PC News

Jade Empire is an exception on Bioware's resume. The Action RPG, based on mythologized ancient China and first published on the original Xbox by Microsoft, is one of the only titles never to see expansion into a franchise. However, the company's co-founders, Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk, have confirmed that a return to the game's setting is something the company has considered often, and is “just looking for the right way to deploy” another installment...

Jade Empire is an exception on Bioware's resume. The Action RPG, based on mythologized ancient China and first published on the original Xbox by Microsoft, is one of the only titles never to see expansion into a franchise. However, the company's co-founders, Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk, have confirmed that a return to the game's setting is something the company has considered often, and is “just looking for the right way to deploy” another installment...

Since its announcement at E3, I’ve been waiting for this Goldeneye 007 remake with guarded interest. Back in the late ‘90s I probably put 200 hours into the multiplayer for the N64 original, and this game looks better every time I see it, but the disappointment over the last remake, subtitled Rogue Agent, still stings. But this most recent trailer, a look at how the developers have been working on updating it, makes me a little more positive about this game’s right to exist...

 
Above: Artist Joss Stone will be the new Bond girl in James Bond 007: Blood Stone. But she’ll also be working on the theme song, the most important track for the game

Activision has just released the first screenshots for James Bond 007: Blood Stone along with pictures of the new Bond girl, Joss Stone. But Joss Stone won’t just lend her likeness to the upcoming third-person action title. Stone will also be working on the game’s theme song, titled “I’ll Take it All.” First screenshots and pictures of Joss Stone looking all hot and bothered inside…

As a general rule, you can bet that there are always at least two James Bond games in development. We've talked up the upcoming Wii GoldenEye remake, but also announced at this year's E3 (and leaked prior, of course) was the new PC, 360, PS3 entry: Blood Stone.

But who cares, right? Just another 7/10 Bond game, yeah? No! Wait! Keep reading. You might be more interested than you expect...

Employees at the development studio Budcat Creations aren’t at the office today. Instead, they’re gathered at a bar down the street from their headquarters office in Iowa City drinking and calling friends and family. According to an anonymous source that contacted PC Gamer, that’s because the development studio has been shut down by parent company Activision. Budcat employees were notified about the closure when they were met by security guards and consultants outside their office this morning.  The future of Activision-owned studio Bizarre Creations is also in question...

So it's being rumoured that Raven Software, the Activision-owned developer of the criminally under-promoted Singularity, is hard at work on a unannounced Bond game that had previously been stalled by MGM's financial troubles. I don't know whether to happy about this story or not. Reasons I should be: Raven have previously been said to be reduced to Call of Duty DLC monkeys since Activision ensured that their excellent time-travelling FPS didn't sell.  Reasons I shouldn't be: A Bond game tends to be the kiss of death, however good your studio is.

Seriously, Activision giving you the Bond license is like being given a massive cake for your birthday, only to realise it's your 30th and you're in Logan's Run. Hopes and fears? I have plenty of both. Click on.