Phil Harrison dropped from executive position?
- Thread starter Shifty Geezer
- Start date
Everything I've heard from developers who worked with him said he was great. Can you list some of these disasters of his?
I don't know where that comes from either. The problem the way I've perceived it has always been that Phil ran SCEE very well with a keen eye for software development, that however went unrecognised for a looong, looooong time. He was part of the reason why SCE was formed in the first place, and then a lot of the important SCE developments now run from Europe (U.K.). He ended up being very frustrated with SCEA and SCEJ not recognising or picking up on the work SCEE was doing (SCEA only recently picked up SingStar and Buzz for instance, and EyeToy also came from Europe). The success of the Wii was very frustrating for him.
Ridiculous statement!!!!!
Of course he did something, otherwise he would be fired ages ago.
Being President requires a lot of work, however the work he does is not something that perhaps you are interested in, nor is it easily viewable to the public..
Okay, he did lots of work (which I don't deny) and did a good job. So why's he being shuffled? Is this part of his life-plan, or is he a victim here (Namco-Bandai purchase of Atari Europe) and will be looking to do something else instead? I don't see how this move enables his grand online vision that he entered Atari with.
Hard to say what's going on. The Europe buy-out could also be "engineered" by Atari Europe where Phil is.
Assuming this is the best course of action for them under this climate, then there is little day-to-day execution for Mr. Harrison. He can move on to take on new challenges.
I have heard a thing or two about expense related issues while Phil is in Sony (Spent too much money). Still, he's a great guy with a vision/direction. There are many types of execs. Some are amazing only with an army of support staff and resources beneath them (Not saying Phil is one of them !). In contrary, I have totally no idea what Chubachi contributed at the top of the organization, but fortunately, he's gone now.
Assuming this is the best course of action for them under this climate, then there is little day-to-day execution for Mr. Harrison. He can move on to take on new challenges.
I have heard a thing or two about expense related issues while Phil is in Sony (Spent too much money). Still, he's a great guy with a vision/direction. There are many types of execs. Some are amazing only with an army of support staff and resources beneath them (Not saying Phil is one of them !). In contrary, I have totally no idea what Chubachi contributed at the top of the organization, but fortunately, he's gone now.
Impossible to say without speaking to Sony and Harrison, but it could be many many reasons. Personal reasons, corporate reasons, there is an endless list of possibilities. Sony might have felt that some other guy was better suited for the job, or that his expertise could be better put to use elsewhere. Or maybe he got bored of being president? (my GF father recently got bored of being CEO of the largest electronical retail corporations in europe, and instead took a slightly lower position within the firm where he could do more interesting work)
Strange things have always been happening at Atari! It's nothing but a name that changes hands these days. No-one has been able to make anything of it since the Jaguar.
Unlike Europe (EMEA) and Asia, America is a homogeneous market. It is considerably easier and faster to spread when you have a winning formula. It is not uncommon for a company to focus on US first to establish a solid business.
EDIT: In other words, if Atari has limited resource, it makes sense to focus on US first/only, especially if they know the market well.
Surprised at this news. Perhaps Phil's vision is too grand, even for Atari. While Atari did initially subscribe to the excitement of restoring its former glory, maybe they have decided they don't have the stomach for Phil's arguably experimental approach to things.
To be fair, it is probably a reality to Atari that they cannot last long enough to produce the next Pong. On the other hand, Sony was probably one of the few companies to have been able to support Phil's ways. It is such a shame that he left (what we were led to believe anyway).
To be fair, it is probably a reality to Atari that they cannot last long enough to produce the next Pong. On the other hand, Sony was probably one of the few companies to have been able to support Phil's ways. It is such a shame that he left (what we were led to believe anyway).
Phil Harrison has his fans, especially here, but what he did with Sony was not exactly helpful. Atari has been a sinking ship ever since the early 80s.
It's kind of irrelevant what Atari does, and certainly what Phil does these days. He's a great talker, but sometimes you gotta do more.
It's kind of irrelevant what Atari does, and certainly what Phil does these days. He's a great talker, but sometimes you gotta do more.
grandmaster
Veteran
Some might argue that Sony's excellent first party line-up this year is Phil's legacy. Games take years to make, not months. Certainly, the previous PlayStation generations' success owes a lot to his work. Back then, he had the luxury of allowing his long term plans to come to fruition in his own time since there wasn't exactly any decent competition in the console arena.
Phil's contribution to the industry should not be understated - I think most of the Harrison hate is down to him unfortunately becoming the very public face of some of the PS3's most humiliating moments... for example, berating Xbox for its poor BC, then seeing all BC removed from the PS3. I'm sure you can refer to UK: Resistance for the other quotes.
Phil's contribution to the industry should not be understated - I think most of the Harrison hate is down to him unfortunately becoming the very public face of some of the PS3's most humiliating moments... for example, berating Xbox for its poor BC, then seeing all BC removed from the PS3. I'm sure you can refer to UK: Resistance for the other quotes.
Yes, as I understand it, the modern face of Sony's line-up is thanks in considerable part to Harrison. EyeToy, SingStar, Buzz are some of his successes. When Media Molecule went to Sony, HArrison got it straight away and gave them his full support, such that they didn't bother looking anywhere else. I've only ever heard developers compliment Harrison on his vision and the freedom he afforded them. His legacy looks to be some of SCEE most profitable franchises.
I'd like to know the reasons for thinking otherwise. What did Phil get so wrong?
I'd like to know the reasons for thinking otherwise. What did Phil get so wrong?
I don't understand how anyone can say Phil is responsible for the first party software like it's a good thing. While those games have their fans here, the fact is the vast majority of them are market duds or severely underperformed. Sony has been backed into a corner with its games lineup that is not selling to people, by and large, which is the ultimate goal. Whether developers liked him or he latched on to games that looked fun and innovative like LBP is pointless if those games don't sell up to expectations.
A lot of it might just be his taste in games just does not translate to the larger American markets. SingStar and Buzz? 99% of gamers here don't even know what that is.
There's a lot of blame to go around for the PS3's "failures", and Phil deserves just as much of it as the rest of Sony's leadership team.
A lot of it might just be his taste in games just does not translate to the larger American markets. SingStar and Buzz? 99% of gamers here don't even know what that is.
There's a lot of blame to go around for the PS3's "failures", and Phil deserves just as much of it as the rest of Sony's leadership team.
This is probably true, but the main issue is PS3's price point and muddled message. Phil's push for casual gaming is also not that suitable for the high price.
Nonetheless, the man also contributed positively and majorly to Sony and the industry. He helped to inspire PS3 gamers, partners and staff along the way too. Unfortunatey, part of that achievement may be marred by incooperation between the different regions.
Unit sales is an important measurement but not the only one. I don't think one can brush his achievements aside due to the complex environment.
EDIT: After his stint in Atari, he might have developed new perspective and skills. Hope he keeps moving forward.
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