MGM Interactive and EON Prods. Ltd. have given Activision video game publishing rights to the James Bond franchise. Activision will hold the license to kill through 2014, putting out next-generation interactive titles based on the popular books by Ian Fleming and feature films from MGM.
Since Sean Connery first ordered his martini shaken, not stirred in 1962’s Dr. No, the James Bond films have grossed more than $3.6 billion at the worldwide box office. The double-agent action has also translated well to the interactive sphere, where approximately 30 million James Bond video games units have been sold to date. The most popular of these has been Electronic Arts’ Golden Eye series, based on actor Pierce Brosnan’s first turn as 007.
‘The James Bond franchise creates tremendous global expansion opportunities for Activision as it is one of the few video game licenses that appeals equally to domestic and international consumers,’ says Mike Griffith, president and CEO of Activision Publishing Inc. ‘James Bond storylines are rich with style, drama and action, all of which lend themselves perfectly to developing extraordinary games that capture the thrill of being the most celebrated secret agent in the world.’
Under the terms of the agreement, Activision will obtain the worldwide rights to create video games for all current and next-generation consoles, PC and hand-held platforms. The license will grant Activision the right to develop and publish games based on all of the James Bond movies, as well as non-movie based games.
MGM and EON Prods. are hoping to give the Bind franchise a shot of adrenaline with the upcoming Sony Picutures release, Casino Royale, starring fresh face Daniel Craig (Munich, Layer Cake). Coming to theaters on Nov. 17, the film will take viewers back to the beginning as the blonde Bond sets out on his very first mission for Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
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