While it's possible SCEJ sacked Phil for critizing them I can't help but think his move to Atari was already in the works.
Phil is a huge supporter of casual games. Eye Toy, Buzz, Singstar were his ideas (correct me if I'm wrong here). He stated openly at GDC that that's not where Sony Japans mindset is, and yet he sees it as the growth market. So what does he do?
Goes to Atari. Why? Infograms is European. It's in bad enough shape that he can essentially 'take over' the place. Atari is still one of the best know video game brands to the mass market. Sure it's name is soured for gamers, but for everyone else, they still fondly remember Atari 2600s from their youth (and hopefully have forgotten all about ET).
This allows Phil to focus on where he sees the real potential, casual games with a brand with real casual appeal.
So the question is: Did he make those comments as a cheap shot before leaving? Or was his head no longer in the SCE game, do to frustration and exploring the possibilities with Atari, causing him to speak out of turn and get canned?
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