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IO Interactive has made a huge splash with 007 First Light, selling more than 1.5 million copies in its first 24 hours. More recent reports suggest that figure has now surpassed 2 million, with just under 12% of those sales coming from Xbox.
However, Amazon, which acquired the rights to James Bond, recently appeared to suggest that IO Interactive won't be involved in future titles. Or did it? Let's take a look at what was actually said, and why the situation may not be as concerning as it first seems.
Jeff Gatis, an executive at Amazon recently sat down with Polygon, making some interesting comments regarding James Bond’s future in gaming.
Due to Amazon acquiring the James Bond franchise five years after IO Interactive announced its Bond game, the company said it "didn't have the full rights to this First Light James Bond game," which allowed IO Interactive to self-publish the title. Gattis also noted that Amazon "did not [make First Light] " and that the acquisition of the James Bond IP happened after IO Interactive's original deal for the game was already in place..
However, when discussing potential sequels, Gattis went on to say that future games would be "done by MGM and, theoretically, by Amazon Game Studios."
While the comments may initially raise concerns about whether IO Interactive will work on future Bond titles, it's hard to imagine Amazon being foolish enough not to strike some sort of deal with the studio given how successful 007 First Light has been. If anything, the more likely scenario is that Amazon takes on publishing duties in the future, rather than allowing IO Interactive to continue self-publishing.
In a new update, provided by VGC, Amazon have clarified their comments:
"Amazon MGM holds the rights to any future James Bond video games but it’s still too early to discuss future projects
We have a great relationship with IO Interactive and are proud of what we’ve accomplished together on 007 First Light. Our partners at IO will reveal more about 007 First Light in the near future and we’re looking forward to sharing what’s next.”
I've still yet to pick up 007 First Light myself, though I will soon. I'm currently waiting to see if my dad wants to go halves on it since we game share, but that's a me problem.
Let's throw it over to you. Have you tried 007 First Light yet? If so, what do you think of it, and more importantly, what do you think of James Bond's future under Amazon? It's difficult to know what the future holds right now, but Amazon has produced some excellent movies and TV shows over the years, so perhaps there's reason to be optimistic.
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