Review: Blood Stone

Written by: Brad Hansen

James Bond 007: Blood Stone marks the second PS3/Xbox 360 launch for the series from publisher Activision and the first from developer Bizarre Creations (of Blur and Project Gotham Racing fame). By now, if you’re a gamer, you’ve doubtlessly read reviews from gaming sites. I’d like to give this review from a position that many readers here might find closer to their perspective- Casual gamers who are dyed-in-the-wool fans of all things 007. So let’s get started on the elements presented in this newest mission.

Gameplay

Blood Stone is predominantly a third-person shooter. Like Quantum of Solace, it features a cover system that lets you duck behind objects to avoid enemy fire. The cover system is a little more finicky here but works quite well once you get used to it. Not helping matters is that the game doesn’t have a clear “get to know the controls” level, instead plunging you right into the action and hoping you can figure everything out yourself.

Hand-to-hand

Like Quantum, there is also the option to fight enemies hand-to-hand in close quarters. It’s an auto-pilot experience- All you have to do is run up next to an enemy and hit a single button- but it’s very satisfying and the melee moves (provided by Bond stuntman Ben Cooke) look fantastic. An extra reward for these take-downs is a new feature called “Focus Aim.” For every henchman taken down hand-to-hand, you’re awarded a Focus Aim that allows brief automatic targeting for shooting down opponents. It’s a fun way to add strategy to the game, as the Focus Aims can be saved up to get you out of big jams when the henchmen start flooding around you. You also have to be careful with your ammo, as you must rely on picking up spare clips from your dead rivals to keep going. Another touch of realism is the ability to only carry two guns- One pistol and one bigger weapon- forcing you to plan on which weapon you wish to carry at any given time. Dual-wielding a la GoldenEye isn’t possible here. Overall, the shooting gameplay is satisfying and fun, comparing very closely overall with the Quantum experience. But unlike Quantum, the adventure isn’t limited to on-foot action. You also get to pilot a variety of vehicles, from boats to Aston Martins. About a quarter of the game relies on this chasing format, where you must keep within a certain distance of a fleeing villain without falling too far behind or encountering ride-ending obstacles. These sections were my favorite of the game and were all-too-brief. The physics are pretty simple- more Grand Theft Auto and less Gran Turismo– but they work well for the game as you hurtle at blinding speeds past obstacles. My favorite level of the game finds Bond in a tow truck pursuing a giant dump truck barreling through the streets of Bangkok. It forces you to make split-second decisions on how to avoid the wreckage strewn in front of you while still remaining in pursuit. Great fun.

My only criticism with these driving levels was the invincibility of the vehicles that you pilot. Running head-on into a freight truck does nothing but slow you down. And it certainly looks cool to see baddies shooting at you from vehicles ahead, but it doesn’t harm your car in any way. If there was a damage meter for the vehicles, it would raise the pulse on these levels even more.

Unfortunately the fun comes to an end all too soon. There’s only enough game here for a solid day of play. While there are three difficulty settings that should encourage replay value, I found myself wishing for more levels from such a top-tier release.

Plot

Bond runs from the driller

Bond scribe Bruce Feirstein makes a welcome return to game writing duties with Blood Stone. Being a big fan of Feirstein’s previous work (including the last original Bond game storyline, the superb Everything or Nothing), I had high hopes for this adventure, perhaps too high. Maybe I was looking for a suitable replacement for Bond 23, but in any case, I didn’t get it here. As a game plot, it works just fine in shuttling Bond off to new locations to chase down new bad guys with every level. But as a memorably cohesive story, it falls a bit flat.

The Brosnan-era games were such a blast because they reflected the films- Big, goofy, ridiculous fun. Robotic spiders, invisible cars, Bond in space, ninjas, and nanobots are all things that are questionable in the film Bond’s universe and might even make Ian Fleming turn in his grave, but they certainly make gameplay a thrilling and memorable experience. The Craig-era games certainly reflect the Craig-era movies, as Bond is a cold, hard killer, with very little gadgets, humor, and sex to bolster relatively realistic plots. While that might work in the films, this reflection leaves Blood Stone feeling like a story without the fun and humor of the older films but also bereft of the intriguing drama of the newer ones.

My biggest complaint with the storyline is the lack of a clear central villain. While playing, it’s never clear who the “boss” baddie is. By the time we think we’ve vanquished the central villain, the story sends Bond after another one, then another, and so on. None of the villains are set up in any interesting way or given any memorable characteristics. Nor is the bad guy’s scheme some grand, interesting take-over-the-world reveal (it’s a simple game of bio-weapons here, a little more interesting than raising Bolivian water prices, but not by much). To be fair, there is a nice character twist towards the end of the story, but it’s a case of too little, too late.

That’s not to say that there aren’t some incredible sequences in the story, many that would’ve made great film sequences. Among the highlights are Bond evading an excavation drill, chasing a train by driving across splintering Siberian ice sheets, and a fantastic hovercraft chase. Remember the “hover-jet” from the book Devil May Care? Here Bond actually gets to encounter it in action! Too bad it wasn’t the climax of the game, as it was the most epic level of the entire game.

