Ian Livingstone receives CBE in New Years honours

Eidos life president Ian Livingstone was made a Commander of the British Empire in the New Years Honors list.

Livingstone first made a name for himself in the 1970s by launching Games Workshop and White Dwarf. He edited White Dwarf – a dedicated magazine to Warhammer – for almost 75 issues, and the magazine is still going today.

He then co-created the influential Fighting Fantasy book series, which this year received a new entry – Blood of the Zombies – to celebrate its 30th anniversary.

But Livingstone’s true legacy can be seen today in the video games industry. The man who helped set-up Eidos (and as a result Hitman, Tomb Raider, Deus Ex and the rest) has become the industry’s biggest advocate. His work with Government has led to significant change, the most high profile of which has been his Next Gen Skills Review, which was co-authored with Alex Hope. The review looked to help give school leavers and graduates the right skills that will better prepare them for the UK’s video games and visual effects industries.

This year that review is being put into practice over the next year, with a new ICT curriculum that puts computer science at its core.

Livingstone was given an OBE in the 2006 New Years Honors list.