Harrison takes the money and runs to Atari

Sony has announced that Phil Harrison, president of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios, is leaving the company at the end of February. While an executive departure isn’t usually that big of news, it is when it’s such a high level executive. Such departures can cause quite a shakeup within a company, especially one like Sony which has seen itself rattled a bit over the past few years. The weirdest part of this story? That Harrison might be leaving Sony to take over at Atari.

First, the weird news. If Harrison is to head to Atari after leaving Sony it would surely have to involve a truckload of money and some true power in running the company. At this point Atari as both a company and a brand are pretty bruised. Many assumed the company would not make it through another year unless someone else purchased it. But a big name hire like Harrison might show some confidence in the company’s survival. Certainly a story to watch.

Second, the Sony news. Losing Harrison, as noted, should produce quite a shakeup within Sony. It’s the second major PlayStation architect to leave within the past year, as the so-called “father” of the PlayStation Ken Kutaragi left last April. Where does this leave Sony’s gaming division? Well, that likely depends on who you ask. Many feel Harrison and Kutaragi had outstayed their usefulness to the brand, and a new influx of talent might be the breath of fresh air the PlayStation brand needs. Still, things did seem to be on the uptake for Sony as of late. It’s a bit startling to see some potentially bad news in the mix.

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