Asia Society 8d ago

LOS ANGELES, June 9, 2026 — Bandai Namco Entertainment America Senior Vice President of Corporate Development Karim Farghaly and Senior Business Development Manager Yukiko Hanzawa, and Skybound Entertainment Co-Chairman Jon Goldman examine how Japanese and American gaming industries cross-pollinate. Google Head of Gaming Partnerships Moonlit Beshimov moderates. (54 min., 11 sec.) As part of Asia Society Southern California's U.S.-Japan Initiative Program IV, the discussion spans how Japanese IP travels to Western markets without losing its core identity, the diverging monetization philosophies behind the rise of free-to-play gaming, and what the U.S. industry has yet to absorb from Japan's creative culture. Farghaly addresses Bandai Namco's approach to activating franchises like Gundam and Pac-Man across games, toys, and live experiences. Hanzawa reflects on in-game collaborations with Activision Blizzard that brought Japanese IP to Western players, and a free-to-play monetization strategy that didn't translate across regions. Goldman argues that Japan's tendency to prioritize fun over brand strategy remains a model worth following. Subscribe for more videos like this: http://AsiaSociety.org/YouTube --- Support Asia Society today: http://AsiaSociety.org/Donate --- Subscribe to our newsletter to stay connected: https://asiasociety.org/email-subscriptions --- Facebook: http://facebook.com/AsiaSociety Instagram: http://instagram.com/AsiaSociety Twitter: http://twitter.com/AsiaSociety LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/company/asia-society/ #asiasociety #asiasocietysoutherncalifornia #usjapanrelations