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Ian Livingstone resigns as 'life president' of Square Enix
Square Enix "life president" Ian Livingstone has abandoned his post, citing a desire to "focus more time on the important projects he is working on outside of Square Enix." Square Enix acquired Eidos in 2009 and promoted Livingstone to "life president." At the time the new title seemed unprecedented. We polled academics from both Harvard and Wharton's business schools, and none were able to recall such a position, nor offer any commentary on Square Enix's move. Now that he's left Square Enix, Livingstone hopes to turn his attention toward charity efforts. His near-term plans include "setting up The Livingstone Foundation to open Free Schools and Academies" as well as continuing efforts to push UK authorities toward making computer science an element of basic education. Livingstone will also continue working as part of the games industry, both as an entrepreneur and an advisor for mobile and social games.
Fighting Fantasy Blood of the Zombies now on iOS and Android
Now that developer Big Blue Bubble's iOS Fighting Fantasy games are no more, it's time for developer Tin Man Games to take charge of the choose-your-own-adventure series. The studio's first Fighting Fantasy project, Fighting Fantasy: Blood of the Zombies, is now available on iOS and Android.Blood of the Zombies was written by series co-creator (and "life president" of Eidos), Ian Livingstone, in celebration of Fighting Fantasy's 30th anniversary. You can pick up Blood of the Zombies now for $6 on either iTunes or Google Play.%Gallery-168612%
UK gov't recognizes computer science education is important
Eidos "life president" Ian Livingstone's Livingstone-Hope Skills Review has been positively received by the UK government. The paper recommends that the UK's Information and Communications Technology national curriculum be replaced by computer science. "The Government looks forward to working with [the games industry], educators and others to develop an attractive computer science offering for schools, so that students are able to develop the rigorous skills needed -- not only to support these industries but also to ensure a digitally literate citizenry," read the government's lengthy response. "I hope common sense and the national interest will prevail," Livingstone told GI.biz, recognizing that it would "take a number of years" before any actual reforms occurred. And once the UK education system teaches students helpful game industry skills, they'll be off to sunny Canada for jobs, where the games industry isn't slowly crumbling around them. On the bright side, things could be worse ... like in Australia.
Eidos 'life president' Ian Livingstone to be named 'development legend'
Can you imagine? Your name is attached to legendary franchises like Tomb Raider and Hitman; the people sing your praises in the streets. Every day, a small peasant child brings a jug of fresh goat's milk to your door. You're Ian Livingstone, Eidos "life president." And now you're getting an official accolade from the 2011 Develop Industry Excellence Awards: the Development Legend Award. The award "acknowledges a raft of work done to support games developers and the video games industry across a career lasting over 35 years so far." The Develop Industry Excellence Awards take place on July 20 at the Hilton Metropole Hotel in Brighton, UK.
Eidos 'life president' Ian Livingstone to keynote NLGD's Festival of Games in June
Now that we've lost both Gygax and Arneson, we have to learn as much as we can from the still-living legends of gaming. One of these is Ian Livingstone -- he co-founded the great Games Workshop back in the day with John Peake and Steve Jackson. Currently, he's serving as the "life president" of Eidos, and lambasting the mass media for their portrayal of games (because if there's one thing a living legend should do, it's tell the kids these days that they're doing it wrong). And now De Nederlandse Gamedagen (NLGD, for short) has announced that Livingstone will be speaking at its annual Festival of Games in Holland this coming June. He'll be talking about his career and how he's integrated Eidos with Square Enix over the last year or so. Just do us a favor if you do end up going to see the show: Start your Q&A question off with, "Mr. Livingstone, I presume?"
Eidos Life President Livingstone speaks out against mainstream media's game coverage
During the Westminster eForum this week, Eidos head (and Life President) Ian Livingstone had some less than favorable things to say about the mainstream media's coverage of the gaming industry. "People just couldn't accept that games are a great learning tool," Livingstone told the crowd of "industry representatives and their advisors, interest groups, local authorities, the voluntary sector and academia, along with members of the reporting press," reports MCV. He asked for mainstream news outlets to focus less on violence in games and to instead look at "the poor skills the UK has to make games." In his eyes, the mainstream media's overwhelming focus on violence in games -- and consistent ignoring of the economically beneficial side of the game industry -- certainly isn't helping to bring the development tax breaks he's been pushing in the UK for quite some time now. To help change minds, we suggest that Mr. Livingstone get in touch with the two people who have been most able to clearly convey our feelings on the violent video game debate -- Penn and Teller, of course!
Rocksteady 'not involved' in the development of Hitman 5
Despite the recently discovered resume indicating that Batman: Arkham Asylum developer Rocksteady Studios may be working on a game titled Hitman5 (yes, without a space), Eidos "Life President" Ian Livingstone flat out denies the possibility. Talking to Prey's World Gaming Magazine, Livingstone said, "Hitman always has been and always will be IO Interactive's baby, which it still continues to be so." Worried about miswording in that? He followed up with, "Rocksteady are not involved with the development of Hitman 5." All that said, we do know that some version of Hitman is on the way, as Livingstone has confirmed as such in the past and Rocksteady is currently hiring a few positions to produce a "AAA titile on the next generation platforms." It appears as though the two are unrelated though, at least for now. Meanwhile, IO Interactive is currently wrapping up development of Mini Ninjas for a September release -- and then the studio can get to work on the next Hitman game in earnest, eh? (Please?)[Via Blue's News]
Big Blue Bubble developing Warlock of Firetop Mountain for DS
Canadian developer Big Blue Bubble is working on an action RPG for the DS named "The Warlock of Firetop Mountain." Sound familiar? Some of you may recognize it as the first book in Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone's Fighting Fantasy book series -- portable gaming for the pre-Gameboy crowd. This game, based on the book, will be published by Aspyr Media and will release this holiday season.Jackson and Livingstone have both been involved with the project, helping Big Blue Bubble nail the look and feel of the Fighting Fantasy universe. While the last Fighting Fantasy book to be made into a video game, Deathtrap Dungeon, wasn't particular successful -- or good -- Warlock of Firetop Mountain looks to remain much more faithful to the book. Hey, games industry. You know what else would make a good transition from book to game? The Lone Wolf series. You should get on that.
