Kotaku
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atari
Phil Harrison No Longer President Of Atari
Last year, in a major coup for the fledgling company, Atari managed to hire former Sony Worldwide Studios boss Phil Harrison to serve as President. Now? Now he's no longer President.
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Comment by SocraticMethod: Good luck to Phil. As much of a Sony fanboy I am, he's the only Sony exec I probably... 9 Responses | Other threads
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history
Edge Explores The Genesis Of The PlayStation
The history of Sony's original PlayStation is largely well known to gamers, born of a disagreement with Nintendo, who it once partnered with to provide a CD-ROM drive for the Super Nintendo. More »
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Comment by aw3str1k3r: Ah, back in the days of when Sony was all about putting games at the forefront of their system, not... 46 Responses | Other threads
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sony
Phil Harrison Originally Wanted To Found His Own Company
Phil Harrison, the game industry's gentlest, most sharply-dressed giant, worked at Sony for 15 years. Then he left. While he ended up joining Atari, turns out the original plan was to start his own company. More »
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Comment by All the ladies love Mister Jack!: That might explain why he went to Atari in the first place. He's bound to have more clout there,... 6 Responses | Other threads
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atari
What Is Tetsuya Mizuguchi Doing These Days?
Well, not much with N3: Ninety-Nine Nights II, apparently! According to the upcoming issue of Famitsu, Tetsuya Mizuguchi (Rez, Lumines) isn't that involved in the game. More »
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Comment by seo_ace: Is N3 any use? I wanted to buy it but my mate works in a gameshop and refused to sell... 4 Responses | Other threads
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Taking Shots
Ghostbusters: Harrison Wants To Prove Activision Wrong
Atari's plucky bald president Phil Harrison would to show the world that Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick made a big mistake in dropping the Ghostbusters game from the company's lineup. More »
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By Mike FaheyComment by ninja_warrior: Honestly, how many people here would have bought the Ghostbusters game? Count me out. 32 Responses | Other threads
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atari
Phil Harrison Is "Pretty Confident" Young Generation Won't Buy Physical Media
One day, Atari's Phil Harrison believes, physical game media will be no more. No more DVDs, CDs, and no more video games in plastic boxes. Phil's take: "There’s a generation of kids being born today and probably already alive who I’m pretty confident will never buy a physical media product. They will never buy a DVD, they will never buy a CD, and they will never buy a game in a box." More »
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Comment by Ted: BUT WHAT WILL FUFILL MY URGES TO HAVE A NICE COLLECTION OF VIDEO GAME BOXES ON MY SHELF? I honestly have... 24 Responses | Other threads
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Buy, Sell, Trade
Atari Combats Resale WIth Expandable Experiences
With game companies all over the world depressed about the impact used game resales have on the industry, Atari offers up a simple solution - make games people don't want to let go of. More »
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By Mike FaheyComment by iddqdFTW: Personally, I tend sell off games that are single player only experiences. Having multiplayer involved is generally a must... 5 Responses | Other threads
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atari
Atari Reviving Baldur's Gate, D&D, Test Drive Unlimited
Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Dungeons & Dragons and Test Drive Unlimited haven't been forgotten by Atari. The publisher plans to bring each of those series back to its line-up — but not until after 2009. More » -
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atari
Phil Harrison On The Ghostbusters Game
As we previously posted, Atari have picked up the rights to the Ghostbusters game, left in limbo ever since the Activision/Vivendi merger killed off the game's original publisher, Sierra. The company plans to release Ghostbusters "early next summer", to coincide with the first movie's 25th anniversary. More » -
industry
Phil Harrison Talks Development Mistakes
Former Sony and current Atari exec Phil Harrison has been in the industry for eons. He's learned things. And while talking about Unity middleware platform at the Unite 08 conference in Copenhagen, Harrison discussed why many game projects fail. It's inside baseball, but here's Harrison: More »
