Phil Harrison Picks Up Controller at Atari
The former Sony man is now one of the top executives aiming to turn the publisher around.
Word of former Sony executive Phil Harrison's departure from his longtime employer came as a surprise to many in the games world. Just as intriguing as the reasons for his move, however, was the question of where he would land. That latter enquiry has now been answered.
Infogrames Entertainment, parent company of Atari, said in a statement on Monday that Harrison has joined the company, where he will assume the role of president of the embattled publisher.
The plan, as Atari puts it, is for Harrison and new chief executive David Gardner to work together in promoting Atari as a major player in the online gaming landscape.
Harrison's appointment following a wave of restructuring at Infogrames aimed at boosting the health of the company. The company has reported losses in several previous year but has been inching towards profitability, concentrating most of its attention on PlayStation 2, DS and Wii.
"This is the perfect time to join Infogrames and help shape the future of Atari - one of the industry's legendary brands," Harrison said in a statement.
"As the game business moves rapidly online I believe we have an outstanding opportunity to create amazing network game and community experiences for players the world over."
Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo
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