Activision has obtained worldwide exclusivity rights to develop and publish games featuring the 007 British intelligence operative for PC, consoles, and handhelds until 2014! EA originally had secured the rights to the Bond franchise for 6 years, from 2003 to 2009.
EA said that they decided to conclude their agreement with MGM, who produce James BOnd, which originally was set to expire in 2009, in an attempt to diversify their portfolio with more original Intellectual Properties like Spore and Project Grey Company.
The next James Bond movie (Casino Royale trailer here) is coming to theaters November 17. So expect a game at that time. EA’s last James Bond game, while featuring the awesome likeness & voice of Sean Connery, only got a rating of 69% on gamerankings.com. So let’s hope Activision do a better job.