Videogames industry veteran Stolar joins Summus
Former Sony, Sega executive added to mobile content firm's board
Mobile entertainment firm Summus Inc has announced the appointment of videogames industry veteran Bernie Stolar to its board of directors, where he will be involved in guiding all areas of the company's business.
Stolar, who began his career at Atari, has held several senior positions in the videogames sector - including being the first president of Sony Computer Entertainment America, where he launched the PlayStation, and serving as COO of Sega of America.
His career has been chequered by controversy - he memorably refused to allow many Japanese games to be released in North America for both the PlayStation and the Saturn, arguing that they did not show off the systems in the best light, and his eventual departure from Sega just before the launch of Dreamcast was rumoured to have come as a result of significant strain between Stolar and the firm's management in Japan.
Stolar's most recent industry role was at the ill-fated publisher BAM! Entertainment, where he was president and COO through a period which saw it slashing staffing levels and axing many products in development.
There's no denying, however, that Stolar was instrumental in establishing the PlayStation as the leading brand in videogames in North America - a fact which Summus, which publishes mobile games including Texas Hold'em by Phil Hellmuth, UNO Challenge and Kentucky Derby Championship Racing, is keen to emphasise.
"We are delighted that Bernie has joined our board of directors," commented Summus CEO Gary Ban, "and look forward to his guidance as we prepare to expand both our product portfolio and distribution. His strong industry relationships and deep experience in product development and licensing will be a significant asset as we expand our product portfolio through new branded-content partners."