Shuhei Yoshida, the former president of Sony Worldwide Studios and an important figure in the PlayStation division, recently shared that he was never considered for the role of CEO of Sony’s gaming division.
Why Yoshida Was Not Considered
Despite his long career and major contributions to the success of PlayStation, Yoshida believes Sony did not see him as reliable enough to make the best business decisions. He mentioned that the company thought he was “crazy” like Ken Kutaragi, the former CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment who resigned in 2006 after the PS3’s early struggles.
Yoshida’s Thoughts on His Leadership Style
In an interview with Game File, Yoshida said, “Probably because they didn’t trust me to be making the best business decisions. I always wanted to do something interesting, you know, something new or innovative and never done before, that may become the great thing in the future.”
He also pointed out that after Ken Kutaragi, the company had other business-focused leaders like Kaz Hirai, Andrew House, and Jim Ryan. “So there must be a reason for that,” Yoshida added.
When asked if he might have been a bit too crazy for the role, Yoshida agreed, saying, “Yeah.”
Yoshida is known for his bold decisions in the past. For instance, during the development of God of War (2018), he once imposed a six-month delay because he found issues with the game that needed fixing.
