Project 007 - IO Interactive - The New James Bond Video Game

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  • ImpertinentGoonImpertinentGoon Everybody needs a hobby.
    Posts: 1,351
    mtm wrote: »
    antovolk wrote: »
    https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/kultur/gaming/det-er-stadig-svaert-forstaa-skaebnemoede-bragte-james-bond-satsning-til

    New info on the game - original Bond not based on any other previous actors, original story that could lead to a trilogy of games,

    Very interesting, thank you.

    Small tidbits I gleaned from pushing this through Google translate:
    Barbara Broccoli was originally against the idea, because previous games were not "worthy enough" and that it was "violence for the sake of violence". Obviously IOI's pitch turned her head, so we probably won't see a straight shooter (not that I expected that from IOI anyway).

    IOI is doubling their workforce from currently 200 people to 400 people for the next years. I would assume not all 400 people work exclusively on Project 007, but the game obviously is massive for them.

    "We are very keen to make a game of very high quality, which young people all over the world fall in love with. And I am sure that we will."

    There is mention of "life-threatening missions, raucous car chases and evil villains", although that is not a direct quote, so I wouldn't take that as a confirmation of car chase sequences.

    When they pitched to Barbara Broccoli directly, IOI had already been working on this project for two years.

    And, as @antovolk already said: Completely original story not based on any previous story or actor.

    Wow that sounds very impressive if they've persuaded Ms Broccoli when she was against the idea. Her point about 'violence for the sake of violence' is quite a good one to be honest- the last few Bond games have featured a pretty relentless amount of murder which never really sat right with Bond- he kills people, but not that many people!

    You never now how much self-mytholigizing is in these articles. This one is basically one chopped up interview with the head of IOI, so he might just be saying that, to push his own narrative. Maybe BB was already aware that video games are in a boom market at the moment and she just needed to know that IOI aren't total fools. But it seems realistic with the lack of recent games (and the quality of the last few), that she was sceptical.
    I also get the feeling that this is a project that some of the younger people in EON pushed for and finally Barbara gave the nod of approval. So we should interpret every single piece of news about the game according to what it means for the entire future of both the company and the franchise!
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    Posts: 14,861
    I know there's often fluff to these, but they're unlikely to made up stuff like the idea they were working/planning it up to two years before. However you look at it, there's a lot of positive stuff there.
  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    Posts: 4,047
    I’m happy we’re getting some news, hopefully a first look soon! It seems one of our predictions is correct: Barbara Broccoli does have a say in the game’s development. Here are two things I hope: if this is a trilogy, please do it right IO Interactive! Let it flow, at least they’re planning in advance. Planning in advance is the best way for the best continuity. Don’t cram it together like OHMSS and SP. Second, if BB is calling some creative ideas, please don’t take her recommendation of Purvis and Wade as writers! New studio, new writers! They’ve done one Bond origin story, not again! It seems only EON trusts them as writers of James Bond material.
  • ImpertinentGoonImpertinentGoon Everybody needs a hobby.
    Posts: 1,351
    MaxCasino wrote: »
    I’m happy we’re getting some news, hopefully a first look soon! It seems one of our predictions is correct: Barbara Broccoli does have a say in the game’s development. Here are two things I hope: if this is a trilogy, please do it right IO Interactive! Let it flow, at least they’re planning in advance. Planning in advance is the best way for the best continuity. Don’t cram it together like OHMSS and SP. Second, if BB is calling some creative ideas, please don’t take her recommendation of Purvis and Wade as writers! New studio, new writers! They’ve done one Bond origin story, not again! It seems only EON trusts them as writers of James Bond material.

    I wouldn't put it past Eon to have P&W have a look at the thing and maybe give notes, but video game writing is so different to screen writing and it all seems like they are giving IOI a pretty free hand ("we were allowed to create a new Bond" or something to that effect).
  • ImpertinentGoonImpertinentGoon Everybody needs a hobby.
    edited January 2021 Posts: 1,351
    https://www.ign.com/articles/project-007-james-bond-game-hitman-3
    Hitman 3 Proves IO Interactive Is Ready for Its 007 Licence
    The Developer With The Golden IP.

    By Matt Purslow
    Updated: 27 Jan 2021 5:42 pm
    Posted: 27 Jan 2021 2:00 pm

    Among a recent slew of exciting developer-acquires-major-franchise announcements, the one that really stands out as a truly natural fit is IO Interactive’s acquisition of the James Bond licence. It’s easy to see why this team is a perfect fit for the license – the developer’s recent Hitman games have oozed 007 energy, from their sharp suits and jet-setting missions to kill animations that are practically Moore-era one-liners in physical form.