Livingstone: Kane & Lynch 2 aimed for Sept., more Hitman, Tomb Raider en route
In Mumbai for the Golden Cursor Animation Awards, recently appointed Eidos "life president" Ian Livingstone sat down with the folks at GamingIndians and spilled a full bag of beans. Unsurprisingly, he says the Square Enix acquisition was "a great deal in many ways" and that the various Eidos development studios would remain largely independent. "It's great news for the brand and for the people," he says. And also, apparently, great for sequels, as Livingstone confirms work on the next Hitman game, a sequel to Kane & Lynch currently targeted for a September release date and -- big shock! -- a re-imagining of Lara Croft and the Tomb Raider series. "The next Tomb Raider, I think, will surprise a lot of people and reinvigorate the franchise," Livingstone notes, stressing the relevance of game characters in mainstream media these days. Incidentally, he more than intimates that Eidos Montreal is working on Thief 4, though now we know that to be a fact -- the "worst kept secret in the industry," in fact.
Livingstone becomes 'life president' of Eidos
Longtime Eidos executive Ian Livingstone has been promoted to life president of ... wait, he's the what? Livingstone now holds the title of "life president," following Square Enix's takeover of the troubled British publisher. The executive will continue working in the creative process and "act as a spokesperson for the Eidos group," reports GI.biz.Livingstone will also continue working with the British government to push forward tax credits and the "skills agenda." We Googled "life president" because we figured this was some business term we'd just never heard of. Nope, it appears totally made up. The closest thing we could find was the term "President for Life," a title used by dictators -- which is not what's going on with Livingstone ... we think.Just to make sure Wikipedia and Google hadn't missed anything in their combined infinite wisdom, we decided to contact several major academic business institutions. Harvard and Wharton have yet to return our phone calls; however, Stanford's media relations offered, "I can't think of any academic with serious scholarship wanting to weigh in on this."
Development in the UK is the most expensive in the world
Says industry veteran (and longtime D&D nerd) Ian Livingstone. He's speaking from the Eidos camp, and isn't happy about the UK government's approach to building a sustainable development industry.In an interiew with Develop, he stated that "The Government should address the issues of skills and costs for the UK to remain competitive." Basically, it's costing way too many quid to train the young'uns up in the ways of development, and the rising costs of tea and crumpets aren't helping none too much either.While cheaper labor markets are blitzing the competition, the UK is slowing down and becoming more expensive. It's up to the developers themselves to manage their own projects and create strong IPs, but according to Livingstone, "The Government needs to invest in this valuable Creative Industries asset or suffer the consequences."Publishers go to where the action is, picking up the best games at the best prices, and they are shying away from the UK in this regard. Canada is apparently leading the way for the bargain basement publisher deal, and "it is up to Government to make it attractive for them to operate in the UK." No financially viable investments for publishers + no new talent = industry in trouble. Make link go now for the full interview with Livingstone.
Eidos exec says more innovation is what we need
Eidos bigwig, industry vet, and all around gaming guru Ian Livingstone recently lashed out at the stagnant state of gaming during Tim Wapshott's Games Central podcast. He criticized the industry as a whole, stating that most studios weren't interested in taking risks, and that's resulted in a few genres, owned by a few big titles and a legion of knock-offs. One of the few areas in which we do see innovation is in technology, and it's no surprise he lauded Nintendo's DS and Wii in that area. "Nintendo has demonstrated that you can carve out a new market through innovation. The DS and the Wii will demonstrate that gameplay, gameplay and gameplay are the three most important aspects of a game, and that technology and graphics support that experience." And we fully agree. Slick and stunning graphics are one thing, but the game should drive the graphics, not the other way around. Though speaking of companies doing the same ol' thing, we kinda want to bring up that whole Tomb Raider thing they have going on over at Eidos ... but since Legend was a vast improvement, we'll let it slide.
Stop the presses! Positive PS3 news!
It's a rare thing nowadays to come upon gems like this, but we take every opportunity to do so when it pops up. In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Eidos' Ian Livingstone had some mighty positive things to say about Sony's PlayStation 3.When asked what he thought of the inclusion of Blu-Ray and the role it played in the PS3's ultimate success, Livingstone had this to say:It's extraordinary quality, that's the starting point. If people are seeking the ultimate machine, the PS3 is clearly the best spec machine as far as next-gen goes. As with all things in life, you have to pay for quality. It is absolutely beautiful to look at and you are getting virtual interactive cinema in the comfort of your own home. It's a very compelling selling point and Sony just has to educate people that yes, it's a lot of money, but it'll be worth it.But it wasn't all daisies and lollipops. Livingstone did admit that Sony had a tough road ahead of them when it came to marketing the PS3 to the masses.... they also appeal to a different consumer. Sony is going to have quite a lot of marketing to have to spend, to let consumers know that the PS3 is not just a games machine but a complete home entertainment system with Blu-ray. To get the consumers to understand exactly what that means, and how that justifies the cost of the hardware -- that's going to be the challenge for them.Check out the full interview, because Livingstone had some great things to say about Eidos and the other consoles in the next-gen rat race.[Thanks, HEYYOUTHERE]
