Ian Livingstone

{{Short description|English author and entrepreneur (born 1949)}}

{{Infobox person

| honorific_prefix = Sir

| name = Ian Livingstone

| honorific_suffix = CBE

| image = Ian Livingstone.jpg

| caption = Ian Livingstone at the Bafta Awards 2006

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1949|12|29|df=yes}}{{Cite web|url=https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/01804186/officers|title=Officers - Square Enix Limited}}

| birth_place = Prestbury, Cheshire, England

| death_date =

| death_place =

| occupation = Fantasy author, entrepreneur

| nationality = British

| known_for = Co-creator for Fighting Fantasy gamebooks
Co-founder for Games Workshop
Co-founder for Eidos Interactive

}}

Sir Ian Livingstone {{Post-nominals|CBE}} (born 29 December 1949{{Cite book | title=You Are The Hero | last=Green | first=Jonathan | publisher=Snow Books | year=2014 | page=10 | isbn=978-1-909679-38-2}}) is an English fantasy author and entrepreneur. Along with Steve Jackson, he is the co-founder of the Fighting Fantasy series of role-playing gamebooks, and the author of many books within that series. He co-founded Games Workshop in 1975 and helped create Eidos Interactive as executive chairman of Eidos Plc in 1995.

Early life

Livingstone attended Altrincham Grammar School for Boys, where, according to him, he only earned one A-level, in Geography.{{cite web |last=Yin-Poole |first=Weasley |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-01-14-what-ian-livingstone-did-next |title=What Ian Livingstone Did Next |date=16 January 2014 |publisher=Gamer Network |website=EuroGamer.net |access-date=17 September 2014}}{{cite web |last=Admed |first=Emad |url=https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/education/2017/08/generation-z-naturally-collaborate-games-legend-ian-livingstone-opening |title="Generation Z naturally collaborate": games legend Ian Livingstone on opening a school |date=7 August 2017 |publisher=New Statesman |website=NewStatesman.com |access-date=12 January 2018}} He has kept his close links with the school and has visited it on numerous occasions.{{cite web |url=http://www.messengernewspapers.co.uk/news/business/10296700.Video_game_pioneer_returns_to_his_roots/ |title=Video game pioneer Ian Livingstone returns to his roots |date=18 March 2013 |publisher=Newsquest (North West) Ltd |website=MessengerNewspapers.co.uk |access-date=12 January 2018}}{{cite web |url=http://www.messengernewspapers.co.uk/news/whereyoulive/11132326.Old_Altrinchamians_Centenary_Dinner/ |title=Old Altrinchamians Centenary Dinner |date=12 April 2014 |publisher=Newsquest (North West) Ltd |website=MessengerNewspapers.co.uk |access-date=12 January 2018}}

Career

=Games Workshop=

Livingstone co-founded Games Workshop in early 1975 with flatmates John Peake and Steve Jackson.{{cite journal | last = Livingstone | first = Ian | title = Editorial | journal =Owl and Weasel | issue = 3 | pages = 2 | publisher = Games Workshop | date = April 1975 }}{{Cite book|author=Shannon Appelcline|title=Designers & Dragons|publisher=Mongoose Publishing|year=2011| isbn= 978-1-907702-58-7}}{{rp|43}} They began publishing the monthly newsletter Owl and Weasel, and distributed copies of the first issue to fanzine Albion subscribers; Brian Blume received one of these copies, and sent them a copy of the new game Dungeons & Dragons in return. Livingstone and Jackson found this game to be more imaginative than games produced in the UK at the time, and so worked out an arrangement with Blume for an exclusive deal to sell D&D in Europe.{{rp|43}} They began distributing Dungeons & Dragons and other TSR products later in 1975.{{cite journal | last = Livingstone | first = Ian | title = Editorial | journal =Owl and Weasel | issue = 6 | pages = 10 | publisher = Games Workshop | date = July 1975 }} Livingstone and Jackson organised a convention for their first time in late 1975, which became known as the first Games Day.{{rp|43}} Because they were selling products out of their flat, customers would come there looking for a store that did not exist; because of this their landlord evicted them in summer 1976.{{rp|43}}

