"You Can't Win..." - Goldeneye 25 Project is ceased by MGM

Bueno1694Bueno1694 My James Bond Games' Playthroughs: linktr.ee/Xtreemo
in 007 Gaming Posts: 70
Hello everyone.
It's always sad to be a bad news bringer.

The Goldeneye 25 project that was aiming to bring Goldeneye back in a brand new engine was ceased by MGM.

The devs have already published an official announcement:
Dear fans and followers:

We're said to announce that we've been kindly asked by the IP holder (MGM/Danjaq) to cease development of GoldenEye 25.
This was always in the back of our heads as a possiblity but we've tried our best to keep going.

Of course we will comply and want to thank for your ongoing support.

We cannot do a Bond game but we still can do a great game with all the beloved aspects of our favorite 90's action shooter.

If you are still interested in following us, please join us on twitter or facebook at Project Ianus where we will share development of our new game.

All pages and content related to GoldenEye 25 will be deleted by friday.



You can see more information on their social media while it's still there:

https://twitter.com/007GoldenEye25

https://www.facebook.com/GoldenEye25
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Comments

  • MalloryMallory Do mosquitoes have friends?
    edited August 2020 Posts: 2,036
    Why EoN and MGM just dont officially release a proper remastered Goldeneye N64 is beyond me. I know there was one done a few years back but it was tied up in legal issues. Surely they can all play nice and arrange it?
  • CraigMooreOHMSSCraigMooreOHMSS Dublin, Ireland
    Posts: 8,009
    That's a damn shame.
  • Bueno1694Bueno1694 My James Bond Games' Playthroughs: linktr.ee/Xtreemo
    Posts: 70
    What I don't understand is why this project was cancelled and Goldeneye: Source is still running...
  • Posts: 847
    Imagine : do nothing with the licence AND, beyond that, sanction the peoples who try to do (the things that you should do but that you still don't do, since a decade)...

    What a shame!
  • Posts: 9,730
    sigh
  • thedovethedove hiding in the Greek underworld
    Posts: 4,904
    I would love to know who is behind the decisions to kill the gaming Bond off. They allow developers to make inferior products then they just shut down everything. My youngest has really enjoyed played the older games but it's sad to know nothing new is coming.
  • edited August 2020 Posts: 6,682
    I was hoping, but not actually expecting, that instead of a cease and desist, they would take a more constructive way of protecting their trademark, by collaborating with the GE25 team and giving the game a commercial release rather than halting the project, much like Valve did with Black Mesa Source. It would have been especially satisfying considering this was a fan game that looked great and actually seemed to make progress in its development, unlike many of them, which die slow deaths because the people making them lose interest or don't have the time to keep working on them.

    But I suppose that Valve approach is very unusual, and also, games are not in the interest of the Bond people anymore, considering we haven't had one in years (except for, uh, World of Espionage?). I do agree that it is terribly frustrating to see them keeping projects like these from being made, but at the same time, not releasing any new proper games themselves. I want games, dammit!

    The other frustrating thing is that this project had existed for several years. Killing it as early as possible is always preferrable. I understand you're not going to have people constantly looking on the internet for every dime-store fan project to take down, because who cares, but this game had already appeared on major gaming sites several years ago, so it probably demanded more attention. Why do they let our expectations build and then pull the plug?

    From a purely practical standpoint, if I really wanted to make and release GE25 and not have to prepare for the eventuality of a cease and desist letter —which would force me to rebrand the project, and change the assets and levels—, I would just build the thing "in my backyard" and anonymously put it out there when it was finished, without prior notice, much like that Super Mario 64 PC port that appeared a couple of months ago. That way, they can't stop it. But I can understand that approach is too abstemious, too martyr-like. And besides, the people working on the game can take the awareness created for GE25 and transplant it into their new game, something which they already had in mind according to the video (and it's an easy conclusion to reach, even without them saying it). I'll check it out when there is some footage, but to some extent it'll still feel like its wings were clipped, so to speak.