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Comment by emcake: Actually, one of the main reasons projects fail is that people are just awful at time estimation. Coupled with the... 8 Responses | Other threads
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infogrames
SingStar Exec Leaves Sony For Atari
SingStar boss Paulina Bozek has left Sony's London Studio to join Phil Harrison at Atari/Infogrames. While at Sony, she's been the Executive Producer and Game Director of the 15 million selling SingStar juggernaut. In her new role at Atari/Infogrames, she'll be development director of a new online game studio. Says Harrison: More »
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Comment by frak-frakistan: Proof that SONY does not PIMP their girls like UBISOFT did with Jade Raymond even though this girl is way... 3 Responses | Other threads
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phil harrison
Check Out Phil's Going-Away Present From Sony
Phil Harrison didn't just work at Sony, the dude was Sony. Cut him and he'd bleed PlayStation. So when he upped and left for Atari earlier this year, there's no way all he was going to get was a pat on the back and a "thanks for your time". No, he was due something nice. Nicer than a gold watch, even. Something like this snazzy PlayStation-themed plaque, which SCE commissioned for him so he could hang it on his wall at Atari and remember the good old days, when he got to talk about games people actually gave a hoot about. More »
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Comment by GOLD5: How did you guys see it? Are you totally ninja stalking him still or what? Clearly a shot from the... more » | Other threads
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rumor
Phil Left Sony Because Of The...PS4?
And the clock strikes rumour o' clock. VG247 say that, according to "highly placed sources", they've learned why Phil Harrison left Sony. And it wasn't for an office door that read "Directeur Général Délégué". They say it was because development of the PS4 was about to kick off, and Phil just couldn't bring himself to go through the whole thing again. More »
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Comment by fuchikoma: @Craywulf: ...or saving coding from swirling down the drain into total waste and reliance on high-level languages. It's far more impressive... more » | Other threads
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phil harrison
Sony Files Multi-Touch Portable Patent
Before Phil Harrison left Sony to work for Atari, he cleaned out his desk. But before that, he was inventing stuff. What kind of stuff? Futuristic stuff. A new Sony patent has surfaced for a handheld gizmo that features a touchscreen and "pressure pads" running around its edges. According to the US Patent and Trademark Office, it's a “handheld device with touchscreen and digital tactile pixels” that can also be used to control the touchscreen. There's no specific mention of the PlayStation Portable, but the patent does mention potential uses in phones, gaming devices and portable media players. What's more, it does sound suspiciously like what we heard last year about the rumored PSP2... Hit the jump for images of the patent. More »
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Comment by Pi-face: Why is it that the first thing that popped in my mind after reading the title was molestation? more » | Other threads
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playstation 3
Poor Kaz Had No Idea Phil Was Going To Atari
Seeing as the pair were running the show as far as the PlayStation brand was concerned, you'd think Kaz Hirai and Phil Harrison would have at least discussed Phil's move to Infogrames, yes? No. Turns out big Phil's move was as much a surprise to Kaz as it was the rest of us: More »
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Comment by boopadoo: I think it was more like: "At the time, I didn't know he was going to ATARI." more » | Other threads
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atari
Phil Harrison Talks End of Single Player, Has Friends
Remember when Infogrames/Atari exec Phil Harrison said the company wouldn't be making another big-budge single player game? Sure ya do! Here, Harrison explains a bit better at what he was getting at: "I think the single-player, disconnected console game is probably in its dotage. Now, that doesn’t mean that those games aren’t relevant going forwards, but they will be enhanced by community features being embedded in them, or downloadable content becoming an inherent part of the experience, or some kind of user-generated content will be part of the experience. All of the things we see in other games, the things that we can point to in compelling games." Fair enough! Speaking of single player, has Phil Harrison made an easy transition to Infogrames from Sony? Says Harrison: More » -
clips
Phil Harrison Talks Alone in the Dark
