Telltale president wants James Bond
There has certainly been a lot of “dream IP” talk coming from Telltale Games lately. A few months ago, Dan Connors and Kevin Bruner held a Reddit AMA where the discussion inevitably swung to their top choices for a licensed property. Fans also chimed in with Firefly, Star Wars, and Indiana Jones.
In a recent interview with OXM, Telltale co-founder and president Kevin Bruner expressed his aggravation with James Bond games that misrepresented the super spy as a “mass murderer.” He is a long-time diehard fan and if Telltale were able to play in the Bond universe, it seems Bruner has quite a few ideas.
However, we would slightly disagree with some of Bruner’s take on Bond. The character, even in his quieter moments, has always been fairly ruthless. The early Fleming novels could be very, very cold and the best Bond film portrayals often walked that line between heroically sinister and emotionally empty.
Connery shoots a man multiple times in Dr. No. Dalton was like an exposed nerve and the only on-screen interpretation to embrace just how psychologically unhinged Bond would have to be. Daniel Craig conveyed both the rage and profound sadness that drive the character. Bond is not a happy person and his interpersonal skills tend to reflect that.
With that said, it’s unfortunate that some of the recent games haven’t focused on the quiet moments where James has to think his way out of a situation. For many viewers and players, the franchise is guns, girls, and gadgets, and very few fans truly appreciate the improvisational Bond. It could be argued that even fewer are aware such a side exists.
However, a few titles have incorporated those quiet elements. The original GoldenEye 007 on Nintendo 64 strongly emphasized gadgetry and sneaking, despite its rudimentary AI, and its remake on Wii/Xbox 360 pushed it even further with non-lethal takedowns. Agent Under Fire allowed the player to bypass entire groups of enemies through careful, strategic planning. Nightfire and Everything or Nothing also offered some interesting ways to avoid having to outright kill a few hundred soldiers.
No matter what, we suspect the license would be in very good hands with Telltale. A Telltale Bond game set during the 1960’s would be phenomenal.
Also, it should be noted that the “mass murderer” label, as it relates to gaming, only truly applies to one man: Nathan Drake.