Livingstone takes on new role at Eidos

Ian Livingstone, former chairman and creative director of Eidos until the company was taken over by SCi last May, is to return in the role of product acquisition director.

According to an official statement issued by Eidos, Livingstone will work closely with design director Patrick O'Luanaigh and development director Darren Barnett, and will be responsible "For ensuring that the group has a strong forward pipeline of new products."

"This will include working with internal studios to create new franchises and securing new titles from external studios worldwide."

Livingstone is well known for co-founding Games Workshop and helping to create the Fighting Fantasy series of gamebooks. He has been connected with Eidos since 1995, when the company - previously a video compression firm - merged with publisher Domark, in which he held a stake.

Livingstone became chairnman and helped to acquire titles such as Tomb Raider, Championship Manager and Commandos for the publisher before switching to the role of creative director in 2002.

He then departed the company in May after the SCi takeover, along with chairman John van Kuffeler, CEO Mike McGarvey and European MD Jonathan Kemp.