GameVideos has an interview up with Phil Harrison about the upcoming Alone in the Dark game. He doesn't really shed a whole lotta new light on the game, which is fine because the included in-game videos do plenty of that. If you watch through the entire interview you'll get a look at the game's new DVD menu interface, how the game uses items and weapons together, some nice cut-scenes and a bit of the puzzles. It's definitely worth a watch for fans of Alone in the Dark. Personally, I'm a huge fan of the franchise from back in the day. Even though this game looks pretty slick, I'm still worried it won't live up to my memories of playing the game back in the early 90s. More »
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Comment by ShineyBlueShoes: Been more impressed with each new video, though I still want Alan Wake! more » | Other threads
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atari
Atari Is So Done With Big Single-Player Games
Atari's recent woes are common knowledge, and out of sympathy, don't bear repeating. Suffice to say, they're in their current pickle thanks to a trail of shitty releases over the past five years or so. So with new Infogrames man Phil Harrison looking to clean up shop, some stock has to be taken, and some changes made. One is an abandonment of big-budget, single-player games.I don't see that we're going to be making huge-budget, single-player games in the future. Now, that doesn't mean that we won't have ambition to do really incredible games that have high quality, high execution, and high innovation, but they won't be one-player, narrative-driven, start-middle-end games.
So...Atari need Alone in the Dark to do well. It's the only big game they've got this year. Yet if it does do well, they won't make any more games like it. Interesting! More »
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Comment by mcderek3000: Of course, they could have said "we will not make any more bad games". more » | Other threads
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alone in the dark
Phil Harrison Talks Teh Future of Atari
Yes, Phil Harrison really does work for Infogrames/Atari. Like really. Instead, Harrison says this about upcoming Atari title Alone in the Dark and what the future holds for the company: More »
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Comment by gravytoast: @Schoolimangooli: There's that, and the fact that they don't use spell check. Honestly, what was going through Phil Harrison's mind? He thought... more » | Other threads
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oddities
The Best Phil Harrison Fan Art Ever
If game exec Phil Harrison is worthy of gum stealing, surely, he's worthy of this Phil-meets-Back to the Future 2 style fan art. Found over at game site UK:R, where artist Dan writes: More » -
contest
Phil Harrison, Crecente as Eggs
The resemblance is uncanny. That's Harjit M.'s entry, which is based on this photograph and this post. You know, that could double as a J Allard egg as well. Still, this so makes us want to do a bird shirt contest. Here's what's going on: Decorate an egg (yes, an actual egg), take a pic of it with a Kotaku sign and send it to kotakucontestATgmailDOTcom. Commentland will vote for its favorite finalist. We'll kick this baby off right now, wrap it up on April 4th. Here's the loot, plus the bonus signed Fallout 3 shirt.
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Comment by Frank: The winner's gonna be a Witzbold Egg. I can sense it now... more » | Other threads
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atari
Atari Delisted From Nasdaq Stock Exchange
After what feels like years of threats, Atari have finally been handed a delisting notice from the Nasdaq stock exchange, after the company failed to raise the $15 million in market capitalization it needed to stay the executioners axe. An appeal's already been lodged, citing parent company Infogrames offer of a total buyout, but, yeah. Things don't look good. Guess Misseur Directeur Général Délégué has his work cut out for him. Those with a morbid fascination for death rattles can read Atari's full statement after the jump. More »
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Comment by TrevWolf: But what will happen to my shameless DBZ cash-in titles? They're the lynchpin of my gaming library. more » | Other threads
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business
Infogrames Want To Buy What's Left Of Atari
French company Infogrames are Atari's majority shareholder. Looks like they're soon to be their only shareholder. A letter has arrived at Atari HQ from Infogrames, no doubt signed in a beautiful, flowing script by the company's new Directeur Général Délégué, indicating their desire to buy any and all remaining Atari stocks for USD$1.68 per share. Atari don't have to accept, but then again, they don't exactly have the strongest of bargaining positions at the moment. More » -
clips
See, Hear Phil Harrison Call Atari "The Best Opportunity"
The Atari opportunity is the best opportunity that exists in the industry today to redefine, re-focus and re-energize an incredible brand, an incredible group of people towards that networked future. Um, and to do it in a fun way.