    The good news is that we will still get Yannick Zenhäusern's music. That is something I'm really looking forward to. Incidentally, at one point in the video above he says that he doesn't feel like "promoting a brand anymore that has clearly shown what they think of what we did and what we do." He's understandably upset.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,372
    I don't think we'll ever get a proper return to Bond gaming and that's a damn shame to say. Curious why they're letting the property die off. Gaming sales have been up tremendously since the coronavirus, would've been a great time to shine for them.
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    Posts: 13,882
    I saw this earlier, and commented on the video.

    I could maybe understand this, if they were actually making games. But if they have given up on Bond games, which they appear to have done, then they should just allow it to happen, especially if it is non-profit. If it is for proft, then come to some agreement.
  • Posts: 9,730
    I want a new bond game... its sad that fan made games are all we get and now we might not get anymore of those..
  • Agent_OneAgent_One Ireland
    edited August 2020 Posts: 280
    This is just petty. There hasn't been a true Bond game since 2012, and even that was awful. Why go and destroy a fan passion project when it's got nothing to compete with? FFS.
  • CraigMooreOHMSSCraigMooreOHMSS Dublin, Ireland
    Posts: 8,009
    I saw this earlier, and commented on the video.

    I could maybe understand this, if they were actually making games. But if they have given up on Bond games, which they appear to have done, then they should just allow it to happen, especially if it is non-profit. If it is for proft, then come to some agreement.

    Yes, if the fan-made game was taking the shine off an upcoming game release then it would at least make some sense. But we're getting diddly squat now from anyone.
  • DenbighDenbigh UK
    edited August 2020 Posts: 5,834
    I think it's purely financial. It's a shame but to be expected. Also they may have plans to reinvigorate the Bond gaming universe, even if it doesn't seem like they have any current plans known to us.
  • goldenswissroyalegoldenswissroyale Switzerland
    Posts: 4,378
    Such a shame. I know Yannick Zenhäusern from our Bond Club and he did some fantastic scores for fan videos.
    I'm not a gamer myself but it's very sad that MGM forbid such a great fan project after they alreaedy worked on it for years.
  • ResurrectionResurrection Kolkata, India
    Posts: 2,541
    I really don't remember the last decent bond game i played. Still, let's hope they might decide to do one in future.
  • DenbighDenbigh UK
    edited August 2020 Posts: 5,834
    I personally think they should cast their own video game James Bond actor, specifically for his voice I imagine, and then just make a bunch of video games with him. They don't need to tie to the films.
  • Last_Rat_StandingLast_Rat_Standing Long Neck Ice Cold Beer Never Broke My Heart
    Posts: 4,382
    Denbigh wrote: »
    I personally think they should cast there own video game James Bond actor, specifically for his voice I imagine, and then just make a bunch of video games with him. They don't need to tie to the films.

    Bring back the smorgasbord Bond from AUF!
  • edited August 2020 Posts: 6,682
    It's not Project Ianus anymore, but Spies Don't Die.

    Yannick Zenhäusern did some preliminary music for it.

  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    Posts: 6,759
    mattjoes wrote: »
    It's not Project Ianus anymore, but Spies Don't Die.

    Yannick Zenhäusern did some preliminary music for it.


    I love the Éric Serra vibes of this music!
  • BMW_with_missilesBMW_with_missiles All the usual refinements.
    Posts: 3,000
    Repeating myself from the other thread:

    It always irritates me when a company pulls something like this, because they don’t have to. They’re just choosing to be a-holes. This was a harmless, free, fan project based on a 25 year old game that has been out of publication for nearly two decades. The developers weren’t going to make any money off of it. And we know that EON/MGN aren’t making any money off the Bond gaming license at the moment. This wouldn’t have competed against any of their Bond games, because they don’t make those anymore. There’s companies like SEGA that gladly allow fan games like Sonic: Utopia because they realize that it doesn’t hurt their ip at all to allow fans to be fans. SEGA even went so far as to hire fan developers to help them make a new official Sonic game, Sonic: Mania. Meanwhile MGM/Danjaq are over here gleefully taking a massive dump on their fans.
  • Repeating myself from the other thread:

