Kaz Hirai Recalls Ignoring Sony HQ Orders During PS Era
Former Sony chief executive Kaz Hirai has reflected on his years leading the PlayStation home console business, recalling that he frequently disregarded instructions coming from Sony headquarters. In an account reported by GameObserve, Hirai described approaching directives from then-group executives with a strong sense of independence. His remarks shed light on the relationship between Sony’s first-party PlayStation division and the wider corporate leadership during a formative period for the brand.
According to the account, Hirai often acted on his own judgment when Howard Stringer and other headquarters executives issued instructions. He summed up his stance bluntly: what headquarters said did not matter, because “we are PlayStation.” The comment captures the friction that existed between the console business and Sony’s central management at the time, with Hirai positioning the PlayStation team as an operation that worked on its own terms rather than following corporate direction from above.
When Hirai took over as CEO in 2012, Sony was posting losses. Facing outside skepticism and rumors of nepotism surrounding the previous CEO, he made establishing internal trust and aligning the company behind a single direction his top priority. His approach centered on unifying the workforce rather than chasing external validation, addressing the internal doubts that had accumulated during a difficult financial period for the company.
To bring teams together, Hirai visited more than 20 countries and nearly 50 cities over six years, repeatedly going down to factory floors. He also introduced the concept of “KANDO,” or emotional impression, urging departments to create experiences that resonated with users on an emotional level. Employees initially treated it as a slogan before gradually embracing it and applying it to product demonstrations. This self-account rounds out Hirai’s relaxed public image, revealing the underlying tension between PlayStation’s first-party ambitions and Sony’s corporate headquarters.
