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James Bond's next Aston Martin might be electric
James Bond movies tend to be a reflection of the cultural zeitgeist, and that might be reflected in his choice of whip next time around. The Sun sources have claimed that the director of the next Bond movie, Cary Joji Fukanaga, wants 007 to drive Aston Martin's electric Rapide E (above) instead of one of its gas-powered coupes. It may seem like blasphemy for Bond's flashiest vehicle to be a sedan, but Fukanaga, lead actor Daniel Craig and the producers reportedly believed "the time was right" for the secret agent to use an emissions-free ride.
Paul Manafort's password inspiration: Bond. James Bond.
Apparently, being involved in high-level political intrigue doesn't guarantee that you'll be any good at password management. Security researchers speaking to Motherboard have discovered that former Trump campaign manager and international lobbyist Paul Manafort used uncannily appropriate password variations for his old (2012-2013) Adobe and Dropbox accounts: Bond007. Yes, you read that correctly -- as Christina Wilkie notes, this was a secret foreign agent signing in as another secret foreign agent. Cheekiness aside, the James Bond nod underscores the tendency toward terrible password habits and how they can have very real consequences.
Bond games removed from Steam and Activision online stores
Faster than you can repeat a surname, the James Bond games have disappeared from Steam and Activision's own download store. In addition, the download versions of the games 007 Legends, Blood Stone and Quantum of Solace don't show up on Amazon, though of course the disc versions are still available there.The likely explanation would seem to be expiring rights to the 007 license, but the timing doesn't make sense on that, considering that 007 Legends was just released in October (and November on PC). We're investigating the matter, though not in the sexy, brutal James Bond method: we've just asked Activision about it.
BioWare was working on a spy game, 'Agent,' in 2009
Way back in the olden days of 2009, BioWare co-founder Trent Oster started work on a new, PS3-exclusive spy game called Agent, which "failed to survive the recession," Oster told Eurogamer. Agent was a mix of Jason Bourne and 007, Oster said, though we detected a hint of Deus Ex in his description as well:"The concept was to do the other half of GoldenEye," Oster said. "The idea being that James Bond isn't just a gun that walks around the world and shoots people. He's a suave manipulator, he's a talented martial artist, he's a secret agent. We wanted to cross that 007 with Jason Bourne, where he's been modified in some way; you're not sure what, but he's definitely deadly."We really wanted to push the acting side, the digital acting. We really wanted to be very high drama, very intense scenes. I always think of the scene in the second Bourne movie where Jason Bourne's choking the guy out with a book and he's right in his face and it's this very intense moment. That was one of the key things we wanted to carry off."No, Agent didn't have anything to do with the PS3-exclusive game that Rockstar announced in 2009, also dubbed Agent. EA "didn't believe in the concept" for BioWare's game and Agent was sent off on a mission from which it'd never return: counting all the grains of sand on a windy beach. Or just the recycle bin.
Voxeljet 3D printer used to produce Skyfall's Aston Martin stunt double
Spoiler alert: a reoccurring cast member bids farewell in the latest James Bond flick. When the production of Skyfall called for the complete decimation of a classic 1960s era Aston Martin DB5, filmmakers opted for something a little more lifelike than computer graphics. The movie studio contracted the services of Augsburg-based 3D printing company Voxeljet to make replicas of the vintage ride. Skipping over the residential-friendly MakerBot Replicator, the company used a beastly industrial VX4000 3D printer to craft three 1:3 scale models of the car with a plot to blow them to smithereens. The 18 piece miniatures were shipped off to Propshop Modelmakers in London to be assembled, painted, chromed and outfitted with fake bullet holes. The final product was used in the film during a high-octane action sequence, which resulted in the meticulously crafted prop receiving a Wile E. Coyote-like sendoff. Now, rest easy knowing that no real Aston Martins were harmed during the making of this film. Head past the break to get a look at a completed model prior to its untimely demise.
Sky adds Bond Channel to its movie offering, will screen entire back catalog in high-definition
Fresh from his appearance at this year's Olympic opening ceremony, James Bond is getting his own dedicated channel on Sky. The UK broadcaster will start showing all 22 movies in high-definition from October 5th, gearing up to the British spy's latest adventure, Skyfall, which launches a month later. Android, iOS and PC platforms will be able to stream the collection through Sky Go, while its new on-demand service will also be showing the full gamut of Bond adventures in a few months. For England, James.
