GoldenEye 007 without multiplayer is unthinkable

In 1997, Rare released GoldenEye 007 on the N64 and it became an absolute classic that arguably redefined the first person shooter genre and revolutionised the way multiplayer was done on home consoles.

It all nearly never happened though as according to Grant Kirkhope, the composer behind the game's excellent music, Nintendo "cancelled" the project for three months as it didn't think it was up to standard.

Speaking on the YouTube series Game Grumps, Kirkhope said Nintendo stopped funding the project, but Rare kept on going regardless. It paid the staff and didn't tell them of the cancellation until the end of production. Thankfully it did get finished and was released for us all to enjoy.

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The game's multiplayer also nearly didn't happen either and was made in just six short weeks. As Kirkhope explained:

The multiplayer was put in literally in the last six weeks, it was right at the very very end and no one wanted it. Rare didn’t want it, but the team got it going and put it in the game at the end and said "look, it is good! Look at this!"

But no one wanted it when they suggested it, they said it was a stupid idea.

Obviously GoldenEye 007 was a huge success and Rare was asked if it would make a game for the next Bond movie Tomorrow Never Dies. However, the studio decided against it in order to pursue other projects. It seems money may have been a reason for turning it down as well, as Kirkhope explained:

Even though it’s a great licence all the money goes to Eon [Productions] who own everything Bond.

So there you have it, it turns out we were pretty lucky to get to play GoldenEye 007 as it was nearly resigned to the scrap-heap. The Grant Kirkhope special of Game Grumps is up on YouTube now, but be warned, it contains a lot of bad language throughout.

What are your thoughts on these revelations? Let us know in the comments section below.

[source youtube.com]