IO Interactive boss Hakan Abrak has shared some contemporary particulars about Project 007, the shadowy new venture from the builders of Hitman that may function a “James Bond origin story,” saying that manufacturing goes “amazingly properly” and that the studio may have extra particulars to share quickly.
Talking with IGN in a wide-ranging interview as half of at the moment’s MindsEye publishing deal, Abrak stated that Project 007 is being absolutely developed, revealed, and funded by IO Interactive, and that there is “a lot of cool stuff arising.”
“We completely really feel like 20 plus years of coaching for the agent fantasy, creating an agent that travels the world and globetrotting whatnot, has given us some know-how on that. However clearly James Bond is a completely different IP. It is a enormous IP. It isn’t our IP. It is truly the first IP that isn’t our unique IP from floor up,” Abrak says.
“However what’s thrilling about that venture is that we truly received to do an unique story. So it is not a gamification of a film. It is fully starting and turning into a story, hopefully for a massive trilogy on the market in the future. And equally vital and thrilling, it is a new Bond. It is a Bond we constructed from floor up for avid gamers. It is extraordinarily thrilling with all the custom and all the historical past there may be there collectively to work on this along with the household of creating a younger Bond for avid gamers; a Bond that the avid gamers can name their very own and develop with.”
IO Interactive has grow to be well-known for stealth video games because of its work with the Hitman sequence, which is notable for its open-ended design and wry sense of humor (you get to assassinate Sean Bean!). The homeowners of the James Bond IP had been apparently leery of one other recreation primarily based on 007 given the franchise’s blended monitor document outdoors of Goldeneye, however IO Interactive was capable of persuade them in any other case. At the second, the Hitman franchise is on hiatus whereas the studio focuses on different tasks, however IO Interactive did launch a compilation of the Hitman trilogy known as World of Assassination in 2023.
The James Bond franchise stays “extraordinarily highly effective”
Since IO Interactive introduced that it was engaged on a Bond recreation again in 2020, MGM has launched No Time to Die, which was a usually well-received sendoff to Daniel Craig. Craig’s departure signifies that the Bond franchise is presently between Bonds, however Abrak says that the license continues to be very highly effective.
“After we take a look at the motion pictures, it is one of the high three IPs on the market, it is extraordinarily highly effective additionally as a result of it has been, what, virtually 15 years since the final recreation. So it has been a very long time. It undoubtedly is one thing that isn’t overexposed in gaming. We truly see that as a energy that we are able to do one thing very particular and hopefully… There’s a lot of folks on the market who take into consideration GoldenEye as the basic. And I like that recreation as properly myself,” Abrak says.
“I do not wish to converse too massive about it, however I simply hope we’ll do a factor that may outline James Bond in gaming for years to come back. And that isn’t just one recreation, however that we create a universe for avid gamers to personal for a few years to come back that we are able to develop with that subsequent to the Bond on the motion pictures.”
Abrak praised the producers of the movies for with the ability to “reinvent Bond all through the years and preserve that IP related” and stated that IO Interactive have “massive, massive footwear to fill.” Like the legendary undercover agent himself, a Project 007 reveal stays frustratingly elusive, however Abrak says that IO Interactive will share extra in “due time.”
“I haven’t got an replace at the moment, however imagine me, it is itching right here as properly to be speaking about it quickly. So we’re following our plans. The manufacturing’s going amazingly properly and we are going to quickly be speaking extra about it. I do know it was a little teaser, not a lot of info, however there’s a lot of cool stuff arising,” Abrak says. “We’re additionally very excited and once we are prepared with that, we’ll be opening up.”
Kat Bailey is IGN’s Information Director in addition to co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Ship her a DM at @the_katbot.