GoldenEye Remake Finally Happening
The GoldenEye remake looks to actually be happening.
This article is more than 2 years old
James Bond IP owners’ recent trademark filing gives fans hope that a GoldenEye 007 remake of Nintendo 64’s 1997 classic video game title might be in the works. And no, this instance is not connected to the previously announced but canceled Xbox 360 remake of the game, whose gameplay footage leaked some time ago.
In the recent trademark filing by Danjaq LLC, the owner of all things related to the James Bond franchise, the company filed for a renewal of the electric gaming rights to the “GoldenEye,” which caught the attention of the original game’s fans. Admittedly, this could be a simple renewal to keep trademarks up to date, but given recent announcements about a new James Bond game, this could very well signal the long-awaited GoldenEye 007 remake.
Though we might witness a fully-fledged GoldenEye 007 remake, we mustn’t neglect the possibility of a mobile port of the original, as was the case with the Final Fantasy series. We’ll have to wait and see, for now, but one thing is sure – Danjaq LLC specifically listed electronic game software as the purpose of trademark filing. Unfortunately, apart from a few speculations, there’s no official confirmation, and we hope that Danjaq LLC will shed more light on the situation.
The original GoldenEye 007 released back in 1997 for Nintendo 64 exclusively, becoming a critical and commercial success, despite low expectations by executives and a failed public showing of the game. It’s the third-best-selling Nintendo 64 game, and the 25th best console game of all time, according to Electronic Gaming Magazine. In short, the game was a massive success, selling over 8 million units worldwide, grossing over $250 million. So, both critically and commercially – it deserves a remake.
In truth, a GoldenEye 007 remake probably would have happened by now weren’t for the legal issues surrounding the franchise. In 2002, Microsoft acquired the original game’s developer and its library of titles that were ported to than popular Xbox Live. However, the rights to the GoldenEye 007 game were owned by Nintendo at the time, who didn’t want to relinquish one of its best-selling gaming titles. Rare did develop a remaster of the original GoldenEye 007 for Xbox Live, but the game was never released on the count of “challenging rights,” and Microsoft and Nintendo couldn’t agree on terms.
The license to make James Bond games landed in Activision’s hands by 2007, which released its own retelling of the GoldenEye 007, in 2010, with modern story elements. The Activision’s remake was well-received among the fans, but it never reached its predecessor’s critical acclaim. Die-hard fans of the original title even called it a Call of Duty crossover rather than a remake of the original. Activision released 007 Legends in 2012, which performed underwhelmingly, causing Danjaq LLC to withdraw James Bond games’ rights altogether.
However, modern gaming production is massive, especially for blockbuster titles, and this could be the perfect time for Bond games to return. And that’s perhaps the reason behind Danjaq LLC’s decision to renew the gaming rights to GoldenEye 007.
