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We had the opportunity to sit down with Hosoda Manorito, Managing Director of Konami Digital Entertainment Limited, for an exclusive interview at gamescom asia x Thailand Game Show. Speaking through a translator, Hosoda shared insights into his transition from creating one of gaming’s most beloved football franchises to steering the company’s strategic direction across Asia, discussing his career evolution and vision for Konami’s future in the region.
The Path from Developer to Director
Hosoda’s love for games has begun even before he joined KONAMI. Growing up in the Famicom era, he spent countless hours playing a large variety of games, including Western games. “It’s quite natural for him to enter a company related to games,” the translator explained.
His entry point was marketing for Winning Eleven, but game production had always been his true calling.
“He has been thinking in his mind that someday he would like to do game production,” the translator explained. His passion for football, which he played throughout his student years, made the choice of genre obvious. He jokingly noted that his skills on the field saw him move from center to midfield to defense over time, though he never made it to goalkeeper. His connection to the sport would prove valuable for his career.
By 2012, Hosoda achieved his goal of becoming a producer. He spent nearly a decade leading multiple PES titles before taking on broader responsibilities in 2021 as general producer of Konami’s game production division, which focuses exclusively on eFootball. And then he stepped into his current role as Managing Director of the Hong Kong branch.
Lessons from the Pitch
The skills Hosoda developed while producing football games turned out to be transferable to regional management. ” Developing a football game is quite special, as it requires a deep understanding of player expectations and gameplay dynamics. At the same time, the balance among different markets is also really important.” he explained.
Understanding how to approach each market became crucial. “There are a lot of similarities in making a football game with being a managing director in the Asian market. So that really helps a lot,” he noted.
During his time on PES, he recalled being overwhelmed by the volume of feedback. “He had a lot of opinions coming from different areas. For example, from Brazil, from the UK, and from Hong Kong. He was overwhelmed by all the opinions from different areas.”
Learning to synthesize these diverse perspectives while maintaining the game’s core identity prepared him for the complexities of regional business leadership.
Balancing Global Vision with Local Flavor
Managing a Japanese company’s regional operations requires cultural sensitivity, but Hosoda’s approach focuses less on exporting Japanese culture and more on localization. “Basically, the core experience for players is the same worldwide. So, we keep the core experience the same, and then we try to localize and culturalize the game to accommodate the needs from the local markets,” he explained, drawing parallels to his work on Winning Eleven.
He emphasized: “We are not trying to promote Japanese culture through the games.”
From Tokyo to the Heart of the Market
The most striking difference between his previous and current roles isn’t about authority or scope, but about proximity. “The biggest difference was that I am now living closer to the market. Because when he was a game producer, he was just sitting in the office, making the game every day in Japan.” he explained.
“For now, I am living in Hong Kong and currently visiting Thailand. Later on, I will be in Indonesia and other Southeast Asia region as well,” he continued.
This physical presence has changed his perspective entirely. “Now that I am closer to the market, I can already feel that my way of thinking and perceiving things has been influenced by it, and that’s the biggest difference for me.”
While the nature of his work has transformed, Hosoda sees continuity in the underlying creative process. As a producer, he focused on content creation and technical development. As managing director, he’s building business strategies and partnerships.
“What I am creating is different, but the creativity and originality behind it are the same,” he reflected. The common thread is creative problem-solving, even if the outcomes now manifest in business deals rather than game mechanics.
The Evolving Gaming Landscape
Hosoda’s dual perspective as both creator and executive gives him a view of where gaming is headed, particularly in Asia-Pacific. While graphics and network infrastructure continue improving, he believes the industry’s evolution goes beyond technical advancement.
“The gaming industry is shaped not only by developers but also by its users, who play an increasingly influential role. As such, we are committed to strengthening user engagement and communication.” He said. “The ecosystem has evolved significantly—beyond gameplay, streaming and content creation have become integral to the industry.”
Even merchandise has become part of this evolution. “”You can see that people are making T-shirts of the games as well. Looking ahead, the industry will be shifting towards to a user-focused model.”
An Asian Vision for Global Audiences
Looking ahead, Hosoda’s ambitions extend beyond business metrics. He wants to leverage Konami’s brand recognition to create something distinctly Asian for worldwide consumption.
“I would like to utilize the Konami brand and make a game that only Asian people can make and publish it to the world,” he shared. This represents both a creative challenge and a statement about Asian developers’ perspectives and capabilities. While he’s no longer directly creating games, his current role involves identifying and nurturing the partnerships that could bring this vision to life.
Hosoda Manorito’s journey reflects a career evolution from marketing eFootball to producing the series to now scouting developers at gaming conventions, demonstrating the gaming industry’s expanding recognition of Asia as a creative force.