    With Hitman 3, IO Interactive has effectively crossed the finish line on a three-part proof-of-concept for the iconic spy. In this final entry, we see all the tools necessary to not just make a great Bond game, but to continue the evolution of IOI’s design philosophy into more cinematic territory. The secret to that lies in Hitman 3’s unparalleled blend of sandbox level design, meticulously-crafted simulation, and emergent, player-driven storytelling.

    One of the hallmarks of all Bond stories – and, by extension, Bond games – is that they take place across a variety of exciting locations. This is perhaps what makes IOI so immediately recognisable as a great fit for 007: Hitman is a globe-hopping series. It takes Agent 47 to a wide variety of international locales, from the streets of Mumbai, to italian villas, to the extravagant parties of clandestine societies.

    But it’s how Hitman allows you to deploy your predatory skills in each of these unique arenas that really demonstrates IOI’s talent for the secret operative genre. The trilogy offers unparalleled freedom of approach, allowing you to infiltrate zones and eliminate targets in almost any method you can imagine. Intertwining groups of NPCs permit the ascension from backstreets to penthouse, such as disguising yourself as hotel staff to infiltrate a room and steal a socialite’s identity, which in turn allows you to blend in at a wealthy party. Exactly like Bond, Agent 47 uses a tuxedo as a keycard to grant access to his objective.

    With a target in sight, efficient, by-the-book players may choose to use Agent 47’s standard equipment, such as a simple pistol at close range, or perhaps a shot from a distant sniper nest. More creative killers, though, can find dastardly options throughout each environment. That may be an industrial grape presser in a wine factory, or an explosive golf ball placed just-so on a CEO’s driving range. A colossal number of in-game challenges encourages diverse applications of deadly force, and reward players handsomely for working out how to achieve them. It’s not hard to see how these could be reconfigured for classically Bond methods; points awarded for foiling a nuclear plot with a Q-Branch exploding pen, for example, or escaping a tricky situation by kicking a henchman into their own shark enclosure.

    However, complete freedom of approach can come at expense of narrative clarity. There’s a reason why many licensed games often play more like Uncharted or Gears than Minecraft or Breath of the Wild: linear mission design allows the experience to deliver a stronger curated story. Bond’s roots in books and films means that IOI will need to provide a compelling narrative for 007 – and that’s where Hitman’s Mission Stories come in; narrative threads that gently guide you through a chain of crafted moments and provide cinematic kill opportunities at the end. It's a system that adds some narrative depth, but still provides players the freedom to improvise as events unfold. All three of the recent Hitman games have featured these, but it’s in Hitman 3 that IO has refined the Mission Stories to the point of them being recognisable enough to be slotted into something more narrative-dependent. While the previous two games used the system to gradually nudge players to areas where cool moments could play out, Hitman 3 presents more cohesive, satisfying stories.

    Take, for instance, the Death In The Family mission from Hitman 3. It’s a level that sets players on a mission to assassinate a matriarch at her mansion, but upon arrival you discover that every member of her extended family are suspects in the recent death of her brother. While the aim of the level remains the extermination of this particularly wretched old lady, one Mission Story allows you to disguise yourself as a private investigator and solve the murder. The quest plays out as a perfect slice of Agatha Christie, complete with a hateful ensemble cast of suspects that seem like more than a knowing wink towards Rian Johnson’s Knives Out. When setting up the blueprints of a Bond game, it’s moments like this that provide an investigation angle that’s vital for fulfilling the spy fantasy. Replace interviewing shifty family members with digging for information across a poker table, and the quieter, more detail-focused moment’s of 007’s career are covered.

    Of course, what you then do with that information is a vital part of Hitman’s freeform mantra. At the Dartmoor estate, you can uncover the clues and solve the murder, all while adhering to honorable PI rules – or you can also be a ruthless scumbag, maiming the mansion’s staff in pursuit of some twisted idea of “justice”. Upon discovery of the murderer, you could take punishment into your own hands, or twist the case to meet your own ends. This freedom to react to the presented plot as you please would work well in a Bond situation, allowing players to craft 007 in their favoured image. Perhaps a suave Sean Connery, flirting his way to an efficient kill? Or a more brutal Daniel Craig, pulling a target aside half-way through the mission to drown them in a bathroom sink? Or, as Hitman has famously demonstrated its aptitude for, a Roger Moore-style approach using bombs disguised as rubber ducks and escaping the scene dressed as a clown.