Goldeneye 007 review: For England, James
Activision had an interesting balancing act on its hands with Goldeneye. It knew that this was a nostalgia title for the Nintendo 64 crowd, yet it had to be wary of "copying" anything from the Rare-developed 1997 title of the same name for legal reasons. So the company goes back to the source material (the film, that is), replaces Pierce Brosnan with Daniel Craig, and builds an entirely new game -- yet all the while hoping it rides its name recognition right off the shelves. "Somebody's remaking Goldeneye! Remember Goldeneye? Goldeneye!" This isn't a remake. It's a new Bond game based on an older film. Remember when EA made a video game version of From Russia With Love in 2005? It's like that, but if they replaced Sean Connery with Daniel Craig. And gave him a smartphone. %Gallery-97627%
Wii Classic Controller Pro gets gilded for revamped GoldenEye 007
Alright, gamers -- time to fess up. Even if you're a self-proclaimed new schooler, there's no way you're passing up the option to flash back to yesteryear in order to play GoldenEye 007 the way it was meant to be played. The Wii remake of the game actually doesn't look all that different than the original when it comes to polygon count, but for those who aren't keen on taking control of Pierce Brosnan (let us dream, okay?) with a Wiimote, there's the gilded Classic Controller Pro. The limited run controller itself is a familiar beast, but rather than being coated in a standard black hue, this one will be doused in much the same color as 007's Golden Gun. It'll reportedly ship later this year within a "Classic Edition" game + accessory bundle for $69.99 (a $20 upcharge over the software alone), but it's still unclear if it'll be available as a standalone peripheral. Not like it matters -- you know you're buying this game, anyway.
More GoldenEye 007 assets than you can shake a PP7 at
If your Friday was feeling light on dashing digitized photos of dashing Daniel Craig, Activision is here to help alleviate the issue. Not only has GoldenEye 007's publisher released a handful of new screens that we've dropped into a gallery for you below, but there's also a new trailer that we've embedded after the break. What, that's not enough? How about some photos of that other Daniel Craig looking dashing in another Bond game? Well, here you go! It's Bond day, didn't you know? %Gallery-97627%
James Bond 007: Blood Stone trailer is for your eyes only
James Bond is a man of action. Mere screenshots can't do his daring justice. But a trailer? Now we're talking. See Bond run, gun and generally blow things up good in the first trailer for James Bond 007: Blood Stone, which you'll find after the break. It's the kind of stuff that will leave fans of Her Majesty's top super-spy shaken and stirred.
James Bond 007: Blood Stone hurled through holiday release window, courtesy of Bizarre
Assassinating months of speculation, Activision has finally announced its new James Bond game, helmed by Project Gotham Racing and Blur developer Bizarre Creations. Featuring an original story by Bruce Feirstein (who penned the screenplay for GoldenEye and the script for 2003's Bond game, Everything or Nothing), James Bond 007: Blood Stone features a mix of third-person cover-based shooting, hand-to-hand combat and "adrenaline-fuelled driving sequences" on land and sea -- and air, if there are enough exploding ramps. Daniel Craig will reprise his role as suave spy guy (it's not like they need him for a movie right now) alongside Judi Dench, who once again plays stern boss lady "M." Grammy award-winning singer Joss Stone will be playing Blood Stone's obligatory gun-toting temptress, presumably because Oliver Stone couldn't quite pull off the evening gowns. Stone -- that's Joss -- will also provide the game's original theme song, "I'll Take it All," with the aid of Dave Stewart from the Eurythmics. Bizarre's James Bond 007: Blood Stone is set to launch on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 this holiday season. N-Space is developing a DS version for the same time frame. You can watch the trailer for the console version here. %Gallery-97612%
Retailer listing points to 'James Bond: Bloodstone' as title of Bizarre's Bond
According to a Gamespot report, a retailer website slip-up may have outed "James Bond: Bloodstone" as the title for the long-awaited "racing and driving focused" 007 game from Bizarre Creations. HMV reportedly posted a listing for a game with that title (though it's nowhere to be found now) in the "driving and racing" category. It was also tagged for release on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii. With the next Bond film currently on hold, it's up to Activision to keep the spy in active duty. But just how much blood can you squeeze from a stone cold killer?
