Phil Harrison named MS Studios boss

Microsoft has named Phil Harrison as VP of Microsoft’s Interactive Entertainment Business.

He arrives following the departure of Microsoft Games Studios European boss Peter Molyneux.

replaced former Microsoft Game Studios European boss Peter Molyneux with none other than Phil Harrison.

GamesIndustry reports that Microsoft will confirm the appointment later today

Phil Harrison is one of the most well known executives in the business following his 16 year stint at Sony PlayStation, where he rose to the position of SCE Worldwide Studios president.

He resigned from the role in 2008 for the role of director at Infogrames Entertainment, before eventually becoming non-executive director of owned label Atari.

He then quit Atari in 2010 and joined venture capitalists London Venture Partners.

His role will see him head up European Xbox software development, including operations at Molyneux’s former studio Lionhead.

Sports interactive boss Miles Jacobson says that the news is "one of the biggest things to happen in the UK games industry for years".