We watched this clip five times. It's real.
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Comment by foodnaptime: @CruiseElroy: You're crazy. And I trust Phil as well. more » | Other threads
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atari
Why Phil Harrison Joined Infogrames? Magnetic Attraction
Two words: Phil Harrison. A game exec so wonderful that we stole his chewing gum (above). Now wonder Infogrames wanted him to help the company become unsucky. But what could make Phil ditch Sony, a company that's clearly on the rebound. Company CEO David Gardner says this about new Infogrames prez. Phil Harrison: More » -
top
Phil Harrison's New Job
Well, it's Monday and, right on cue, here's Phil Harrison's new job: President and "Directeur Général Délégué" of Infogrames. He is also a member of the board of directors. Shoot, I was hoping he'd stay in the video game industry.
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Comment by hezz05: Infogrames! Respect to you, I've seen that brand come along a couple of times during my childhood! Now just make Atari... more » | Other threads
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letters to the editor
The Phil Harrison Letters
It's no secret that we're big fans of almost-former Sony Worldwide Studios head Phil Harrison. In fact, he, J Allard, Peter Moore and Reggie make up our video game exec dream team, a crusading force that we imagine takes to the streets at night to bludgeon criminals to death with their no-nonsense quotes and fierce scowls. More »
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Comment by Nereos: I miss him already. As i said before, he was a genuinely decent guy. more » | Other threads
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please help
Where In The World Is Phil Harrison?
Phil Harrison's gone. Up and left Sony. Which has us all very, very sad! We loved Phil. Some may say a little too much, but what do they know about love? Nothing. Exactly. So it hurts that since announcing his departure, we haven't heard from Phil. Not a "hi". Not a "hey guys, I'm OK". Nothing. Where are you, Phil? What are you up to? Is everything OK? Because when J left us, we knew where he was going. When Peter left us, we knew where he was going. But you...we don't know. Look, we're just worried about you, OK? Worried about you and the legion of Mini-Phils we cooked up last year. All they do these days is slink around the house, looking mopey, complaining about how Wii Sports stole SingStar's thunder. We need to hear from you, Phil. They need to hear from you. More »
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Comment by Random J: He could be in hiding getting a J. Allard style make over. more » | Other threads
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control issues
Harrison, Molyneux Agree - Controllers Are Too Complicated
Both soon-to-be-ex Sony Worldwide Studios head Phil Harrison and Fable creator Peter Molyneux agree - our game controllers are too complicated. To a person who has grown up playing video games they might seem second nature, but if you've ever put a PS3 controller into the hands of a non-gamer and watched them try to figure out where their fingers should go, you might agree.""We don't use half the buttons on the 360 controller," admitted Molyneux, "simply because the whole dream I've got is that someone will sit down to play Fable 2 who has never played a game before and they can play with someone who's played games the whole of their lives.
What a lovely way to put it. Harrison, on the other hand? A bit more colorful."You hand somebody a game controller and it's like you've handed them a live gun or a hand grenade with the pin taken out"
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By Mike FaheyComment by QitarahEspio: Comment on Harrison, Molyneux Agree - Controllers Are Too Complicated please leave our controllers alone. non gamers go buy a... more » | Other threads
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breaking
Phil Harrison Resigning From Sony
Phil Harrison, President of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios (SCE WWS) will resign on February 29th.
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Comment by slappyMCslappy: aaaaND the rats start abandoning the ship!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! more » | Other threads
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rumor
Phil Harrison Is Joining Atari?
