Xbox Hires PlayStation Veteran to Lead Renewed Push in Japan

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. ...