Tech Shout!

Phil Harrison, one of the founding members of Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) has put down his papers, bidding adieu to the company. Friday, the 29th of February will be the last day that Harrison, one of the most known faces from SCE, will be visiting SCE’s premises officially.

Harrison’s exit will put Kazuo Hirai in his shoes. Hirai is currently the president and group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment International.

Harrison whose tenure in Sony began in 1992, maintained, “The past 15 years at Sony Computer Entertainment has been the defining journey of my life so far…I am so proud of everything PlayStation has achieved and will continue to support its future in every way I can.”

When he stepped into Sony, Harrison held senior positions across North America and Europe. Following which he was appointed the founding president of the newly conglomerated Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios when it was formed in 1995.

Hirai expressed, “As one of the founding members of SCE, Phil played a key role in the development and growth of the PlayStation business and our industry. It is sad to see him leaving from SCE, but I wish to express my appreciation for his many invaluable contributions and also wish Phil the very best of luck in his future endeavors.”

However, Hirai will be managing Harrison’s responsibilities only for the time being. As of now it’s not known as to who will take on Harrison’s duties on a more permanent basis.

Before joining Sony, from 1989 to 1992, Harrison served as head of development for Mindscape International, and prior to that he worked as a consultant game designer and graphic artist in the UK.

Although Harrison has played a key role in the launch of all of Sony’s video game consoles, he has been through quite a few rough waters recently thanks to the PlayStation 3’s average launch and sales.

Though there’s no official bit on where Harrison is heading next, GamesIndustry does maintain that he could be on his way to join Atari in the near future.