This former PlayStation executive says Japanese video games need Xbox to grow

Kato, a PlayStation veteran, immediately becomes one of Microsoft’s highest-profile Xbox executives in Japan, and her main role will be to steer dialogue with local creators and spearhead new initiatives. — Bloomberg

Microsoft Corp is betting that Mena Kato – a PlayStation veteran who grew up playing Nintendo classics like Donkey Kong – will help it finally drive a wedge into the world’s No 3 gaming market.

Kato helped build Sony Group Corp’s console into a dominant presence in the games industry over two decades with PlayStation. Since July, she’s taken on a far more daunting task: selling the Xbox to studios who swear by Sony and Nintendo Co. She’s counting on her dealmaking skill, Microsoft’s global reach and her own local connections to finally make the Xbox a relevant player.