MIXI CEO Details Three Paradigm Shifts From Monster Strike to Sports Betting
Kimura's account of MIXI's three paradigm shifts positions the company's pivot from Monster Strike to sports betting as a strategic move built on the same social mechanics that drove the game's success.
Reporting from 1 source: Game Spark.
In a talk at GAME FUTURE SUMMIT 2026, MIXI CEO Hiroki Kimura reflected on the company's three paradigm shifts: from social network to mobile game to sports betting. He detailed how Monster Strike's 4-player co-op design was inspired by Monster Hunter's viral structure, the struggles of global expansion in China and the US, and the current India strategy leveraging anime collaborations. Kimura also explained the pivot to sports betting through TIPSTAR, citing the limits of F2P games.
Kimura's career began at a competitor before he joined MIXI in 2008, where he was moved to the game division within three months, a transfer he saw as a demotion. That move led to what he calls three paradigm shifts: SNS, games, and sports. In developing Monster Strike, he partnered with Capcom veteran Yoshiki Okamoto, and the game's 4-player co-op design was inspired by Monster Hunter's viral structure. On global expansion, he noted the company's India strategy leverages limited Chinese competition and Japanese anime penetration via streaming. MIXI's sports betting pivot through TIPSTAR came from the limits of F2P games; the service applies the same 'festival-like' consumption as Monster Strike's gacha events. This led to the acquisition of PointsBet in 2025.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.