Goldeneye

Since the Virtual Console appeared there's been one game that Nintendo fans have called for at the very top of their voices. Rare's Goldeneye is rightly seen as a classic N64 title and, for a while at least, it seemed like the chances of it appearing on the download service were actually quite good.

Until now, that is. A leading Xbox fansite has recently posted a story that could potentially mean Goldeneye never sees the light of day on the VC. The site insists that Rare has signed a deal with current Bond licence holder Activision and that the classic N64 FPS will be released for Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade service with updated visuals. The site also adds that other classic Rare games may appear on XBLA too.

Obviously this is all unconfirmed at present, but still...pass some tissues, will you? I appear to have something in my eye...

UPDATE: Nintendo Block XBLA Remake?

This story has just been posted on the site of the US Official Xbox Magazine.

Quoted from Rare fansite MundoRare:

Technically speaking, Activision doesn’t need Nintendo’s permission to do anything with Bond, but given the original release of the game and their good relationship with the Nintendo, they decided to play fair and ask first. Apparently, Nintendo’s CEO Satoru Iwata simply said “no” to any form of GoldenEye in any console but their own.

Activision then denied the use of the licence to keep their good terms with Nintendo.

The funny thing about it is that during the bilateral negotiations between Microsoft and Nintendo, the Japanese were offered the possibility of getting the rights to release the original GoldenEye 007 for their Virtual Console in exchange of their blessing for a special edition on Microsoft’s Xbox Live Arcade. Rumour has it they didn’t like the deal, which was, in any case, beneficial for everybody. Including their users.

So basically Nintendo wants GoldenEye. Microsoft wants GoldenEye. Rare wants GoldenEye. Activision wants GoldenEye. And players yearn for GoldenEye. But thanks to the first ones, nobody gets GoldenEye, unless Microsoft or any company without strong commercial ties with Nintendo obtains the Bond licence someday

[source vc-reviews.com, via mundorare.com, oxm.co.uk]