    IOI has already confirmed that Project 007 will be an origin story and won’t be based on a specific Bond actor, which is a perfect opportunity to present the super spy as a blank slate for players to build into whatever their preferred version of the character is. The stronger Mission Stories presented in Hitman 3 successfully apply cinematic techniques to sandbox mission design, and further refinements to that system would allow for the polish we expect of a James Bond game – all while retaining the player-directed action that IOI has perfected. And with a new challenge system reformatted to reflect the greatest exploits of Britain's most famous spy (one for killing a bad guy with their own laser torture device, please) the pieces are practically all there already.

    Not every Bond trope has been covered perfectly by Hitman, though, meaning IOI will need to improve in some areas and tread new ground in others. While the trilogy has never shied away from letting you go full guns blazing, action is not Hitman’s forté, though the latest game has shown improvement in this department. The Berlin-set Apex Predator mission, which finds Agent 47 in an underground nightclub, effectively parallels the Red Circle Club scene from John Wick, despite being unable to replicate the film's kinetic energy. It makes up for sub-par gunplay by generating a predatory atmosphere as you stalk foes through neon-soaked crowds, your approach scored by a menacing, bass-heavy DJ set. These aesthetics emphasise the grimy violence of double-tapping a goon on a sweaty dance floor or smashing their face into a toilet bowl. That atmosphere could take Project 007 a long way, but great shootouts and fun punch-ups will be mandatory for providing players the full Bond experience.

    Completely out of IOI’s established comfort zone, however, would be car chases. While not every movie has a big chase sequence, they’re enough of a Bond hallmark that it’s almost impossible to think of a 007 game without one. With minimal history in vehicles or racing, it’s hard to imagine how such a setpiece could fit in with the studio’s MO. A driving segment would have to offer multiple angles of approach, which seems impossible for cars without building an open world map – but if Hitman has proved anything, it’s that IOI is a resourceful studio with the capability to find inventive solutions. Its solution will no doubt be interesting, if not successful.

    It’s rare that we get trilogies of such consistently high standards in video games, and when we do it’s often sad to see developers move on. But with the World of Assassination trilogy complete, and all its achievements on show, it’s difficult to be upset about where IO Interactive is going next. The Hitman games are clearly as much a love letter to James Bond as they are a refinement of Agent 47’s own series, and so it’s fantastic to see the developers at IOI move on to something they so obviously cherish. Hitman 3 has proven the franchise is in more than capable hands, and hopefully the end result will mean IOI’s Bond is mentioned alongside Insomniac’s Spider-Man and Rocksteady’s Batman as an example of licensed games gone right.

    Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.
  • Posts: 9,730
    really interesting stuff I am getting excited
  • RyanRyan Canada
    Posts: 692
    Finished off the main locations in Hitman 3 this evening and have started replays and challenges. The Mendoza location just screams Bond. Without spoiling anything, all I will say is that it's a mission that is worth playing as slowly as possible. There is a whole story to uncover, and thus it was easily the most fun I had on my first playthrough. Possibly my favourite location in the game as of right now.
  • Posts: 187
    Ryan wrote: »
    Finished off the main locations in Hitman 3 this evening and have started replays and challenges. The Mendoza location just screams Bond. Without spoiling anything, all I will say is that it's a mission that is worth playing as slowly as possible. There is a whole story to uncover, and thus it was easily the most fun I had on my first playthrough. Possibly my favourite location in the game as of right now.

    IO really hit the ball out of the park with these locations in 3.
  • Ryan wrote: »
    Finished off the main locations in Hitman 3 this evening and have started replays and challenges. The Mendoza location just screams Bond. Without spoiling anything, all I will say is that it's a mission that is worth playing as slowly as possible. There is a whole story to uncover, and thus it was easily the most fun I had on my first playthrough. Possibly my favourite location in the game as of right now.
    Mendoza is a really great level! That and Dartmoor are my favourites for sure from this new game, but Mendoza gives me more Bond vibes. I have no doubt the IO will knock this Bond game out of the Park.
  • RyanRyan Canada
    Posts: 692
    I went into the game thinking Chongqing would be my favourite but it was probably my least favourite. The location itself is absolutely stunning and IOI really outdid themselves on the small details. I spent a good hour just walking around. The targets themselves are kind of dull I thought. Boring routines for such a vertical level, although there's a decent sniper opportunity.

