Kaz Hirai ignored Sony leadership as PlayStation boss and later pushed for unity
Kaz Hirai said he often went his own way at Sony Computer Entertainment, but later as Sony CEO he focused on unifying the company.
Hirai led PlayStation from 2007 to 2012 and later succeeded Howard Stringer at the head of Sony.
According to Hirai, his approach shifted from independence at PlayStation to tighter alignment across the wider company.
What happened
Kaz Hirai looked back on his time at Sony and said that, as head of Sony Computer Entertainment, he regularly followed his own path. In comments cited by Eurogamer, he said he did not always follow directions from Sony’s senior leadership. That fits with his period as president of Sony Computer Entertainment, the division responsible for PlayStation, a role he held from 2007 to 2012.
The same source later connects Hirai to the top of Sony itself. After his time at PlayStation, he succeeded Howard Stringer as the company’s leader. In that later role, Hirai described a different management style. He said he wanted Sony’s divisions to move toward one shared goal rather than operate separately. That marked a clear shift from a relatively autonomous division head to a central company leader.
Hirai also said his first priority was to make sure people knew him and to get everyone moving in the same direction. That detail makes his later leadership style more concrete: first visibility and internal alignment, then further direction-setting. In the provided source, this is presented as a contrast with his earlier attitude at PlayStation, where he says he was less inclined to follow the line from above.
The source also places this in the broader history of Sony during a period of change. The YouTube context notes that Hirai later replaced Stringer and that Sony was going through a difficult phase, which, according to that description, made a change in direction necessary. That context supports the idea that Hirai’s later role was not just about his own style, but also about restructuring a large company with multiple divisions.
Timeline
2007: Kaz Hirai becomes president of Sony Computer Entertainment / PlayStation.
2007-2012: Hirai leads PlayStation and later says he often went his own way during that period.
2012: Hirai leaves the role of PlayStation president.
After 2012: Hirai succeeds Howard Stringer as leader of Sony.
During his time leading Sony: Hirai says he wanted the divisions aligned around one shared goal.
In the same period: Hirai says his priority was for people to get to know him and move in the same direction.
Background
The source also links Hirai to Sony’s term “kando,” a word referring to products and experiences that emotionally move people. Based on the provided information, it is not fully clear whether Hirai coined the slogan himself or is mainly associated with it. The claim is connected to him in the source, but its exact origin remains unclear in the material provided.
The included YouTube context says Hirai later succeeded Stringer and that Sony was in a period of change. That metadata adds context, but does not confirm new details about the interview itself. It does, however, fit the picture of Hirai’s move from PlayStation to Sony’s top job coinciding with a broader reorientation inside the company.
The exact wording of Hirai’s comments also remains open, since the provided information refers to an interview summarized by Eurogamer rather than the full original text. So it is safe to say that Hirai described himself as someone who often acted independently at PlayStation, but not to claim more detail than the source supports.
The timing of the leadership change is also limited to the main points in the source. What is clear is that Hirai was president of PlayStation from 2007 to 2012 and then took over Sony from Howard Stringer. The source therefore presents a straightforward career arc: first a division chief, then a company leader, with a clear shift from independence to central coordination.