Support NeoGAF

[Spyxos]

Phil Harrison, vice president of Google and former head of Stadia, has confirmed he has left the company.


According to a report from Business Insider, two employees familiar with the matter said Harrison quietly left Google around the time the company shut down the short-lived game streaming service after it failed to gain traction in a competitive gaming market. His LinkedIn profile has been updated to say he ended his time with the search engine giant this month.

A veteran of the gaming industry, Harrison joined Google in 2018 after working at Sony for over a decade and three years at Microsoft. From Stadia's announcement at GDC 2019, he championed the platform as the "future of gaming" as it gave players access to their favorite games, including Assassin's Creed Odyssey and Cyberpunk 2077, through Google's cloud service without the need to purchase expensive consoles. He even hosted two Connect streams, where he would announce the games being added to the service in a format similar to Nintendo Direct.

In 2021, as Stadia struggled to attract gamers, Harrison wrote a blog post on The Keyword announcing the closure of Stadia Games and Entertainment (SG&E) and disappeared from the public eye. On September 29, 2022, he announced that Stadia would be shutting down for good this January, and Google began issuing refunds to those who purchased the Stadia controller and games through the Google Play Store.

Where Harrison will head next is currently unknown. Google recently admitted that it didn't do well creating a cloud gaming service on its own via Stadia, but it is now doing better partnering with game companies to support their live-service games on Google Cloud.

https://www.ign.com/articles/former...ietly-leaves-google-following-service-closure

 

[Snake29]

 

[The Stig]

 

[consoul]

He's coming back to announce MotorStorm on the new Sony handheld. Obviously.

 

[Crayon]

He'll go on to ruin some great things.

 

[Bragr]

There was a time when the cloud was supposed to take over. Google jumped on it.

Turns out we are further away than we thought. A lot further. Doesn't help they had terrible execution on the entire thing, the launch was a disaster.

 

[Dazraell]

I wonder to which firm will Phil's unfortunate curse transfer next

 

[Kilau]

Mission complete agent Harrison, on to the next operation.

 

[Quixz]

Agent Phil has probably already infiltrated another huge company LOL

 

[Fake]

Stadia is a thing of the past, just like this guy.

Stay far away from gaming sir.

 

[light2x]

Next stop: Denuvo

 

[feynoob]

MS don't be stupid and hire this guy.

 

[Fuz]

On to the next adventure to ruin something else!

 

[Spyxos]

I wish I was in his place, be terrible at your job and have incredible salary and always find a new job quickly.

 

[light2x]

MS don't be stupid and hire this guy.

They already did. Rest assured they won't be making that mistake again.

 

[Dr. Wilkinson]

The business model of paying $60-$70 for a copy of a game only playable via cloud is not going to work. Had they tried to do a high-profile competitor to Game Pass, they'd have had more traction, but I think still would've ultimately failed without a console box option. They also didn't have the discipline to play the long game and ride it out longer, to see if they could've eventually had a profitable business from it, albeit probably very small compared to console install bases. But we all knew going into it that Google wouldn't give it the time it needed.

 

[trikster40]

 

[Halo2redvsblue]

Nintendo is next, then he can say he fucked up all the major companies lol

 

[Dr. Wilkinson]

Nintendo is next, then he can say he fucked up all the major companies lol

Why would Nintendo hire him? Their NoA leadership is solid as a rock, and NCL doesn't hire non-Japanese internally at the executive level. Maybe he could try getting in at NoE but I feel like his skillset isn't really a good match for what Nintendo wants, or what their business model is.

Edit: I know your post was mostly meant as a joke. I just like discussing things like this

 

[mckmas8808]

How can a guy that used to be good at his job, now just be SO BAD?

 

[onQ123]

MS don't be stupid and hire this guy.

They already did

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

why?

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

The fact that guys like this somehow exist despite so much failure makes me think reptile people are real.

 

[Elder Legend]

Anywhere this guy goes, ends up getting gutted. Have you noticed this?

His like a curse. If you have him at your company, you should get rid of him immediately. Or you will go under.

How can a guy that used to be good at his job, now just be SO BAD?