    If Project 007 hadn't already been announced then Hitman 3 as a whole would be all the proof you need that IOI is the right developer. Outstanding. I feel more like Bond in Dubai, Mendoza, and Dartmoor than many past Bond games.
  • Mendes4LyfeMendes4Lyfe The long road ahead
    Posts: 7,965
    This appears to be what Spider-man PS4 was for that franchise.
  • QsCatQsCat London
    Posts: 251
    According to the description, the uploader claims he was told it will be released this year...
    I'm playing Perfect Dark on the Xbox at the moment and it's brilliant, improving on Goldeneye in many ways. The graphics look just right in that video, similar to Perfect Dark. They haven't improved it too much, it still feels authentic.
  • NickTwentyTwoNickTwentyTwo Vancouver, BC, Canada
    Posts: 7,518
    QsCat wrote: »
    According to the description, the uploader claims he was told it will be released this year...
    I'm playing Perfect Dark on the Xbox at the moment and it's brilliant, improving on Goldeneye in many ways. The graphics look just right in that video, similar to Perfect Dark. They haven't improved it too much, it still feels authentic.

    I’ll be watching that entire video later
  • edited January 2021 Posts: 820
    As it happens, I also picked up Hitman 3 this weekend (having never played a Hitman game before), essentially just to see what IOI was bringing to the table as a developer.

    And, wow.

    As far as stealth-assassination games go it's about what I was expecting, but I'm stunned by the quality and depth of the experience. It's absolutely engrossing. And I'm only 1/3 of the way through the campaign. Visuals, music, story, game mechanics...all stellar. I'm playing it on the new Xbox Series X and it feels like the first properly polished next-gen game that makes full use of the hardware.

    Long story short: IOI did stellar work here, and I can absolutely see why they're the perfect candidates to bring Bond back to the gaming world.

    Now, the long and curious wait begins to find out exactly what they're going to do.

    Are they planning to essentially re-skin a Hitman game with the Bond license? (Don't think that will suffice -- similar as they are, core functionalities like the 'disguise' mechanic aren't really fundamental to 007 narratively). Or are they going to build off the foundation of Hitman and incorporate driving, more active shooting, and something that's more akin to EoN/Bloodstone but perhaps weighted more toward a stealth/story/interaction-based approach (more Splinter Cell-ish)?

    In either case, if the quality standards for visuals, sound and story in their Bond game match what they're ending the Hitman trilogy with, this will be the highest production-value-feel a Bond game has had for its time since the original GoldenEye 64. And I say that as someone who loves and hugely respects the underratedly-high production value of EoN in 2003.

  • RyanRyan Canada
    Posts: 692
    I would, in many ways, be totally satisfied with their Bond game effectively just being a Hitman reskin. The Hitman 3 experience, and indeed the trilogy, has felt more like Bond than a good chunk of the actual Bond video games. That said, you're correct that not all of the core mechanics would translate to Bond. The general game design, sandbox locations, and aesthetic could be a carbon copy though and work out totally fine. Add in an overarching narrative, a bit of driving, some Bond tailored unlockables, and an explorable MI6 HQ (a la 47's hideout in Hitman: Blood Money) and this could be the definitive Bond gaming experience.
  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    Posts: 4,047
    https://www.gamesradar.com/uk/ralph-fiennes-on-james-bond-im-very-keen-to-continue-training-the-new-bond/

    Maybe Project 007 can use him as M, if he's interested. I support him.
  • Posts: 9,730
    MaxCasino wrote: »
    https://www.gamesradar.com/uk/ralph-fiennes-on-james-bond-im-very-keen-to-continue-training-the-new-bond/

    Maybe Project 007 can use him as M, if he's interested. I support him.

    that would be cool
  • Posts: 1,407
    I feel like an original Bond for the game will come with an original M and other supporting characters but I'd love to have Fiennes as M for a future game
  • Posts: 632
    I always appreciated having Dame Judi in games like EoN, Rogue Agent, QoS, etc. I'd love for Fiennes to take over, even if it's not a cinematic Bond actor playing the role!
  • Posts: 9,730
    i wonder when we will learn something new about it
  • Agent007391Agent007391 Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start
    Posts: 7,854
    Risico007 wrote: »
    i wonder when we will learn something new about it

    Probably a tease here or there, but nothing substantial until after Hitman 3's shrunk in the public consciousness.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,368
    I'll be eager to see if the inevitable Hitman 3 DLC has any Bond-related easter eggs or hints about the future of their new trilogy.

