Former PlayStation President Kazuo Hirai Reveals He Ignored Sony Headquarters Orders
Kazuo Hirai, who served as president of PlayStation between 2007 and 2012, recently revealed that he often ignored instructions from Sony's corporate headquarters during that period. In a conversation published by Nikkei XTrend, Hirai stated that he maintained an independent approach for the gaming division, telling executives that headquarters' directives were irrelevant to PlayStation. Hirai later succeeded Howard Stringer as CEO of Sony, a role he held until 2018. As CEO, he sought to unify the company's divisions under a shared strategy, contrasting with his earlier autonomous management style at PlayStation.
Key points
- Kazuo Hirai led PlayStation from 2007 to 2012.
- Hirai admitted to disregarding orders from Sony executives during his time as PlayStation president.
- He later served as Sony CEO until 2018, where he prioritized organizational unity.
- Hirai introduced the 'kando' corporate strategy to encourage emotional connection in products.
What happened
Kazuo Hirai has disclosed that he frequently bypassed directives from Sony's top leadership while managing the PlayStation business. According to a report in Eurogamer citing Nikkei XTrend, Hirai described his past management style as intentionally autonomous, often telling executives that headquarters' input was irrelevant to the gaming division's operations.
Context
Hirai's tenure as PlayStation president occurred during a challenging period for the brand, which included the launch of the PlayStation 3, the release of the PlayStation Vita, and the 2011 PlayStation Network outage. He eventually succeeded Howard Stringer as the CEO of Sony.
Upon becoming CEO, Hirai shifted his management philosophy to emphasize internal cohesion. He implemented the 'kando' strategy, which aimed to align Sony's various divisions toward creating products that resonate emotionally with consumers, effectively working to prevent the same siloed behavior he had previously practiced.
Why it matters
Hirai's admission highlights the historical autonomy of the PlayStation division within Sony and his subsequent shift toward centralized corporate leadership.
What we know
- Kazuo Hirai served as president of PlayStation from 2007 to 2012.
- Kazuo Hirai served as CEO of Sony and stepped down in 2018.
- Hirai stated he ignored orders from Sony executives while leading PlayStation.