    It always irritates me when a company pulls something like this, because they don’t have to. They’re just choosing to be a-holes. This was a harmless, free, fan project based on a 25 year old game that has been out of publication for nearly two decades. The developers weren’t going to make any money off of it. And we know that EON/MGN aren’t making any money off the Bond gaming license at the moment. This wouldn’t have competed against any of their Bond games, because they don’t make those anymore. There’s companies like SEGA that gladly allow fan games like Sonic: Utopia because they realize that it doesn’t hurt their ip at all to allow fans to be fans. SEGA even went so far as to hire fan developers to help them make a new official Sonic game, Sonic: Mania. Meanwhile MGM/Danjaq are over here gleefully taking a massive dump on their fans.

    Unless there's a new game coming.
  • BMW_with_missilesBMW_with_missiles All the usual refinements.
    Posts: 3,000
    Repeating myself from the other thread:

    It always irritates me when a company pulls something like this, because they don’t have to. They’re just choosing to be a-holes. This was a harmless, free, fan project based on a 25 year old game that has been out of publication for nearly two decades. The developers weren’t going to make any money off of it. And we know that EON/MGN aren’t making any money off the Bond gaming license at the moment. This wouldn’t have competed against any of their Bond games, because they don’t make those anymore. There’s companies like SEGA that gladly allow fan games like Sonic: Utopia because they realize that it doesn’t hurt their ip at all to allow fans to be fans. SEGA even went so far as to hire fan developers to help them make a new official Sonic game, Sonic: Mania. Meanwhile MGM/Danjaq are over here gleefully taking a massive dump on their fans.

    Unless there's a new game coming.

    That is the only situation in which I would find this acceptable. But unfortunately I don’t think that’s likely.
  • Posts: 9,730
    Repeating myself from the other thread:

    It always irritates me when a company pulls something like this, because they don’t have to. They’re just choosing to be a-holes. This was a harmless, free, fan project based on a 25 year old game that has been out of publication for nearly two decades. The developers weren’t going to make any money off of it. And we know that EON/MGN aren’t making any money off the Bond gaming license at the moment. This wouldn’t have competed against any of their Bond games, because they don’t make those anymore. There’s companies like SEGA that gladly allow fan games like Sonic: Utopia because they realize that it doesn’t hurt their ip at all to allow fans to be fans. SEGA even went so far as to hire fan developers to help them make a new official Sonic game, Sonic: Mania. Meanwhile MGM/Danjaq are over here gleefully taking a massive dump on their fans.

    Unless there's a new game coming.

    That is the only situation in which I would find this acceptable. But unfortunately I don’t think that’s likely.

    it never occured to me but yeah if a new game is coming that makes sense but the question is who the last licensed 007 game was the dlc for Fornza Horizons in 2018 and before that was World of Espionage in 2015 from Glu Mobile

    so a few ideas

    1. Glu Has become developing real games for consoles which would be unheard of but not impossible
    2. Bond license went to Playground Games or Microsoft Studios under the radar and they are developing a new bond game
    3. the rumors of a telltale bond game are not only true but post the restucturing the of the studio we will be getting the game soon



    I genuinely wish Warner brothers would just buy MGM and then mandate Rocksteady build a cool bond game.
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    Posts: 8,000
    Mallory wrote: »
    Why EoN and MGM just dont officially release a proper remastered Goldeneye N64 is beyond me. I know there was one done a few years back but it was tied up in legal issues. Surely they can all play nice and arrange it?

    Likely because both Nintendo and Microsoft would rather put the game out as one of their exclusives. GE was one of the biggest games in history and they both essentially see it as “theirs”. An ego thing. But it also may just come down to too much paperwork legal paperwork that they don’t think it’s worth doing in the era of COD.

    Whatever the case, it doesn’t surprise me that GE25 has to be put down. There was NO WAY that MGM would allow a “free” Bond game put out there.
  • Posts: 6,682
    Except GoldenEye: Source is still out there and it's free. In fact, that's what the GE25 developer was counting on when he set out to make his project.

