007 First Light's announcement trailer shows a young Bond being Bond, Bondly
1 min read
Summary
Danish developer IO Interactive, renowned for its Hitman series of video games, has released a trailer for its upcoming title 007 First Light, during Sony’s State of Play event.
The game is an original story about a younger Bond, focusing on his formative years before any of the films.
“It’s the beginning of something new and it’s the beginning, hopefully, of something that the gamers can call their own,” said Christian Elverdam, co-owner of IO Interactive, who explained the company wanted to create a Bond “who’s comfortably just his own game character”.
IO has licence to develop a 007 game until at least 2030, after signing an extension to its existing deal with Bond rights holders MGM and EON Productions.
The game is slated for release in 2024 and will be IO’s first self-published title since its split from Square Enix.
Industry experts predict a tough road for the Danish developer, with analyst Doug Creutz of Cowen claiming the Bond games have “never been among the largest sellers” and that “the bulk of the franchise’s value” lies in its linear, Hollywood storytelling, not the gameplay.
