Phil Harrison.

FEB. 25, 2008 • Sony Computer Entertainment announced that Phil Harrison, president of its game development studios, had resigned. No reason for the departure was provided, and chief executive Kaz Hirai said he would take on Harrison’s responsibilities. Harrison had been with Sony since 1992, and was a veteran of the original PlayStation launch on 1995.

Impact: Phil Harrison was a leading driver of making the PlayStation platforms family friendly with products that appeal to a broad range of consumers. Harrison helped promote the development of products like the EyeToy and Singstar that were massive successes in Europe that in large part helped make the PlayStation 2 the most successful game system ever. With the PlayStation 3 Sony seemed to be taking a different tact with a primary focus on the more limited group of hard-core consumers. It would not be surprising if frustration with this new strategy lead to Harrison’s departure.