Minus some server issues on its launch day, IO Interactive’s Hitman 3 launch has been a major success for the developer. As Hitman 3 marks the end of “The World of Assassination Trilogy,” IO has announced that the developer is putting the Hitman series on hiatus while it works on its recently announced 007 game. While that game is still very far away, IO Interactive has shared a few more details about its upcoming James Bond video game, including that the game will be completely standalone.
IO announced that it is starting development of a brand new 007 game on November 19th, 2020. Since then, fans have been raving about how the pairing of development and IP are a match made in heaven, with many excited to see IO’s approach to adapting the 007 franchise given how well regarded its sandbox approach to stealth game design has been with the recent Hitman trilogy. However, development of this Bond game is still in its early days.
In an interview with TheGamer, IO Interactive has revealed that it is very quickly expanding its development staff before it tackles development of its 007 game. IO Interactive, which is primarily based in Copenhagen, Denmark, announced the opening of a new studio in Sweden in 2019. The studio currently employs 200 people, but is looking double its staff to 400 for development on 007. Studio director Hakan Abrak claimed “Today we [have] 200 employees and I expect that we will [have] over 400 employees over the next few years. So, there is no doubt that the Bond agreement means an insane amount to us.”
Furthermore, while the studio did not reveal any specifics regarding the game itself, IO Interactive has also revealed that its upcoming 007 game will be a completely original take on Ian Fleming’s suave spy. The studio’s take on James Bond will not be based on any previous incarnation of the character and will feature an entirely new actor. The studio also revealed that its story is being written to be completely standalone, but it is leaving the door open to develop a trilogy of 007 games, likely in the style of the World of Assassination trilogy of Hitman games.
IO Interactive’s 007 game certainly is a match made in heaven, with MGM and EON Productions notoriously protective of the James Bond rights, meaning that whatever IO Interactive pitched could be some of the studio’s best work yet. It’s safe to say that IO Interactive has come a long way since splitting from Square Enix in 2017 after Hitman (2016) failed to meet sales expectations. Now, the studio most recently published Hitman 3 independently and has the freedom to work with whatever publishers it wishes to, outside of Square Enix’s control.
This 007 game also marks the franchise’s return to video games since 2012’s 007 Legends from Eurocom and Activision. The 007 franchise has had some very influential video game adaptations in the past, with the most noteworthy being Rare’s 1997 Nintendo 64 first-person shooter Goldeneye 007, which helped define console shooters. While a large amount of the games are based on the film adaptations of Ian Fleming’s novels, the James Bond franchise is also among the highest grossing video game series.
IO Interactive’s 007 game is currently in development.
![\"IT電腦補習](\"http://itteacheritfreelance.hk/test/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/logo2-2.png\"){kind=logo}
www.itsec.hk
www.itsec.vip
www.itseceu.uk
Leave a Reply