BU to welcome interactive games pioneer
Ian Livingstone OBE, Creative Director for Eidos and leading spokesperson for the UK video games industry, will speak to students, staff and invited guests at BU on Friday 16 January. Livingstone is the first in a series of high profile guest speakers organised by the Bournemouth University Foundation. The Foundation aims to develop relations with key players in industries partnered to our academic centres of excellence. Steven Hubbard is Associate Dean of the BU-based National Centre for Computer Animation (NCCA), one of Europe’s leading centres for digital media education and research. He said: “We’re delighted that Ian Livingstone will be kick-starting the New Year with a guest lecture detailing his journey of success within the video gaming industry. “The students at the NCCA always benefit from industry expertise and we’re very grateful to Ian for his time. We must also thank him for his advice on the new undergraduate programmes which we’re launching in September this year.” Livingstone first made his name in 1975 when he co-founded the Games Workshop with Steve Jackson. That same year, he launched role-playing game ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ in Europe and two years later established White Dwarf, the UK’s first role-playing games magazine. After five years as editor of White Dwarf, Livingstone teamed with Jackson to devise Fighting Fantasy, the series of interactive gamebooks that sold over 15 million copies in 23 languages. He wrote more than 20 books in the series including his best-selling Deathtrap Dungeon. He has also invented many board games. In 1992 Livingstone became Deputy Chairman of computer games publisher Domark and later oversaw the merger and flotation of Domark with Eidos Technologies. As Executive Chairman of the Board of the new interactive entity Eidos plc – the UK's leading developer and publisher of video games – he was instrumental in securing many of the company's major franchises including Tomb Raider and Hitman. In 2002 Livingstone was awarded a BAFTA Special Award for his outstanding contribution to the interactive entertainment industry. A year later, he was appointed Creative Industries advisor to the British Council and the following year became a Creative Industries Luminary for London. In 2005 he was appointed Skillset’s Chair of the Computer Games Skills Forum and in 2006 he was awarded an OBE in the New Year’s Honours List for his contribution to the Computer Games Industry. Where: Marconi Lecture Theatre, Talbot Campus. Return to news archive page Return to news menu page |