Under the direction of Livingstone and Jackson, Games Workshop expanded from a bedroom mail order company to a successful gaming manufacturer and retail chain, with the first Games Workshop store opening in Hammersmith in 1977.{{cite news | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/a-visit-to-the-fantasy-world-of-ian-livingstone-1162339.html | author=McGrath, Melanie | title=A Visit to the Fantasy World of Ian Livingstone | work=The Independent | date=2 June 1998 | access-date=11 January 2018}} In June of that year, partially to advertise the opening, Livingstone and Jackson launched the gaming magazine White Dwarf, with Livingstone as the editor. Livingstone chose the title, which had meaning relevant to both the fantasy and science fiction genres: a white dwarf could be a reference to both a stellar phenomenon and to a fantasy character.{{rp|44}} Livingstone ended his run as editor after White Dwarf #74 (February 1986).{{rp|48}}

In 1980, Livingstone and Jackson began to develop the concept of the Fighting Fantasy gamebook series, the first volume of which (The Warlock of Firetop Mountain) was published in 1982 by Puffin Books.{{rp|46}} Livingstone and Jackson sold Games Workshop in 1991 for {{currency|10|GBP}} million. The pair, together with Bryan Ansell, founded Citadel Miniatures in Newark to make miniatures for games. Livingstone has also invented several board games, including Boom Town, Judge Dredd, Automania, Legend of Zagor, and Dragonmasters.

=''Fighting Fantasy''=

In 1982, Jackson and Livingstone co-wrote The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, the first book in the Fighting Fantasy series,{{Cite book | contribution=Amun-Re | title=Hobby Games: The 100 Best | last=Livingstone | first=Ian | title-link=Hobby Games: The 100 Best | editor-last=Lowder | editor-first=James | editor-link=James Lowder | publisher=Green Ronin Publishing | year=2007 | pages=9–12 | isbn=978-1-932442-96-0}} but following an instruction from publishers Penguin to write more books "as quickly as possible" the pair wrote subsequent books separately.{{citation needed|date=November 2014}} The series had sold over 18 million copies as of 2017,{{cite web |url=https://shop.scholastic.co.uk/products/Fighting-Fantasy-The-Port-of-Peril-Ian-Livingstone-9781407181295 |title=Fighting Fantasy: The Port of Peril |publisher=Scholastic Ltd |website=Scholastic.co.uk |access-date=11 January 2018}} with Livingstone's Deathtrap Dungeon selling over 350,000 copies in its first year alone.{{Cite book | title=You Are The Hero | last=Green | first=Jonathan | publisher=Snow Books | year=2014 | page=33 | isbn=978-1-909679-38-2}} Livingstone wrote another twelve Fighting Fantasy gamebooks, including The Forest of Doom, City of Thieves and Caverns of the Snow Witch before marking the 30th anniversary of The Warlock of Firetop Mountain with a new gamebook, Blood of the Zombies, in 2012,Ian Livingstone, [https://twitter.com/ian_livingstone/status/125089525574795264 Twitter], 14 October 2011 and with The Port of Peril in 2017 for the 35th anniversary.

=Video games=

In the mid-1980s Livingstone did design work for video game publisher Domark; he returned to the company in 1993 as a major investor and board member. Livingstone later recounted, "After the success of Games Workshop, I retired, got bored, and invested in Domark to fund their cartridge development. I got in at just the wrong time - it was all going flat."{{cite magazine |title=Ian Livingstone |magazine=Next Generation|issue=28 |publisher=Imagine Media |date=April 1997|page=95}} In 1995, Domark was acquired by the video technology company Eidos, which had been floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1990, and formed the major part of the newly created Eidos plc, known for Eidos Interactive. Livingstone resigned as executive chairman in 2002 and became creative director.{{Cite web |date=2002-04-12 |title=Eidos change at the helm |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/hp/front/eidos-change-at-the-helm-6344347.html |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=Evening Standard |language=en}} In 2005 Eidos was taken over by SCi and Livingstone was the only former board member to be retained, taking on the role of product acquisition director.{{cite web|last=Boyes|first=Emma|title=Q&A: Ian Livingstone on 10 years of Lara|url=http://au.gamespot.com/news/6161633.html|website=GameSpot|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070126081824/http://au.gamespot.com/news/6161633.html|archive-date=26 January 2007|df=dmy-all}} Livingstone secured many of the company's major franchises, including Tomb Raider and Hitman. He contributed to the Tomb Raider project Tomb Raider: Anniversary (an enhanced version of the original Tomb Raider game), which was released in 2007. In 2009, Japanese video-game company Square Enix completed a buyout of Eidos Interactive and Livingstone was promoted to Life President of Eidos, a position he resigned from in 2013.{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/2013/9/30/4787344/eidos-president-and-ceo-ian-livingstone-departs-after-20-years |title=Eidos President and CEO Ian Livingstone departs after 20 years |publisher=Vox Media, Inc. |website=Polygon.com |date=30 September 2013 |access-date=11 January 2018}}