Bizarre-developed Bond opts for EastEnder over Daniel Craig
Activision's plan to annualize the Bond franchise -- regardless of the status of a movie to tie into -- has already come unraveled, with the decision to pull Mr. Bond out of Modern Warfare 2's line of sight this holiday. So, Bizarre Creations' "racing and driving focused" crack at Bond is now due in 2010, unattached to the Daniel Craig-powered, as-yet-untitled 2011 Bond movie. This poses an obvious question: With no theatrical attachment, will confessed gamer Daniel Craig reprise the interactive Bond role or will Bizarre's seemingly unique take on the license also have a unique actor in the role of 007? According to Adam Croasdell, the EastEnders star (it's a long-running BBC soap opera, for the non-British amongst us) has wrapped up voice work on the game. "Oddly enough I have just played James Bond in the new James Bond video game -- how weird is that?" Croasdell told BBC Asian Network, as reported by the Press Association. "I think video games and the making of that type of technology, being in a funny one-piece suit and being shot with 60 cameras, I think that's sort of the future." We're right there with you, Croasdell! Oh, and you better get used to that one-piece suit ... Activision has plans to milk that Bond license before it expires in 2014. [Via Digital Spy]
Activision announces megaton surprises for 2010: 007, Tony Hawk, Call of Duty
Activision, as the bastion of original IP development, announced a number of megaton titles in development for 2010. Names dropped at its investor's call include new additions to its venerable lineup of franchises: 007, Tony Hawk, Spider-man, Transformers and Shrek.Those hungry for innovation will be able to look forward to a new original action IP from the company. In addition, Activision plans on expanding the Call of Duty franchise to new genres. Call of Duty Kart? Call of Duty Party? Call of Duty Hero: Metallica? We're psyched.
DirecTV on Demand adds Quantum of Solace in 1080p
Just that quickly, DirecTV's come through with some of the 1080p video on demand promised earlier, debuting Quantum of Solace in both HD and 1080p today. Seven other Bond movies in the "007 Collection" are also available (in HD) until May 7: Casino Royale, Diamonds Are Forever, Die Another Day, Dr. No, From Russia With Love, Goldeneye and Goldfinger. The services is still claiming "the highest HD resolution format available for HD video enthusiasts" and one of the easiest to use on demand interfaces, let us know if they're getting any co-signs from the audience.
Who you gonna call ... on your iPhone?
Sony Pictures Television just announced a bunch of upcoming mobile games for iPhone/iPod Touch and other mobile platforms, including Q*Bert, Angels & Demons, and Voltron. But the most notable release, if only because it makes the joke in our headline work, is an iPhone/Touch Ghostbusters game to be released in June.According to the press release, the game allows players to "catch ghosts and save citizens from being slimed as you make your way through the big city." The June release date, which coincides with the console Ghostbusters games, suggests that it will be similar in design to one of them -- probably either the DS or Wii game.Also potentially cool: Top Agent, a multiplayer James Bond game for iPhone to be released in August.[Via Electricpig]
All the World's a Stage: So you want to be an Alliance Rogue
This installment of All the World's a Stage is the twenty-fourth in a series of roleplaying guides in which we find out all the background information you need to roleplay a particular race or class well, without embarrassing yourself. Many of the most famous rogues outside of the Warcraft setting have been nuanced and exciting characters. Bilbo Baggins, the Prince of Persia, and James Bond, could all be reimagined as rogues if they had existed in Azeroth instead of their own settings. As an Alliance rogue, you have a certain amount of freedom to borrow from other settings, or from the real world, since the Alliance races tend to be more similar to heroes of other stories we've heard before. To a certain extent, Blizzard has already based its Alliance rogue guilds on stories from other settings, and left some aspects of these institutions rather vague. There is certainly enough room for roleplayers to fill in a bit of the blanks with their own creative inspiration. The only danger is that it could be easy to overdo it and descending into Mary-Sueism: one ought to feel free to reach for a bit of the flavor of James Bond, for instance, without ever believing your character is the single best secret agent Stormwind could ever have.
DIY "James Bond" laser gun won't make you anything like James Bond
Well this is a nice little project for a lazy Sunday. The folks over at Instructables have given us the step-by-step how-to on making a James Bond style "laser weapon" -- though it's not actually a gun for killing people (thankfully), and it's not really very much like 007's weapon, either. Using a CO2 pistol, a laser guide, an Xbox 360 HD DVD drive, a housing for the laser and a circuit board, you too can build a blue laser gun that'll do things like light matches and pop balloons. Like we said, it's not going to help you achieve your goal of taking out all those who've wronged you, and it probably won't get you a date with Strawberry Fields, but you might impress your friend(s). Incredibly smooth video of the project after the break.
Bizarre working on new Bond and racer projects
Industry rumors either turn out to be true or false and in the case of Bizarre Creations' future projects, every racing and Bond rumor you heard over the last year has turned out to be ... well, true. As part of Activision's Massive upfront (the same one that announced Modern Warfare 2), we learn that Bizarre is hard at word on an original James Bond game as well as an original racer IP that's being described as a "Mario Kart meets Forza." As is the norm, release details and game specifics were not given. All said, we're glad to see Bizarre hard at work on new projects, but would like to see some fresh Geometry in 2009. We're proud Geometry addicts.
