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It turns out the rumors were true.
The gaming industry was stunned when Phil Harrison stepped down as president of SCE WW for apparently no reason. At the time of his departure rumors were circulating that declining gaming company Atari had reached out to Harrison to fix their sinking ship. But no one believed that Harrison, president and 15 year veteran of one of the most successful corporations in the world, would leave to work for a publisher that is facing a delisting on the Nasdaq exchange. But the rumors are true.
Phil Harrison has signed on to be President and Director General of Atari and will report to David Gardner, CEO of Atari's parent company, Infogrames. David Gardner had this to say:
"I am pleased to welcome Phil to Infogrames. "He has an outstanding reputation in the industry, as one of
the key leaders behind the success of PlayStation. We have been seeking
an opportunity to work together for some time and I am certain he will
be able to make a significant contribution to [Atari's] publishing
strategy."
Phil Harrison seems happy with his new position:
"This is the perfect time to join Infogrames and help shape the
future of Atari, one of the industry’s legendary brands. As the game
business moves rapidly online, I believe we have an outstanding
opportunity to create amazing network game and community experiences
for players the world over."
You have to wonder what would drive Harrison to leave the company he has served for 15 years, especially at a major turning point that he is mostly responsible for. Maybe he felt his position was getting tired and stale? Maybe he wanted to take on a new project after making the PS3 a success? Or maybe Atari offered him a truckload of money? Yeah that sounds about right.
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