James Bond Games BANNED From Guns?

by

As a devotee of James Bond, I’ll forever toast to the leadership shown by Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson in the realm of 007. Although their cautious approach has hindered ventures like spinoffs from taking off, it wasn’t until recently that I understood its far-reaching impact on the Bond video game world. Thus, the absence of a new movie or game in the 2025 release schedule seems more reasonable now.

Barbara Broccoli Wanted Goldeneye 64’s Sequel To Go Gunless

In an interview for the Grit podcast, ex-CEO of Activision-Blizzard Bobby Kotick put forth a significant statement that I believe many can support. Referring to Goldeneye 64 as the game that truly propelled the N64, he discussed a venture intended to outshine Rare and Nintendo’s groundbreaking collaboration title in the video game industry. However, as his narrative unfolded, Kotick’s feelings of frustration seemed relatable and justified:

In our endeavor, we crafted a follow-up to the original, but it proved to be quite an intricate task. You see, Barbara Broccoli wasn’t particularly fond of excessive violence or guns in the narrative. So, we faced difficulties in finding a balance that would satisfy both her preferences and our vision for a compelling sequel. However, I firmly believed that reviving the Goldeneye series was an exciting prospect.

Let’s each pause for a moment, avoiding loud outbursts, and consider that a James Bond video game might not be entirely authentic if it doesn’t incorporate gunplay. It’s rather peculiar, like when Nintendo asked for all defeated enemies in Goldeneye 64 to appear recovering in a hospital.

As a die-hard movie buff, I must admit that the emergence of a game like 007 Racing now feels oddly fitting. Yet, considering the partnership between Eon Productions (the franchise’s license holder) and Activision for their video games seems peculiar under these circumstances – given the trajectory of gaming during Daniel Craig’s James Bond film era.

At approximately the same time that Commander Bond’s digital journeys were being cultivated, the Call of Duty series was experiencing a surge in popularity. One might assume this would be an ideal match, blending expertise and licensing. However, even with such resources at his disposal, Bobby Kotick acknowledged Barbara Broccoli’s perspective on the subject, as evidenced by these ongoing remarks:

I’ll share with you that she and her brother are excellent caretakers for the intellectual property. From her perspective, I could understand her stance. Essentially, she said, “Since your children will play it, I prefer there be no guns involved.” My response was, “Regrettably, we can’t deviate from the original Goldeneye’s expectations.

It appears that this “unsuccessful sequel” was later transformed into one of Daniel Craig’s rare video game appearances, known as “Goldeneye Reloaded.” To be honest, it’s hard to say which is stranger between “Goldeneye Reloaded” and “007 Legends,” as both games attempted to recreate earlier Bond films with Craig in the main role. However, things are going to get even more peculiar, so let’s keep quiet for now.

Even Further Restrictions On James Bond Video Games Made Things Rather Difficult

Prior to Activision’s rise in digital fame, Electronic Arts (EA) held the rights to create James Bond video games. This arrangement resulted in some exceptional titles, such as the timeless game “Everything or Nothing.” Having Bing Gordon, former Chief Creative Officer of that company, participating in this discussion provided additional insights into the challenges faced during this period.

At this juncture, Gordon and Bobby Kotick exchanged information, which, as you’ll see later, encompassed details from discussions between the developers and the EON Productions executive team.

  • Bing Gordon: “At EA, what we heard was no fragging, you can’t shoot anybody in the back, and there always had to be a big water scene at the beginning of the game. It was like, ‘Ok, well we can put up the water scene, but you can’t do an open world shooter where you can’t shoot somebody from all 360-degrees.’”
  • Bobby Kotick: “No, it started with, ‘No shooting.’ … I went to the meeting, I was like, ‘[It’s] not gonna work.’”

It’s quite intriguing that my imagined game concept, featuring a James Bond-style battle royale with multiple iconic characters, seems increasingly plausible given the prolonged silence from IO Interactive regarding their upcoming Project 007. This silence might be due to the potential creative constraints imposed during the tenure of Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, as they were still in charge.

Although a greater number of strategy-based games such as mobile game “Cypher 007” have emerged, there’s been an unprecedented scarcity in gaming titles that resemble this. This scarcity is particularly noteworthy for Bing Gordon, given his observation that fans of “Goldeneye” understand weapons much like car enthusiasts know their favorite racing game vehicles – a comparison that rings true indeed.

It’s plausible that EON Productions handed over creative control of James Bond to Amazon-MGM Studios because they were likely overwhelmed by the challenges. With the pursuit of producing “James Bond 26” and a new video game that explores the origin story of 007, managing the brand’s expectations must have been incredibly demanding.

Although I’m suregoing to miss EON Productions steering the James Bond storyline, I’m equally eager to discover what Amy Pascal and David Heyman might bring to video game ventures, serving as the gatekeepers of sorts for 007. For the moment, we can only speculate, as neither Bond 26 nor Project 007 have any set production or release dates at this time.

Read More

2025-05-20 19:27