This. Is. Insane. Rumor has it Phil Harrison is leaving Sony to join, you might want to sit down, Atari. Yes, Atari. That Atari. More » -
gdc08
Phil Harrison: Wii Install Base Is Over Half-Empty To Third Parties
Sony Computer Entertainment's worldwide studios boss Phil Harrison countered the success of Nintendo's latest console at GDC today, according to a Gamasutra report, saying that the Wii's "addressable market is only 40% of the installed base." He's talking about the prospects of third party developers, who, despite having a massive Wii customer base to sell to, have to compete with Nintendo's own software, effectively limiting the market by more than half. More »
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Comment by Sri Lumpa: Phenom88: "Anything with Mario in the title will sell and the other two are topnotch games. Look at how shitty most... more » | Other threads
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interviews
Playboy Gets Deep With the Geniuses of Play
I mentioned a week or so back that Playboy had an intriguing feature on their latest magazine that talks to a collection of game developers about some of the deeper issues involved in creating and expanding video games and play. More »
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Comment by Sabre_Justice: Okay, no more long name.: Articles AND boobs. Best magazine ever. more » | Other threads
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playboy
Three Smart Phil Harrison Quotes
As far as tall bald guys in suits go, Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios President Phil Harrison seems alright. Sure, he's said some stupid things. But, he's also said a few clever things. Take his recent interview with Playboy in which he talks about how disc based games and download titles can co-exist, how he used to get embarrassed telling girls about his job and what he would change if he had a magical wand. His answers are refreshing, surprising and most importantly not dumb. Hit the jump for those three quotes. More » -
2007 b.c.
SCEE Explains PS3 BC Backpedalling
By now, we're all aware of the price drop and feature drop of the PLAYSTATION 3 in Europe, resulting in a gimped 40GB model of the console. So why, exactly, was backwards compatibility dropped from the PS3? What was once a "core value" and "necessary" according to Sony Computer Entertainment's Phil Harrison—not to mention a boastful talking point when asked about the Xbox 360's BC— is now clearly not at all necessary, with the company's priorities on "developing innovative new features and services for PS3 and not on backwards compatibility." More »
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Comment by AgainstOne: @TheIrishNinja: i already did that. it's right here. it's you who've not bothered to read my words. more » | Other threads
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kotaku stalku
We Have Secured Phil Harrison's Chewing Gum
We were hesitant to post this, but we can now reveal that we have indeed secured Sony Worldwide Studios bald boss man Phil Harrison's minty fresh chewing gum and have it in our possession. This shot, confirmation of the gum's retrieval from a clean ashtray at our makeshift workspace at SCEE's press conference, was taken just moments after Phil deftly dropped it between our empties. We've already sent the sample to Kotaku Labs to root out traces of Phil's DNA. We plan on creating an army of miniature well-spoken, high-level Sony executives to do our bidding—i.e. updating our PLAYSTATION 3 firmware every few weeks and tending to the collected dust on its piano black finish. More »
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Comment by BLiNk: I'll be the first to say it, you've found the holy grail and it is beautiful...must be mating season... 1 Responses | Other threads
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Comment by Zhabin: @Doshu: lol. I know, it was the only one I could think of at the time though. I was working... more » | Other threads
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dyack justified?
Phil Harrison Talks Unreal Engine "Fixes" For The PS3
Game Informer caught up with Sony's Worldwide Studios bigwig Phil Harrison at E3, getting all the right answers to all the right questions. Yes, Sony is working with Immersion on rumble. Yes, there may be Home trophies added to older PLAYSTATION 3 games. Yes, Metal Gear Solid 4 is "exclusive." But what Phil said about the Unreal Engine, especially in light of Silicon Knights' recent lawsuit against Epic Games, is probably the most interesting portion of the interview. More »
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Comment by Duoae: The way i see it is that the resposibility lies at epic's feet. They should not have sold/promised a product... more » | Other threads
phil harrison
Denver, 8:56 PM
Sun Jul 5
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