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The title of upcoming 007 racing videogame from Activision has been leaked as "James Bond: Bloodstone"...

Next 007 Videogame Titled 'Bloodstone'?
21st April 2010

Thanks to early pre-order pages published on the website of entertainment high-street store HMV, the title of the next James Bond videogame has apparently leaked out.

"James Bond: Bloodstone" will be the second game published by Activision under the 007 licence, which they took over from EA back in May 2006. Racing-focused studio Bizarre Creations, the team behind "Blur" and the "Project Gotham Racing" franchise, are understood to have been developing the game since late 2007. Platforms for "Bloodstone" are listed as Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii.

It is the first 007 videogame to have its title leaked prematurely by a retailer. Previous games such as the aborted "Casino Royale" project by EA, their last title "From Russia With Love" (2005), spin-off shooter "GoldenEye: Rogue Agent" (2004), and the blockbuster "Everything or Nothing" (2004) were all exclusively revealed on MI6.

Shortly after news of the leak broke today, Activision quickly registered the domain name 'bloodstonegame.com', indicating that the title will be used.

Rumours are circulating that "Bloodstone" will not be just a Driving/Racing game as the listing states, but will also include some FPS elements, too. This may be the gaming media confusing the racing title with another Bond videogame currently under secret development at Activision that will feature an original storyline. Their first Bond game, "Quantum of Solace", was an FPS title produced by Treyarch, the same studio as their "Call of Duty" series.

English actor Adam Croasdell will provide the voice of James Bond. Best known for his role as Dr. Al Jenkins in the BBC soap opera "EastEnders", Croasdell is the latest in a line of 007 videogame voice-over artists. Croasdell, 29, revealed in an interview with BBC Asian Network that he was thrilled to be offered the part because he is keen to keep his career varied. "I have just played James Bond in the new James Bond video game - how weird is that? I don't know what the future holds, but I'm always into varying up what comes my way, trying new things."

History
The racing game was first hinted at back in November 2007, when Activision CEO Bobby Kotick has said that the company was committed to revitalising the James Bond brand. "We have our best development studios working on the product, we have a second team working on another Bond product and we're putting great resources against it," he said. "We'll be working with Bizarre to develop a great concept and brand in racing, as well as working with their second team, which is very talented in the action genre. This team will most probably be working on a property that Activision already owns," said Activision's EVP, Robin Kaminsky, shortly after Activision acquired the studio in October 2007. Despite general understanding that their second title would be a racing game, it wasn't until December 2008 that Activision confirmed their plans.

Slippage
"Bloodstone" has seen numerous delays. It was initially scheduled for release in September 2009, but was shelved to 'early 2010' to avoid competing with other titles and to allow Bizarre Creations time to polish. In February, Activision announced the title would slip further, to the latter half of 2010. A leaked release schedule from UK retailer GAME then pegged the title to an October 2010 release.

Past Non-Shooters
Previous videogame licensee Electronic Arts flirted with different ways to use the James Bond licence, including the critically-slammed "Goldeneye: Rogue Agent" in 2004 where players took control of a villain. EA also tested out the driving genre with "007 Racing" in 2000, which was also met with poor reviews. MI6 can reveal that a sequel was in the pipeline but was canned mid-way through production.