Posted Mar 04, 2008 at 08:01PM by Ryan C. Listed in: Wii, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Games for Windows Tags: Sony, Phil Harrison, Infogrames, SCEI, Playstation Home
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Phil Harrison - Image 1


Phil Harrison is definitely making today's headlines, what with leaving Sony to become the president of Infogrames and all. But after the rather drastic change in occupation, what's next for the man who brought us PlayStation Home? We find out via his first speech to colleagues and key press, held in Manhattan's Ritz-Carlton hotel.

In the speech, Phil explained why he left Sony, and he did this by pointing to the key elements now arising in gaming and setting gamers (as well as developers) aflame. Here is his exact statement, verbatim:


After 15 years at Sony Computer Entertainment, where I had the chance to be part of something really special, and I'm incredibly proud of everything that company has achieved, the things that excited me the most, the things that turned me on as a gamer, and as a business person, and as a creative person were the future of our industry, the connected community experiences.

All the things we're starting to see emerge that are really exciting players around the world. And those are the things I started thinking about in terms of creating a company or getting involved with a company to really shape and direct a business towards that future.


He then began talking about Atari, and how he sees it as the biggest opportunity that exists in the industry today - the opportunity to "redefine, refocus, and and re-energize an incredible brand," a brand that helped gaming become what it is. And for his opening salvo, Harrison introduced the latest Alone in the Dark (PS3, Xbox 360, PC, Wii) title by Eden Studios - in itself a rebirth of a classic series.

While we're certainly surprised, we also can't help but be excited at the prospect of a bigger, better and badder Atari. Here's to Phil and his plans to get Atari back where it belongs.


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8 Comments


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   by spicyhamster - 2008-03-04
 » hmm

eye noo it


   Re: hush404 - 2008-03-05
 » It's Simple

He was bored with the business side of things and just wanted to jump into heading a team to follow his vision of what an awesome game would be and has found a perfect spot with a "down on their luck" small dev team that really has nothing to loose if Harrison did send them in the wrong direction.
   by mreverdred01 - 2008-03-04
 » I could see it

When older people think video games, they think Atari. It's got a classic name that people could get re-energized about. I could see some video game generation war far, far in the future being just Nintendo vs Atari. Oldschool company vs olderschool company. It seems like Phil Harrison has a plan and he's ready to get his hands dirty building a new company practically from the ground up. I think he can do it. Maybe the president of Microsoft's gaming division could quit and join Sega. That would be an intense turn of events if it was Nintendo, Sega, and Atari in a video game war again like when it was the NES, Sega Master System, and the Atari 7800.


   Re: ~~ - 2008-03-05
 » ~~

Dream on, neither sega nor atari have the funds to create their own console in todays market.

the only thing they will be sticking to are games.

Also, ever thought what nintendo might pull in the next generation ? There isn't much room left for innovation now is there ?
   by Binary - 2008-03-04

I bet Atari got a plan by 2012....new game console? maybe.

   by Seoulfood - 2008-03-05
 » yknow what'd be funny

Yknow how when Peter Moore went to EA, the quality of 360 games from EA were crazy better than PS3 games?

I wonder if Phil Harrison going to Atari will make the PS3 games from there way better than 360. I know there's no real conspiracy or anything, but makes you kinda wonder what if.


   Re: Yaz - 2008-03-05
 » Except that didn't happen :)

EA had problems with 360 to PS3 ports long before Peter Moore moved to EA Sports. They didn't get worse when Peter Moore joined them (if anything, EA's PS3 versions are getting better). :)

Hence I wouldn't expect Phil Harrison's move to Atari to have any effect on the relative quality between the 360 and PS3 versions of their games.
   by Kingofdaberbz - 2008-03-05
 » .........

Give me a break,He got canned.



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