While we already knew that there was some "frustration" felt by Phil Harrison towards the Japanese branch of the company for missing the boat on socialized gaming, who ever knew that things were so bad that mere days later, the President of Sony Computer Entertainment worldwide studios would take leave of the company after 15 years?

That's just what has happened, though, as February 29th is the day when Harrison will resign from Sony, they announced. Upon his departure, Kazuo Hirai will step in to assume Harrison's duties, in addition to his own as President and Group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment.

It was in 1992, prior to the launch of the original PlayStation, when Harrison joined what was then known as Sony Electronics Publishing. In the time since, he has played instrumental roles in the launch of the four PlayStation-branded platforms (PSP still counts), and in building strong relationships with developers and publishers around the world. In addition, he also led the operations of SCE's first-party game development and has been persistent in pursuing new experiences in online entertainment.

"As one of the founding members of SCE, Phil played a key role in the development and growth of the PlayStation business and our industry," said Hirai. "It is sad to see him departing from SCE, but I wish to express my gratitude for his many invaluable contributions and also wish Phil the very best of luck in his future endeavors."

"The past 15 years at Sony Computer Entertainment has been the defining journey of my life so far," said Harrison. "I am grateful to all the PlayStation family for their incredible support, guidance and friendship. It has been a privilege to serve as part of the team and be inspired by them on a daily basis. I am so proud of everything PlayStation has achieved and will continue to support its future in every way I can."