Phil Harrison to leave Microsoft

Started by Legend, Mar 05, 2015, 12:55 AM

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Legend

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2015-03-04-report-phil-harrison-to-leave-microsoft


Executive Phil Harrison is leaving Microsoft, GamesIndustry.biz has learned through multiple sources at GDC, though Microsoft has so far refused to confirm his departure.

"I don't, no. I'm sorry, I don't think I can say anything about that," Xbox boss Phil Spencer told Eurogamer when asked today at GDC. Chris Charla, director of ID@Xbox also refused to comment - with a Microsoft spokesperson stepping in to say Charla wasn't the person to ask about staffing issues, and that the company does not comment on rumour or speculation.

The news comes in tandem with the proposed merger of Lift London, which Harrison was instrumental in founding, with Microsoft's multimedia-focused Soho Productions. Several redundancies are understood to have taken place as part of that move.
However, GamesIndustry.biz understands that Harrison grew frustrated when Mattrick's departure and Spencer's subsequent promotion did not result in him moving up the corporate ladder, issuing the ultimatum to Microsoft that he would leave if not offered a new position. However, it seems that no offer was forthcoming, and Harrison has made good on his promise.

darkknightkryta

I don't know, other than Singstar, what has he done?  He didn't help Atari.  He made things far worse for Microsoft.  Was he all hype?  Just another british man playing a PS3 on a 60 foot T.V. or whatever he said.

BasilZero

Mar 05, 2015, 01:35 AM Last Edit: Mar 05, 2015, 01:37 AM by BasilZero
Who?

The bald dude?


Edit: I WAS RIGHT but I was thinking about Balmer originally lol.

Raven

I don't think Harrison was worth anything. Though it is interesting to see that the rumors may have been true and that Soho Productions was indeed on its way out. The sudden disappearance of their website and being relegated to making a game clip app for the X1 were pretty big hints that Soho was facing the chopping block in some way. I fully expect the same to happen to BigPark and Launchworks.

Mmm_fish_tacos

So really, nobody gives a shame?

Raven

Mar 05, 2015, 02:19 AM Last Edit: Mar 05, 2015, 02:21 AM by Raven
Reading more on this, it seems that I may have misunderstood. It sounds like Lift London had some layoffs and is now part of Soho.

EDIT: Yeah. It seems that Lift London was serving as an incubator studio for smaller studios working on games for tablets and phones. An unknown number of people have been layed off and Lift London is merged with Soho. Rumor is that whatever Lift London had been working on wasn't coming around and that they're likely going to be used for non-gaming purposes now as part of Soho.