What job was he good at exactly? Remind me please. And no, I am not being sarcastic. Ever since I've payed attention to him, it was always terrible.

 

[Dr. Wilkinson]

MS don't be stupid and hire this guy.

Like it literally says in the OP that he worked at MS for 3 years, and that's pretty well known already around these parts. But then again I never tell when people are joking any more

 

[Bojanglez]

Sony will be hoping he goes to ABK to sabotage them next.

 

[Drew1440]

Hopefully he will stay away from Vale or Nintendo.

 

[envyzeal]

What a streak

 

[StereoVsn]

Hopefully he will stay away from Vale or Nintendo.

Like someone said above, he need to get hired at Denuvo...or Amazon .

 

[Topher]

What job was he good at exactly? Remind me please. And no, I am not being sarcastic. Ever since I've payed attention to him, it was always terrible.

He was a big part of Sony launching PlayStation. Ever since he left Sony his career has been all over the place. I believe his last contribution to Sony was that "Home" thing which was pretty bad.

 

[Elder Legend]

He needs to go join Resetera so that place can go down a deep hole and burn in hell.

 

[Barakov]

Like someone said above, he need to get hired at Denuvo...or Amazon .

That'd actually be sexy. Denuvo or Amazon games going down the drain could only be good for gaming.

 

[Pejo]

Probably took a few staplers and pens with him too.

 

[yurinka]

I think MS needs him to replace Phil Spencer

 

[bender]

The fact that guys like this somehow exist despite so much failure makes me think reptile people are real.

 

[CobraAB]

He's coming back to announce MotorStorm on the new Sony handheld. Obviously.

I would die for a PS5 MotorStorm game. Well, they own the IP but of course, Evolution Studios has long been history now.

One of my favorite racing franchises.

 

[mckmas8808]

Anywhere this guy goes, ends up getting gutted. Have you noticed this?

His like a curse. If you have him at your company, you should get rid of him immediately. Or you will go under.


What job was he good at exactly? Remind me please. And no, I am not being sarcastic. Ever since I've payed attention to him, it was always terrible.

He was part one of the main leaders of SCEE over in Europe in the early 2000s for Playstation. He was the first President of SCE World Wide Studios when Sony first decided to bring everything under one roof so all their teams could help each other. He was big in starting that and getting it going. Dude was HUGE! Then..........Fart!

He was a big part of Sony launching PlayStation. Ever since he left Sony his career has been all over the place. I believe his last contribution to Sony was that "Home" thing which was pretty bad.

HOME was good, just 10 years too early. That didn't fail due to Phil Harrison. It was Sony's lack of imagination.

 

[Thabass]

I'm going to say this as nicely as I can:

DON'T FUCKING COME BACK.

Thank you.

 

[normalguy09x]

Why does Google quit every new thing they try? Why are they such quitters?

 

[Three]

That'd actually be sexy. Denuvo or Amazon games going down the drain could only be good for gaming.

Denuvo I can understand but Amazon games? Why?

 

[YCoCg]

"Excellent work Phil, age hasn't slowed you down one bit!"

 

[Deerock71]

 

[ByWatterson]

Phil Harrison is the Kyrie Irving of Don Mattricks

 

[Unknown?]

He was part one of the main leaders of SCEE over in Europe in the early 2000s for Playstation. He was the first President of SCE World Wide Studios when Sony first decided to bring everything under one roof so all their teams could help each other. He was big in starting that and getting it going. Dude was HUGE! Then..........Fart!



HOME was good, just 10 years too early. That didn't fail due to Phil Harrison. It was Sony's lack of imagination.

He also was there in 1995 with the launch of PS1. From PS1-2 he was a big part of making them huge in Europe. Then he went down the casual abyss with trying to push Wii-like party games on PS3.

 

[adamsapple]

Phil "Kiss of Death" Harrison

 

[GHG]

Fat Frog quietly left us too.

 

[Pasta la Vista]

I hope he joins some company that does NFTs so he can destroy that too.

 

[mitch1971]

New head of Game Pass, Phil Harrison.

 

[Topher]

Phil Harrison is the Kyrie Irving of Don Mattricks

 

[VAVA Mk2]

Go to Amazon now, Phil. Take Don Mattrick too.