    It's interesting that Source is multiplayer-only while GE25 was going to be single player-only. Perhaps that makes a difference for the owners of the GE brand.
  • Agent007391Agent007391 Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start
    Posts: 7,854
    mattjoes wrote: »
    Except GoldenEye: Source is still out there and it's free. In fact, that's what the GE25 developer was counting on when he set out to make his project.

    It's interesting that Source is multiplayer-only while GE25 was going to be single player-only. Perhaps that makes a difference for the owners of the GE brand.

    That is the difference. Source had to can their single player to avoid being shut down. Apparently as a multiplayer only, it must qualify as nothing more than a skin and level mod, of which there are billions for Garry's Mod alone.
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    edited August 2020 Posts: 8,000
    How do you play Source? Is it avail on PS4?
  • mgeoff88mgeoff88 At a nice safehouse in Rome... Erm... Bay Area, CA
    edited August 2020 Posts: 50
    This is so lame. Why should MGM/Danjaq care about a fan project? Fans are doing more to keep 007 games going than they are.

    I still can’t believe MGM/Danjaq are ok with World of Espionage being their last official James Bond game. You would think they would want to redeem themselves with a AAA game after the worst 007 game ever. But they just decided to give on up on the games all together.

    How do you play Source? Is it avail on PS4?

    It’s only available on PC. You have to download Source SDK Base 2007 through Steam. After that, you just download the mod: https://www.moddb.com/mods/goldeneye-source/downloads/ges-v506-full-installer-exe.
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    Posts: 14,861
    Denbigh wrote: »
    I personally think they should cast their own video game James Bond actor, specifically for his voice I imagine, and then just make a bunch of video games with him. They don't need to tie to the films.

    Yeah I always wished, after the FRWL game, they'd done a 70s-set big crazy game and got Sir Roger to star in it. He'd have sounded practically the same and I like to think he'd have been up for it.
    Repeating myself from the other thread:

    It always irritates me when a company pulls something like this, because they don’t have to. They’re just choosing to be a-holes. This was a harmless, free, fan project based on a 25 year old game that has been out of publication for nearly two decades. The developers weren’t going to make any money off of it. And we know that EON/MGN aren’t making any money off the Bond gaming license at the moment. This wouldn’t have competed against any of their Bond games, because they don’t make those anymore. There’s companies like SEGA that gladly allow fan games like Sonic: Utopia because they realize that it doesn’t hurt their ip at all to allow fans to be fans. SEGA even went so far as to hire fan developers to help them make a new official Sonic game, Sonic: Mania. Meanwhile MGM/Danjaq are over here gleefully taking a massive dump on their fans.

    They're perfectly within their rights to control their property. Not sure where there's any glee being shown.

  • BMW_with_missilesBMW_with_missiles All the usual refinements.
    Posts: 3,000
    mtm wrote: »
    Denbigh wrote: »
    I personally think they should cast their own video game James Bond actor, specifically for his voice I imagine, and then just make a bunch of video games with him. They don't need to tie to the films.

    Yeah I always wished, after the FRWL game, they'd done a 70s-set big crazy game and got Sir Roger to star in it. He'd have sounded practically the same and I like to think he'd have been up for it.
    Repeating myself from the other thread:

    It always irritates me when a company pulls something like this, because they don’t have to. They’re just choosing to be a-holes. This was a harmless, free, fan project based on a 25 year old game that has been out of publication for nearly two decades. The developers weren’t going to make any money off of it. And we know that EON/MGN aren’t making any money off the Bond gaming license at the moment. This wouldn’t have competed against any of their Bond games, because they don’t make those anymore. There’s companies like SEGA that gladly allow fan games like Sonic: Utopia because they realize that it doesn’t hurt their ip at all to allow fans to be fans. SEGA even went so far as to hire fan developers to help them make a new official Sonic game, Sonic: Mania. Meanwhile MGM/Danjaq are over here gleefully taking a massive dump on their fans.

    They're perfectly within their rights to control their property. Not sure where there's any glee being shown.

    They’re within their rights, yes. But that doesn’t mean that they’re not being litigious. Something can be well within your rights to do and still be an indecent thing to do.
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