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PlayStation Worldwide leader Phil Harrison to leave Sony

Long time PlayStation leader Phil Harrison will soon be leaving Sony. Harrison, the president of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios will resign his post on February 29, 2008. Taking over Harrison’s duties will be current SCEI president Kazuo Hirai.

“As one of the founding members of SCE, Phil played a key role in the development and growth of the PlayStation business and our industry,” said Kazuo Hirai. “It is sad to see him departing from SCE, but I wish to express my gratitude for his many invaluable contributions and also wish Phil the very best of luck in his future endeavors.”

Harrison has logged 15 years with Sony, joining the PlayStation business in 1992, before the formation of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe.

“The past 15 years at Sony Computer Entertainment has been the defining journey of my life so far,” said Phil Harrison. “I am grateful to all the PlayStation family for their incredible support, guidance and friendship. It has been a privilege to serve as part of the team and be inspired by them on a daily basis. I am so proud of everything PlayStation has achieved and will continue to support its future in every way I can.”

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Voted Off
By Master Kenobi (blog) on 2/25/2008 9:04:23 AM , Rating: 2
Looks like he got voted off the Sony Island. House cleaning anyone?




RE: Voted Off
By daftrok on 2/25/2008 9:25:48 AM , Rating: 2
If it IS in fact House cleaning, I don't see why they would choose Phil Harrison to get kicked first. Any ideas besides getting voted off?


RE: Voted Off
By Master Kenobi (blog) on 2/25/2008 9:28:10 AM , Rating: 3
Actually several others were "promoted up" or "resigned" shortly after the PS3 launch. Might have just taken a while to back him into a corner.


RE: Voted Off
By Tacoloft on 2/25/2008 9:30:15 AM , Rating: 2
I agree- torch was put out. "You are the weakest link...goodbye!" I think Sony's main concern now is convincing everyone that it is a gaming console. Sony has convinced the studios on Bluray now they need to bring in someone to start making exclusive game deals with publishers and ramp up game development or else it will continue to be a glorified movie player.


RE: Voted Off
By daftrok on 2/25/2008 11:48:22 AM , Rating: 4
Aha ha ha. Oh, gosh that's funny. That's really funny. Do you write your own material? Do you? Because that is so fresh. You are the weakest link goodbye. You know, I've never heard anyone make that joke before. Mmm. You're the first. I've never heard anyone reference, reference that outside the program before. Because that's what she says on the show right? Isn't it? You are the weakest link goodbye. And yet, you have taken that and used it out of context, to insult me in this everyday situation. God what a clever, smart girl you must be, to come up with a joke like that all by yourself. Mmm, that's so fresh too. Any titanic jokes you want to throw at me while we're hitting these at the height of their popularity? Hmm? Cause... I'm here. God you're SO funny.


RE: Voted Off
By michal1980 on 2/25/08, Rating: 0
RE: Voted Off
By Tacoloft on 2/25/2008 12:48:43 PM , Rating: 3
Daftrok,
No, no, no, YOU are funny! You are! You are the man! You should really do stand up because....I am here.
Tard.

But seriously, your sarcasm is truly honed like a samurai sword.


RE: Voted Off
By Zurtex on 2/25/2008 10:05:00 AM , Rating: 2
Glad he was voted off, there was something about Harrison that always bothered me, seemed a little too fanatical about things. I know you've got to plug your product, but it doesn't help when you're coming out with things that don't actually make any sense.


RE: Voted Off
By bandstand124 on 2/25/2008 11:05:14 AM , Rating: 3
Kenobi, do you have any information at all to substantiate your slander that he has been forced to resign? Or are you still just living in your Sony hating fantasy world?


RE: Voted Off
By tallcool1 on 2/25/2008 11:17:09 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
By Master Kenobi (blog) on 11/19/2007 3:24:50 PM , Rating: -1
Nothing. Sony doesn't innovate, they regurgitate.

I'm sure that quote speaks for itself...


RE: Voted Off
By Master Kenobi (blog) on 2/25/2008 11:48:51 AM , Rating: 2
That was referring to Sony (the company), but your free to compare apples and oranges all you wish.

Given Phil's track record in the last 2 years I would be highly surprised if he wasn't pressured to leave. This is typically done by saying they won't up his compensation, bonsuses, position, etc... The executive then proceeds to find a new job elsewhere or retires completely (See Ken Kutaragi). Both parties acknowledge that the individual decided it was time to leave and move on to greener pastures, etc... etc...


RE: Voted Off
By JAB on 2/25/2008 12:05:17 PM , Rating: 2
Or not. Mabey on TV. One doesnt need to find a negative Sony spin on everything. Somehow you do.... how predictable.

Differing views than where that division was going would be a far more likely reason. All of sony has been shaken up not just one part. Most likely his job just plain stopped being interesting or his pet projects did not get the support he wanted.


RE: Voted Off
By tallcool1 on 2/25/2008 3:11:51 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
“The past 15 years at Sony Computer Entertainment has been the defining journey of my life so far,” said Phil Harrison. “I am grateful to all the PlayStation family for their incredible support, guidance and friendship. It has been a privilege to serve as part of the team and be inspired by them on a daily basis. I am so proud of everything PlayStation has achieved and will continue to support its future in every way I can.”

