Eidos creative director Ian Livingstone has hit out at the UK Government for its continued refusal to reward the British games development community with financial assistance.

In a frank interview with The Guardian, Livingstone accused the Government of snubbing the industry in terms of deserved state investment.

He said:

“The difference between [Canada] and here is that our Government clearly sees any state support as a handout, not an investment.

"It seems to me the UK Government would rather see our great industry go into decline than help it maintain its prominent position in the world, and that is madness."

He later added:

"We're still seen as the red-headed stepchild of the creative industries, one notch up from pornography in the eyes of most of the establishment.

"They forget that half of the world and half of the UK's population play games. Games help define who we are as human beings – they are as important, culturally and socially, as music and films."