Eidos founder and life president Ian Livingstone has been named as the new chairman of UK social gaming outfit Playdemic, pledging to help drive the studio into the mobile arena.

Playdemic, which was founded in 2010 and has made its name mainly on Facebook, is perfectly placed to take advantage on consumer demand for social gaming across multiple formats, said Livingstone.

'Boom'

"The boom in social gaming represents an incredible opportunity for talented game studios like Playdemic," said Livingstone of his appointment.

"Millions of people are playing games on their smart phones and Facebook. Playdemic is a hidden UK success story; first with Gourmet Ranch on Facebook in 2010, and more recently with the hugely successful launch of Village Life.

"I am delighted to be appointed Chairman of the company, and look forward to working with the team to drive further growth on Facebook, and helping to leverage the studio’s content across mobile platforms."


Facebook hit Village Life

The Livingstone scoop comes six months after Playdemic closed what was believed to be at least a $3 million funding round, with CEO Paul Gouge attempting to position the company to take advantage of a social gaming market poised to go "far beyond" its current confines.

Experience and expertise

"The appointment of Ian demonstrates our commitment to creating the highest-quality games," added Gouge of Livingstone's appointment.

"Ian has operated at the top of the games business for many years and I am confident that his incredible experience and expertise in all aspects of the industry will prove invaluable in Playdemic's continued growth.

"Ian has already proved to be an inspiration and a resource for the Playdemic team in creating exciting new games for the latest platforms."

[source: Develop]