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PHIL NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[gofreak]

I don't fucking get this!? Why!?

I was semi-wondering after the Kutaragi exit, how he felt about where the chips fell afterwards in terms of who got what positions.

There was talk for yonks about him being a successor to Kutaragi.

Maybe that was always his ambition, to take charge of SCE wholly, and that would probably have seemed really unlikely after Kaz took over.

 

[haowan]

Heading to Nintendo?

 

[Sin]

wow.. thats not a small fry ... its actually a sizable fish... wasnt he the one unveiling the sixaxis with kutaragi..? (that bald guy with the british accent..?)

No shit, he was the Executive Vice-President of SCEE and President SCEWWS.

 

[Ten-Song]

Woah, seriously? This is a huge loss to Sony if true.

 

[Kafel]

EA/T2 needs a vice-president.

 

[supermackem]

Bail out:lol

Alway had time for phil, a fellow brit who pushed europe more to the front than had been in the past. Sony look even more faceless as a company now without him. Would be a big catch for one of the other big two as he did well with third partys and over saw alot of great scee titles.

 

[CrushDance]

I was semi-wondering after the Kutaragi exit, how he felt about where the chips fell afterwards in terms of who got what positions.

There was talk for yonks about him being a successor to Kutaragi.

Maybe that was always his ambition, to take charge of SCE wholly, and that would probably have seemed really unlikely after Kaz took over.

I just find this unbelievable. The guy was what PS3 was all about for me. The hell....

 

[jgwhiteus]

Can we get quotes?

They were the ones about his frustration with SCEJ - usually execs aren't so candid about that kind of friction. But he might have been more honest since he knew he'd be leaving:

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=33412

GDC: Harrison admits frustration at Sony Japan #1

Too slow in accepting the idea of social gaming

Sony's Phil Harrison, head of worldwide studios for Sony, has expressed his frustration that the company's Japanese division was too slow at accepting the ideas of social gaming – a market now dominated by rival manufacturer Nintendo and its Wii console.

Sony Europe already had three products on the market designed specifically to encourage social gaming in the living room before the Wii was even released – the EyeToy, SingStar and Buzz – but Japanese execs didn't believe in the concept of families enjoying gaming together.

"It's a very interesting and frustrating thing for me to experience because I have been banging the drum about social gaming for a long time, with SingStar, EyeToy and Buzz," he said during a private lunch taking place during GDC week.

"And our Japanese colleagues said that there is no such thing as social gaming in Japan – people do not play games on the same sofa together in each other's homes. It will never happen. And then out comes the Wii."

 

[gofreak]

No shit, he was the vice-president of SCE WWS.

Vice? Wasn't he head?

Or was Kaz president in a non-executive kind of way?

 

[Borys]

What were his GDC comments? That he was angry at Sony Japan for not pushing family gaming (or gaming in the dining room)?

 

[grandjedi6]

He diss'd Sony Japan, so they took him out obviously

 

[Doc Evils]

WHAT THE FUCK MAN WHAT THE FUCK!

 

[Cataferal]

TON. But is it MEGA?

 

[CSSer]

Sony's only good PR guy is gone

 

[flipping_heck]

WHAT?!

I guess his comments at GDC were like a hint to Nintendo to bring him on

 

[drohne]

well, that about wraps it up for likable executives at console manufacturers -- now the field has been left to the noxious likes of reggie, jeff bell, and kaz

and besides losing their only intelligent spokesman, it can't be good for sony that they've lost the guy who oversaw their impressive coalition of first-party developers

though if this has anything to do with phil's frustrated yearnings towards casual gaming: don't let the door hit you on the way out

 

[CrushDance]

He diss'd Sony Japan, so they took him out obviously

No way.

Phil was probably already leaving guys, hence why he made those comments. It's highly unlikely SJ fired him.

 

[Borys]

Damn Wii Fit!!!

 

[Spider_Jerusalem]

WHOA

 

[number1jagsfan]

That's shit, I hope he stays in the business.

 

[DevilWillcry]

Sony Japan is really starting to piss me off.

 

[sprsk]

Wheres that guy who was complaining about megatons earlier?

 

[Neo 007]

Phil leaves Sony,Bill leaves Microsoft.Can't anyone else see whats happening here?

 

[Defuser]

OH GOD NO!!! Why phil why?!?!?!?!

