongue and coming from SIE, which is even better to help get Companies and devs on board with Xbox.

 

[Nankatsu]

 

[DeepEnigma]

 

[jm89]

She was with sony during 2013-2021 when there strategy for the japanese market was dire

She was high up as well

 

[adamsapple]

 

[Ar¢tos]

This would have been a great move... 10 years ago...
Now... Not so much.

 

[Dcr1d3r]

Definitely a good step in the right direction for MS

 

[Bungie]

 

[UnNamed]

Last time a Sony executive left Sony for a rival company, that company failed within 6/7 years.

 

[saintjules]

This would have been a great move... 10 years ago...
Now... Not so much.

Perhaps. Maybe she wouldn't have had enough experience back then to do the necessary work for Xbox. But now they possibly have a better version of Mena after having working with SIE prior.

 

[crunchyBiscuits]

Someone needs to post that "in Japanese culture" copypasta

 

[phaedrus]

Someone needs to post that "in Japanese culture" copypasta

Mena Sato Kato just shot herself in the foot!

 

[Mr Hyde]

Jim Ryan playing 4D chess and deploying a rogue agent to fuck up MS japanese relationship even more.

 

[The Pleasure]

We're going TO MEMPHIS!

 

[deriks]

This would have been a great move... 10 years ago...
Now... Not so much.

Yes, but could be great to the future

 

[StueyDuck]

as long as they know how to say "and we will own you with our billions of dollar" then anyone can do that role i suppose.

the classic Phil Strategy

 

[Zheph]

it's over for playstation ©

 

[SmokedMeat]

Not sure who was in charge before, but it’s certainly not a bad move.

 

[DeepEnigma]

 

[adamsapple]

"I hope to see many of you at TGS"

 

[March Climber]

GAF, what's the best way to do the tri-handshake properly? There has to be a way for it to work.

 

[DeepEnigma]

GAF, what's the best way to do the tri-handshake properly? There has to be a way for it to work.

You don't.

 

[Kilau]

She was with sony during 2013-2021 when there strategy for the japanese market was dire

She was high up as well

So her role with MS is just official now. Well played Spencer-san.

 

[Virex]

Former Sony executive joins Xbox to lead Japanese partnership operations

Mena Sato Kato was previously the Vice President of Mobile Business for Sony.

www.windowscentral.com

Mena Sato Kato and Microsoft just shot themselves in the foot.

I don't know how much the rest of you know about Japanese culture (I'm an expert), but honor and shame are huge parts of it. It's not like it is in America where you can become successful by being an asshole. If you screw someone or a company over in Japan, you bring shame to yourself, and the only way to get rid of that shame is repentance.

What this means is the japanese public, after hearing about this, is not going to want to purchase Xbox consoles or games for either Series X or Series S systems, nor will they purchase any of Microsoft's other games. This is HUGE. You can laugh all you want, but Mena Sato Kato and Microsoft has alienated an entire market with this move.
She must, publicly apologize and cancel her employment at Microsoft or Microsoft can kiss it's business goodbye.

 

[adamsapple]

GAF, what's the best way to do the tri-handshake properly? There has to be a way for it to work.

 

[twilo99]

It won’t help them at all

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

Team friends xD

 

[nightmare-slain]

Last time a Sony executive left Sony for a rival company, that company failed within 6/7 years.

are you suggesting that Microsoft will fail in the next decade? they are worth trillions of $ lmao they aren't going anywhere in the next 40-50 years minimum.

She was with sony during 2013-2021 when there strategy for the japanese market was dire

She was high up as well

so the entire PS4 gen?

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

 

[FoxMcChief]

 

[Thirty7ven]

Good for her.

 

[cireza]

Another Midjourney masterpiece.

 

[fart town usa]

Is this one of those instances where she's gonna bring shame to her family and be ostracized from society? Lol (FFXIII post)

 

[Sintoid]

Mena Sato Kato worked previously as the Vice President of Mobile Business for Sony Interactive Entertainment

Sony Mobile in Japan? Good Luck...

 

[nial]

They always get SCEI people for some reason, it also happened back in 2000.

 

[Unknown?]

Another secret agent like Harrison?

 

[GymWolf]

This is big, maybe it's time to change this gif for good

 

[I'm nobody]

Probably a spy for Sony
Double pay

 

[drganon]

I'm sure it'll make a real big difference.

 

[SNG32]

Sure every little bit helps I guess. I mean it didn’t help them much when they were money hatting games in the 360 generation with Japanese devs. All this is going to do is make them spend even more for Japanese content on gamepass.

Even though the majority of Xbox users don’t play Japanese games.

 

[Ozriel]

Sure every little bit helps I guess. I mean it didn’t help them much when they were money hatting games in the 360 generation with Japanese devs. All this is going to do is make them spend even more for Japanese content on gamepass.

Even though the majority of Xbox users don’t play Japanese games.

Putting the games on GamePass is a good step towards building that audience.

 

[Elysium44]

are you suggesting that Microsoft will fail in the next decade? they are worth trillions of $ lmao they aren't going anywhere in the next 40-50 years minimum.

Microsoft isn't going anywhere but what about the Xbox division? That only exists because Microsoft continues to bankroll them.

 

[SNG32]

Putting the games on GamePass is a good step towards building that audience.

There’s already quite a bit of Japanese titles on gamepass already though. Hi-Fi Rush didn’t make the money it needed to make Microsoft. The only devs I can see benefiting especially releasing exclusively is Japanese indie devs. Microsoft probably won’t have to pay as much as they would devs like Bandai, Capcom, Square and atlus the major Japanese devs. The mindshare for Japanese games will be Nintendo and PlayStation.

The Xbox audience doesn’t really care for those games. If they did you wouldn’t be seeing Microsoft missing out on so many.

 

[SenkiDala]

 

[rickybooby87]

No matter what, this is Japan:

 

[Deerock71]

We're all good now, right? RIGHT?

 

[TheThreadsThatBindUs]

• Mena Sato Kato worked previously as the Vice President of Mobile Business for Sony Interactive Entertainment.

What mobile business?

Sony's most successful mobile games aren't even under SIE, but rather Aniplex which is part of Sony Pictures.

 

[spons]

This is big, maybe it's time to change this gif for good

Hope worst not situation? The fuck does that even mean.

 

[Hawking Radiation]

Someone needs to post that "in Japanese culture" copypasta