In 2014 Livingstone appeared in the documentary feature film From Bedrooms to Billions (2014) a film that tells the story of the British Video Games Industry from 1979 to present.{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2404567/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast |title= From Bedrooms to Billions (2014) Full Cast & Crew |publisher= IMDb.com, Inc. |website= IMDb.com |access-date=11 January 2018}} In 2021 Freeway Fighters received an adaptation on Viber and messenger, created by a Talk-a-Bot chatbot company over Viber and messenger.{{cite web |url=https://www.fightingfantasy.com/talk-a-bot-press-release |title= Hungarian Startup adapts Freeway Fighter role-playing gamebook for chatbot|website= fightingfantasy.com |access-date=30 April 2021}} Livingstone was the non-executive chairman of Sumo Group from 2015 to 2022.{{Cite web |last=Handrahan |first=Matthew |date=2015-09-22 |title=Ian Livingstone CBE joins Sumo Digital |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/ian-livingstone-cbe-joins-sumo-digital |access-date=2023-11-28 |website=GamesIndustry.biz |language=en}} He is a general partner at Hiro Capital, which invested in Skybound Entertainment in 2022.{{Cite web |last=Batchelor |first=James |date=2022-05-19 |title=Skybound Entertainment secures fresh investment from Hiro Capital, Knollwood Advisory and more |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/skybound-entertainment-secures-fresh-investment-from-hiro-capital-knollwood-advisory-and-more |access-date=2023-11-02 |website=GamesIndustry.biz |language=en}}

=Educational=

In 2010 Livingstone was asked to act as the Skills Champion by government minister Ed Vaizey, tasked with producing a report reviewing the UK video games industry. The 'NextGen' report, co-authored with Alex Hope of visual effects firm Double Negative, was released in 2011;{{cite web|url=http://www.nesta.org.uk/areas_of_work/creative_economy/skills_review|title=Next Gen. - Nesta|website=www.nesta.org.uk|access-date=11 June 2011|archive-date=4 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604021757/http://www.nesta.org.uk/areas_of_work/creative_economy/skills_review|url-status=dead}} Livingstone described it as a "complete bottom up review of the whole education system relating to games."{{cite web|url=http://www.square-go.com/feature/ian-livingstone---ei10-interview-1310|title=Ian Livingstone - EI10 Interview|last=Harris|first=Phil|date=11 September 2010|website=Square-Go|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005171623/http://www.square-go.com/feature/ian-livingstone---ei10-interview-1310|archive-date=5 October 2011|url-status=dead|access-date=5 October 2011}} A school named Livingstone Academy was planned for 2021.{{cite web |last1=Batchelor |first1=James |title=Why Ian Livingstone is building a school |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/why-ian-livingstone-is-building-a-school |website=GamesIndustry.biz |language=en |date=16 July 2020}}

