Ian Livingstone, co-founder of Games Workshop and former executive chairman of Eidos PLC, will share his industry expertise with audiences at Advertising Week Europe. Sponsored by mobile ad network Tapjoy, Livingstone’s session ‘The Power of Play’ will explore gaming’s shift from analogue to digital mediums to become a global entertainment phenomenon.

Livingstone has been aptly described as a pioneer of gaming culture. He and his flatmate Steve Jackson founded Games Workshop in 1975 and brought Dungeons & Dragons to Europe, and helped define much of the games industry as it is today. Games Workshop PLC is best known for its hugely successful Warhammer 40,000 franchise.

Not one to rest on his laurels, Livingstone established himself across multiple gaming professions. He co-wrote The Warlock of Firetop Mountain in 1982, and penned many of the books in the original 59-volume Fighting Fantasy series which sold over 20 million copies worldwide. He transitioned to video games in the early 1990s and became Executive Chairman of Eidos PLC in 1995. In this role, Livingstone secured several major video game franchises including Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and Hitman. He served as chairman of Playdemic, developers of the global hit mobile game Golf Clash, and is currently a director of Sumo PLC.

Advertising Week Europe is a marketing convention intended to highlight the trends, challenges, and technologies behind modern advertising industries. As part of his talk, Livingstone will highlight the ways gaming has changed in its transition to electronic devices, and the ways it remains the same. He’ll also discuss contemporary challenges faced by new gaming companies, and offer predictions on the future of his industry.

Advertising Week Europe will be held in London at Picturehouse Central from 18 to 21 March 2019. Tapjoy’s “The Power of Play” will take place on Tuesday 19 March at the By The Numbers Stage. Registration passes are available now.