david gardner

Why Phil Harrison Joined Infogrames? Magnetic Attraction

12:40AM Brian Ashcraft | 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: In terms of European leaders in the games development industry, I’ve always wanted to work with Phil… He’s going to partner with me to build the future. He’ll be the most senior guy responsible for all the content and network-centric material, all the investments that we make in games… I have to say there is a lot of excitement around this mission that we’re talking about, the brand and the people we’re talking about — there is a bit of a magnet around us. A giant money magnet, amirite?! Magnet [Games Industry] More »

Phil Harrison Is Joining Atari?

10:00PM Brian Ashcraft | This. Is. Insane. Rumour has it Phil Harrison is leaving Sony to join, you might want to sit down, Atari. Yes, Atari. That Atari. … Apparently, Phil Harrison is joining forces with ex-EA exec and current Atari honcho David Gardner to make the beleaguered company less crappy. Previously, Gardner said: My goal is to help rebuild that passion around the company. First, with the employees and then very quickly to spread it virally on the internet to millions of new customers. I have a personal challenge to create a world-class company that is European in flavor but reaches global markets. This will take some time of course, but here we have fantastic gaming DNA formed at the birth of the industry, access to creative talent and a company with the working capital to make the necessary investments to realise this vision. If this is true, wow, just wow. (That, and lolololol.) If it’s not, we’re happy to see sanity prevail. Harrison Joining Atari? [Games Industry Thanks, Luke Smith!] [Pic] More »

New Atari Boss, Safe In Glass House, Commences Stone-Throwing

8:30PM Luke Plunkett | David Gardner’s the new boss of walking corpse-publisher Atari. And what’s near the top of his to-do list? Slagging off EA and Activision, of course. My goal is not to go head on with EA and Activision Blizzard – we’re the terrorist organisation here. We’re going to go much faster into the future than anyone else because we’re small. That’s where the big guys are sleeping because they can’t move fast enough – they’re too busy on the treadmill trying to get to their next billion dollars. Of course they have to do that and that’s great. But that’s why we have new companies coming into the market all the time with a new focus and a new drive. Shhhhhh. Don’t tell Gardner that calling Atari a terrorist organisation is what those in the business call “bad PR”. Or that Atari aren’t a new company, and have yet to show us they possess focus or drive. He needs to figure those things out for himself! Gardner slams ‘treadmill’ publishing [MCV] More »