Awards and honours

In 2002, Livingstone won the BAFTA Interactive Special Award for outstanding contribution to the industry.{{cite web|title=The Special Award|url=http://www.bafta.org/awards/special,2365,BA.html|publisher=BAFTA|access-date=1 January 2013|date=23 December 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121031025654/http://www.bafta.org/awards/special,2365,BA.html|archive-date=31 October 2012|df=dmy-all}}
Livingstone was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2006 New Year Honours,{{cite news|title=2006 New Year Honours List|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/30_12_05_hons.pdf|access-date=1 January 2013|newspaper=BBC|date=30 December 2005}} and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours both for services to the computer gaming industry.{{London Gazette |issue=60367 |date=29 December 2012 |page=8 |supp=y}}{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20860256|title=Tech visionaries make honours list|first=Leo|last=Kelion|work=BBC News|date=29 December 2012}}
In 2011, Livingstone received an Honorary Doctorate of Arts from Bournemouth University.{{cite web|title=Bournemouth University announces Honorary Doctorates|url=http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/newsandevents/News/2011/nov/contentonly_1_7036_7036.html|publisher=Bournemouth University|access-date=1 January 2013|date=3 November 2011|archive-date=4 April 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130404031740/http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/newsandevents/News/2011/nov/contentonly_1_7036_7036.html|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|title=Ian Livingstone OBE receives honorary degree from BU|url=http://media.bournemouth.ac.uk/about/news/2011/nov/ne014-ian-livingstone-honorary-doctorate.html|publisher=Bournemouth University|access-date=1 January 2013|date=11 November 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121124233134/http://media.bournemouth.ac.uk/about/news/2011/nov/ne014-ian-livingstone-honorary-doctorate.html|archive-date=24 November 2012|df=dmy-all}}
Livingstone was knighted in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to the online gaming industry.{{London Gazette|issue=63571|supp=y|page=N2|date=1 January 2022}}{{cite web | url = https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/uk-games-industry-legend-ian-livingstone-to-be-knighted/ | title = UK games industry legend Ian Livingstone to be knighted | first = Andy | last = Robinson | work = Video Games Chronicle | date = 1 January 2022 | accessdate = 1 January 2022 }}

Bibliography

=Fighting Fantasy=

The Warlock of Firetop Mountain (1982) with Steve Jackson, Puffin Books
The Forest of Doom (1983)
City of Thieves (1983)
Deathtrap Dungeon (1984)
Island of the Lizard King (1984)
Caverns of the Snow Witch (1984)
Freeway Fighter (1985)
Temple of Terror (1985)
Trial of Champions (1986)
Crypt of the Sorcerer (1987)
Armies of Death (1988)
Return to Firetop Mountain (1992)
Eye of the Dragon (2005)
Blood of the Zombies (2012)
The Port of Peril (2017)
Assassins of Allansia (2019)
Shadow of the Giants (2022)

=Fighting Fantasy First Adventures: Adventures of Goldhawk=

''Darkmoon's Curse (1995)
The Demon Spider (1995)
Mudworm Swamp (1995)
Ghost Road (1995)

=Other works=

Dicing with Dragons (1982){{cite web|url=https://openlibrary.org/works/OL4024674W/Dicing_with_Dragons|title=Dicing with Dragons - Open Library|last=OpenLibrary.org|website=Open Library}}
Eureka! (1984), Domark
Shadowmaster (1992) with Marc Gascoigne
Casket of Souls (1987)
Board Games in 100 Moves: 8,000 Years of Play (2019) with James Wallis
Dice Men: The Origin Story of Games Workshop (2022)

References

External links

{{moby developer |id=14597 |name=Ian Livingstone profile}}
{{LCAuth|no98034325|Ian Livingstone|13|ue}}
{{isfdb name|5365|Ian Livingstone}}
{{cite web |url=http://www.pen-paper.net:80/rpgdb.php?op=showcreator&creatorid=693 |archive-date=10 March 2005 |title=Ian Livingstone :: Pen & Paper RPG Database |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050310234112/http://www.pen-paper.net/rpgdb.php?op=showcreator&creatorid=693 |access-date=20 January 2020 }}

Category:1949 births

Category:BAFTA winners (people)

Category:British gamebook writers

Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire

Category:Dungeons & Dragons game designers

Category:English fantasy writers

Category:Fighting Fantasy

Category:Games Workshop

Category:Knights Bachelor

Category:Living people

Category:People educated at Altrincham Grammar School for Boys

Category:People from Prestbury, Cheshire