Playdemic appoints Fighting Fantasy co-creator Ian Livingstone CBE as chairman

Playdemic, the social games company best known for its Facebook titles Gourmet Ranch and Village Life, has appointed U.K. games industry pioneer and Fighting Fantasy series co-creator Ian Livingstone CBE as company chairman.

Livingstone, who remains life president at Eidos Games, will aid Playdemic in its continued growth on Facebook and across iOS platforms.

"The appointment of Ian demonstrates our commitment to creating the highest-quality games," said Playdemic CEO Paul Gouge in a prepared statement. "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."

Playdemic was founded in 2010 by a team of industry veterans from publishers including EA, Ubisoft, THQ and Eidos. The company is based in Manchester, U.K.