 

[cedric69]

WHAT

THE

FUCK


This is big, huge, humongous. I can't believe it, really. Probably the best person that SCE had in its staff overall.

I wonder where he'll end up.

 

[Prine]

Kutaragi, Phil. The originals are being taken out one by one.

Kaz Hirai needs to watch his back

 

[CrushDance]

TON. But is it MEGA?

PHIL HARRISON.

 

[soul]

Phil bio that came with the PR:

Phil Harrison
President
Worldwide Studios

Phil has been immersed in the creativity, technology and business of game development for more than 20 years.

In September 2005, Sony Computer Entertainment unified its regional product development operations under a global structure, Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios, and appointed Phil to serve as President of the new organization. Working closely with the talented studios in Japan, Europe, North America and Polyphony Digital, Inc., Phil is responsible for setting the global product strategy and
managing development operations of 16 studios in five countries.

Phil is a corporate executive and representative director of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc, and Executive vice president of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe.

Since joining Sony in 1992, Phil has held executive management positions in Europe and North America – where he served as Vice President, Third Party Relations and Research and Development for SCEA from 1996 to 2000. He has been a core member of the teams that successfully launched all of the PlayStation family of hardware formats and innovative software that have helped expand the market for computer entertainment worldwide.

From 1989 to 1992, Phil served as head of development for Mindscape International and prior to that as a consultant game designer and graphic artist in the UK.

 

[Forsete]

Blah.. You will be missed Philly boy.

Damn, Kaz has taken over everything. :lol

 

[Luckyman]

OMG

Sony Ninjas are brutal.

 

[Narag]

Phil leaves Sony,Bill leaves Microsoft.Can't anyone else see whats happening here?

Dreamcast 2009 one console future?


Or is the whole they feel they don't fit in the company anymore or have done all they can and just decide to move on to different things?

 

[lastendconductor]

Nooooo

Wait. Weren't you Phil Harrison himself?

 

[gofreak]

He diss'd Sony Japan, so they took him out obviously

Lol, no.

This decision would have been made some time ago. In hindsight it was BECAUSE of this decision that he was able to be so frank at GDC.

 

[jiggle]

Will miss seeing him in E3 He was always entertaining in those conferences.

Hope he stays in the industry.

 

[godhandiscen]

Dammit, this is a great loss. I hope that this doesn't mean that Sony will change its strategy. They are doing great and its in great part thanks to Harrison. This is like when MS lost Peter Moore... thought times this gen.

 

[Sin]

Vice? Wasn't he head?

You're right, I meant vice-president of SCEE.

 

[SolidSnakex]

though if this has anything to do with phil's frustrated yearnings towards casual gaming: don't let the door hit you on the way out

He was always pushing casual games. Remember that before he lead SCEWW he was a big part of SCEE, and they more than any branch pushed for those types of games (Singstar, Buzz ect). That's the type of stuff he likes.

 

[C4Lukins]

I hope he already knew and it had nothing to do with his recent comments. Hopefully Microsoft will pick him up. He was my favorite Sony figurehead.

 

[DantesWrath]

AHHH FUCK. :|

 

[MrTroubleMaker]

wow this is big! that comment he made during GDC should have been an indicator to us. To bad he's going

 

[Mdk7]

WOW... completely unexpected, can't wait to see if the GDC critique has anything to do with this.

 

[CowboyAstronaut]

Went to go head up an important division in EA.

 

[Foil]

Well that sucks. Always liked Phil, hope he sticks around with another company. Well, anyone other than Nintendo...

MS might be smart to try and pick him up. He'd be a major upgrade over Shame "RE5" Kim.

 

[Reilly]

Odd timing. He was either told to resign or he'd be fired. I can't imagine this is something he planned, though, Moore left days after E3 last year.

 

[test_account]

I wonder why he quit. Kinda sad to see him quit anyway

 

[sinnergy]

The end is near!

 

[swander]

Microsoft had better have got in touch.

 

[Neo 007]

Dreamcast 2009 one console future?


Or is the whole they feel they don't fit in the company anymore or have done all they can and just decide to move on to different things?

No,Bills joining Sony and the Blu-Ray party

 

[Randy Lanzarote]

Shit....

I think a few people had some giggles in the other thread that Phil criticising SCEJ meant he was on the way out, but I don't think anyone was serious about it.

Wonder where he will go? If he turns up at one of Sony's rivals then that would be one hell of a coup by them.