    Finally picked up Hitman 3 and I'm really enjoying it. A lot of great new tweaks and the maps are infinitely better so far than they were in Hitman 2. Feels like a great meshing of my favorite titles in the series: Silent Assassin, Contracts and Blood Money.
  • ImpertinentGoonImpertinentGoon Everybody needs a hobby.
    edited February 2021 Posts: 1,351
    Anyone up for a move to Scandinavia?

    Project 007 Hiring For Writer, Hints Towards Cinematic Experience With Complex Storylines

    https://career.ioi.dk/ad/writer/a0wnt1
    IO Interactive is looking for a full-time Writer to join Project 007, a brand-new James Bond video game to be developed and published by IOI. Featuring a wholly original Bond story, players will step into the shoes of the world's favourite Secret Agent to earn their 00 status in the very first James Bond origin story.
    Give life to game vision by joining our writer’s room and together define the story for our Bond universe and character, through both linear and non-linear narrative. As part of the team, you will be a key player between narrative and game vision and will help marry the two into one immersive and compelling game experience. We will count on you not only as a narrative designer but also a creative thinker who sees opportunities within story for achieving the best player experience.
    You will join a team of writers that have been an integral part in creating the world of HITMAN, and are excited to define this wholly original Bond story, together with a new team member. If this sounds like a match, we would love to meet you! We’re looking for the very best talent from all over the world to join our studio, and the role requires relocation to either Copenhagen (Denmark) or Malmö (Sweden).
    Who you are:
    [...]
    • You understand the tone and style of the James Bond franchise and character.
    • Have a good feel for British tone.

    So apparently they are only hiring one new writer and otherwise keeping the writer's room from the Hitman games.

    The "What you will do"-section also hints at a layered narrative structure with various sub-plots, arcs, scenarios and background information that aim toward a larger story, which was to be expected.

    I have no idea how game development works, but to me this feels like they are still in very early development as they also still have job descriptions and calls for applications out for even more senior positions like Gameplay Director, Lead Cinematic Animator or Lead Sound Designer.
  • edited February 2021 Posts: 9,730
    they should hire Calvin Dyson lol or Neal Purvis and Robert Wade
  • RyanRyan Canada
    Posts: 692
    I've still been giving Hitman 3 regular play with the new content that comes weekly or bi-weekly, and despite my initial complaints about the server issues and the always online nonsense, I feel it's necessary to reiterate again what a fantastic game it is. I'm happy to now look well past the launch issues because that wasn't an issue with the game itself but rather the distribution and online restrictions. Even the Carpathian Mountains, an extremely linear location, is a lot of fun to replay (the new deluxe escalation on that is brilliant fun). Definitely the best set of locations of the trilogy. Bond is definitely in safe hands.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,368
    I've been blown away by how much I've been loving Hitman 3 after being quite disappointed in its predecessor. At the end of the day, the tweaks they've made, the additions they've included and the maps are what will keep me returning to this one. I've been so focused on finishing up the Escalation challenges and hitting Mastery on particular levels that I haven't even touched the final two missions yet. The Argentina one looks like it could be my favorite so I've been building up the anticipation for it. Dubai, Dartmoor and Berlin are all simply fantastic, evoking the feelings I had for some of my favorite levels from the earlier games, and Chongqing is pretty and unique, though not as great (but still easily worth replaying). I didn't feel this magic or excitement or need to return over and over again in Hitman 2.
  • RyanRyan Canada
    Posts: 692
    Chongqing took me some getting used to. It is a beautiful level, but the vertical nature of it took some time for me to really wrap my head around for repeated playthroughs. I like that the hacking objective becomes optional with the alternative starting locations which makes for a much less restrictive experience. The escalation on the map was tense and fun as well. A nice nod to Codename 47.

    Berlin is a total blast. I love the concept.

    You're in for a treat with Mendoza if you haven't played it yet. By far my favourite mission in the game.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,368
    The hacking objective becoming optional is what makes it easier for me to return to. If they forced me to go back to that every single time, I wouldn't play it that much. It's what turns me off to Whittleton Creek. Still odd, though, that using the initial starting location forces you to hack it regardless. So arbitrary.
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