Sony was founded in 1946 by Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita in a small Tokyo department store. Initially named Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo, the company started with the development of consumer electronics and gradually expanded into various sectors, including music, movies, and gaming. The introduction of the iconic Walkman in 1979 revolutionized how people listened to music, and Sony continued to innovate with products like the PlayStation gaming console, which became a major player in the gaming industry.