IO Interactive Says James Bond Hasn't Been "Shoved On Them"

Summary

• IO Interactive and James Bond is a match made in heaven, and it turns out the studio feels the same way about things.
• In an expansive interview, IO Interactive's Veronique Lallier discussed Project 007, including its story, as well as how much of an honor it is to work on a Bond title.
• Project 007 will be an origin story, and its version of Bond won't bear a resemblance to any other version.

The combination of IO Interactive, the developers behind the critically and commercially acclaimed Hitman trilogy, and James Bond, arguably the most iconic fictional secret agent of all time, is a match made in heaven. A natural fit, if you will. And it turns out, IO Interactive feels the same way about things.

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In an expansive interview with GamesRadar, IO Interactive chief development officer Veronique Lallier discussed a number of topics, including the future of the studio, as well as the state of the video games industry as a whole. Additionally, while understandably super tight-lipped, Lallier did have some information to share about Project 007, IO's upcoming Bond title. There's no release date yet, and all that's been revealed is the official logo, though it's clear that IO is extremely invested in its next agent thriller.

It's "An Honor" To Work On Project 007, Says Lallier

Part of IO's success to this point is a focus on "game first," according to Lallier. That tenet requires engagement with the development team beyond just providing them with new IP or ideas to work on. "I think for me, when I see a dev team as the most successful is not when you shove on them, you know, an IP," she explained. "It’s when you’re engaging with your dev team and say ‘OK, what should we do guys?’”

To that end, working on Project 007 is a prime example of that. Lallier called the fit between IO and the secret agent "seamless," and added that it's an "honor" to be able to work with such a historic IP. Indeed, IO's take on the legendary agent will differ from previous Bond titles. Whereas the titles of the N64 and PS2 days were almost always movie tie-ins or featured an established actor, like Pierce Brosnan, as its likeness, IO is jumping into its next venture with a clean slate.

The game is confirmed to be an origin story, and the 007 of IO's vision won't be a copy of a past Bond, either. “The main thing I can say is I am extremely excited because this is an origin story," Lallier said. "So it's not going to take the old James Bond that we saw in the movie, and it's not going to be his lookalike.”

Given how well the Hitman games played, and how unique the individual contract locations felt, a true 007 game has a ton of potential. “It's going to be a very cool, very awesome project. I'm super excited about it,” Lallier added. “And I mean, if you look at what we've done in the past with Hitman, 007 feels organic. ... It's part of our DNA to create an amazing story about action.”

It might be too early to tell, but Project 007 certainly has the makings to be the best iteration of Bond. It's going to be a long wait until it's ready, but it sure sounds like it'll be worth it.

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