Ex-PlayStation Boss Kaz Hirai Says He Ignored Sony Headquarters
Former PlayStation chief Kazuo "Kaz" Hirai says he simply ignored Sony headquarters when he ran the games business. His rule was blunt: "What the headquarters says is irrelevant. We are PlayStation." That is quite a line from a company man.
Hirai was president of PlayStation from 2007 to 2012. He said that while president of Sony Computer Entertainment, the division then in charge of the PlayStation home console business, he went his own way when Howard Stringer and other executives gave orders, according to Eurogamer.
The disclosure came in a conversation published by Japanese publication Nikkei XTrend. Eurogamer reported on the discussion, noting that the translation was provided by Game Observer.
Stringer was the Sony chief executive at the time. The twist is what happened next. Hirai later succeeded Stringer in leading the wider Sony group.
He stepped down as Sony CEO in 2018 after a six-year tenure. Hirai himself proposed the move, according to IGN, handing over after a period focused on cutting costs and refocusing the electronics and entertainment business.
As Sony CEO, he created the 'kando' slogan and corporate strategy. The idea was to encourage staff to make products and experiences that emotionally move people. It became a signature phrase of his time at the top.
Hirai was known for plain speaking while at PlayStation. In 2009, he dismissed Microsoft and Nintendo as competitors and described PlayStation as the "official" industry leader, according to GamesIndustry.biz.
What makes this stand out is the shift in roles. The executive who once brushed off head office later had to run it. For players, this means little for games on shelves now. It does fill in how separate PlayStation felt inside Sony during those years.