Sounds to me like he is leaving on good terms.


RE: Voted Off
By MeTaedet on 2/26/2008 4:14:46 AM , Rating: 3
You don't really think that a human being - particularly one in a position like Phil Harrison's - would ever have any inclination to put on a good image, do you? I mean, there's virtually no reason for him to wish others to see him as gracious, grateful, humble, deferential, etc... Because... that stands to increase his employment opportunities, which is surely a terrible and onerous thing.

If you haven't learned yet to take the word of people who have every reason to lie with a big bucket of salt, well, gee... I'm sorry.

This is standard, boiler-plate, "busilese" (c.p. legalese), insincere, affectedly moral-highroading swill. In your lifetime you will probably never hear even the most disgruntled or bitter executive leave a company, either voluntarily or by force, without saying something similarly saccharine, inane, and the-great-unwashed-pleasing.

I for one think that he may have been coerced into leaving. I also think that it may have at least something to do with the remark he made a week or so ago concerning the Japanese division and, paraphrasing, "their incompetence". He said that he had been responsible for the development of casual, family gaming in Europe and was disappointed that the Japanese division had dropped the ball and made similar efforts in Japan.


RE: Voted Off
By RIPPolaris on 2/25/2008 2:45:15 PM , Rating: 2
I think there's a good chance he got kicked off because of his criticism of SCE Japan..

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=...


Severance package
By Tacoloft on 2/25/2008 9:24:39 AM , Rating: 5
I wonder how much money he is taking with him? These corporate executive types make more money leaving than they do actually working at the joint...
“Phil’s severance package includes a PS3 and 5 free movies!”




RE: Severance package
By AlphaVirus on 2/25/2008 11:58:50 AM , Rating: 1
Seriously I was thinking the same thing. He is probably trying to cash-out before Sony gets anymore more sour with the PS3 being their invesment right now.

Not saying the PS3 is a bad product because trust me I love mine and use it everyday for gaming, video, music, and interwebs. But unless you have been under a rock for 3 years then you would know how much bad PR the PS3 has gotten from both enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts.

Perhaps he saw something we are not able to see, and perhaps he saw that as a signal to bail ship...just a thought.

Or maybe his contract was up and we just wanted to start a new venture?

No matter what though he will be banking off of this.


RE: Severance package
By animedude on 2/25/2008 5:01:25 PM , Rating: 2
Please expand on the bad PR, because I must have been living under a rock for the last 3 years. I know the 360 has bad PR (famous red ring of death, 33% failure rate...) for the LAST 2 years and a half since its release. PS3 has only been on the market for 1 year and a half so how did you come up with the 3 years?


RE: Severance package
By AlphaVirus on 2/25/2008 5:30:03 PM , Rating: 2
It has technically been out for 3 years if you consider all the hype when it was first announced. Also if you consider the time the Wii came out, then the 360 but PS3 had not even surfaced until a year later. So that brings me to

bad PR
#1 Late start to the nextgen game market.
#2 coming late and having a high pricetag which most people found hard to digest, $600
#3 not having many games within its 1st year while Wii and 360 have many titles as they are in the 2nd and 3rd year respectively.

And yes the 360 had bad PR with the RROD but the Wii was the only alternative so most people either had both or just stuck it out with a faulty 360. So even though the 360 had the bad PR it still held pretty strong due to the PS3 not being out.

PS3 is still the better console in my opinion but you have to admit it had a pretty hard start.


Is this the...
By Noya on 2/25/2008 11:55:14 AM , Rating: 3
...bozo who stated he would pay anyone $1,200 if they could find a PS3 on a store shelf (after the hype was over and stores were stocked)?




RE: Is this the...
By Master Kenobi (blog) on 2/25/2008 12:07:18 PM , Rating: 2
No, that was Jack Tretton.

quote:
"If you can find a PS3 anywhere in North America that's been on shelves for more than five minutes, I'll give you 1,200 bucks for it." -- SCEA President Jack Tretton


RE: Is this the...
By BladeVenom on 2/25/2008 2:17:04 PM , Rating: 2
I hope Jack Tretton doesn't lose his job; he still owes me a few million on that one. ;)


RE: Is this the...
By JimmyC on 2/25/2008 8:52:06 PM , Rating: 2
...Interrupter, who rubs his junk on karate school windows?</Conan reference>


Atari?
By allnighter on 2/25/2008 9:59:17 AM , Rating: 2
And it looks like he'll be going to ... Atari!?
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=...




RE: Atari?
By glenn8 on 2/25/2008 12:14:23 PM , Rating: 2
RE: Atari?
By JSK on 2/25/2008 11:55:48 PM , Rating: 2
It is actually Infogrames, not Atari. Check their update.


"You can bet that Sony built a long-term business plan about being successful in Japan and that business plan is crumbling." -- Peter Moore, 24 hours before his Microsoft resignation









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