By the way, what’s with the title? What/who is the “Blood Stone” anyways? It sure isn’t those diamonds featured in the title sequence, as diamonds aren’t even hinted at in the story. “Never Kill Me Again” would’ve been better than this! Moving on…

Voice Acting

Joss Stone as Nicole Hunter

Daniel Craig returns to voicing duties as Bond himself. It’s a pity the script doesn’t give him much leverage to actually ACT, but he deliveries his lines with conviction. Ditto for Judi Dench (who unfortunately looks a little frightening in CG form). The show stealer is singer Joss Stone, who does double-duty here by not only belting out the wonderful title song “I’ll Take It All,” but also giving a great voice performance as Bond girl Nicole Hunter.

Graphics and Atmosphere

In a side-by-side comparison with Quantum of Solace, the graphics are roughly the same as far as detailing and modeling go. However, the scope of the environments is much grander in scale. There are some locations that are simply jaw-dropping, chief among them being a massive aquarium that’s home to whales and sharks. I sometimes found myself stopping my quest just to look around and take everything in. The sheer variety of exotic locales also keeps the interest up.

The music, provided by Richard Jacques, is another highlight of this release, with a score that would feel right at home in a motion picture. Here’s hoping it gets released in the near future.

Multiplayer

With the single-player mode as short as it is, the multiplayer option should provide a bit more replay value. But, much like Quantum, the online multiplayer option leaves a lot to be desired. The levels are all straight from the game, and unlike GoldenEye, the characters are basically faceless henchmen, not classic characters from the series. There are only a handful of game modes as well. It plays just as well as it looks- like an afterthought. While it’s nice to include this, it makes you wonder why they even tried when there are so many better options out there (Call of Duty chief among them). Adding insult to injury, multiplayer is online-only, with no split-screen local option available, so don’t bother getting your friends with this release.

Overall Verdict

All the elements are here for a great game- A talented writer and voice cast, stellar graphics and locales, and a solid shooting and driving engine. But somehow they’re all held back. I kept thinking that if only the people involved were allowed to just let loose and have fun, as they seemed to be in the Brosnan-era games, then the game
would be more of a joy to play. While I applaud the variety of levels and situations that the game came up with, and the occasionally epic scope it achieves, the short play time and the meager multiplayer mode means there’s not much bang for your buck here.

So my advice? If you’re looking for Bond 23 in this, you won’t find it. If you’re looking for a $60 game, you won’t find it here either. Wait a few months and buy it used for half off, and you’ll be a happy customer.

Fan Curiosities

• Although there is no gadgetry to speak of, Q-Branch is mentioned several times during the game.
• The Aston Martin DB5 make an appearance here, and license plate reads BMT 216A (the designation as it appeared in the Connery films, not the Brosnan movies).
• Bond is identified as “Commander Bond” for the first time in the Craig era. About time!

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007 Magazine Archive Files: The James Bond Girls – File #3 The 1980s

007 Magazine Archive Files:
The James Bond Girls -
File #3 The 1980s

Another new issue of 007 Magazine Archive Files is now shipping: The James Bond Girls – File #3 The 1980s, which is the second part of an ‘Archive Files’ series focussing on the Bond girls of each decade, again written and designed by Graham Rye.

The features of each issue are as follows:
• The Bond Girls covered by each decade!
• Major new picture content throughout!
• 2010 updated text!
• Never-before-seen images!
• Rare behind-the-scenes photographs!
• The ideal souvenir brochure for autographs!
• A Deluxe Limited Edition Publication!

007 Magazine Archive Files: The James Bond Girls File #4: 1990s will be available soon.

'007 Magazine Archive Files: The James Bond Girls':
File #1 The 1960s, File #2 The 1970s, File #4 The 1990s

Bond fans can purchase 007 Magazine Archive Files: The James Bond Girls – File #3 The 1980s at the official 007 Magazine website for the following prices: £9.99 (UK) | $15.99 (US) | €11.99 (EU) | £9.99 (Worldwide). Please be aware that prices do not include shipping.

Click here for further details and inquiries.

James Bond recieves 3 nominations for Spike's VGAs

James Bond has received 3 nominations for Spike’s 2010 Video Game Awards. The list of nominees was announced today. Daniel Craig was nominated for “Best Performance by a Human Male” and Dame Judi Dench was nominated for “Best Performance by a Human Female”, both for their performances in Blood Stone. Nicole Scherzinger’s rendition of “GoldenEye” was also nominated for “Best Song in a Game”.

The VGAs will be aired on Saturday, December 11 at 8PM EST on SpikeTV.

Other nominees:

Best Song in a Game

• “Basket Case” by Green Day (Green Day: Rock Band)
• “Black Rain” by Soundgarden (Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock)
• “Far Away” by Jose Gonzalez (Red Dead Redemption)
• “GoldenEye” by Nicole Scherzinger (GoldenEye 007)
• “Replay” / “Rude Boy Mashup” by Iyaz and Rihanna (Call of Duty: Black Ops)
• “Won’t Back Down” by Eminem (DJ Hero 2)

Best Performance by a Human Male

• Daniel Craig as James Bond (Blood Stone)
• Gary Oldman as Sgt. Reznov (Call of Duty: Black Ops)
• John Cleese as Jasper (Fable III)
• Martin Sheen as Illusive Man (Mass Effect 2)
• Nathan Fillion as Sergeant Edward Buck (Halo: Reach)
• Neil Patrick Harris as Peter Parker/Amazing Spider-Man (Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions)
• Rob Wiethoff as John Marston (Red Dead Redemption)
• Sam Worthington as Alex Mason (Call of Duty: Black Ops)

Best Performance by a Human Female

• Dame Judi Dench as M (Blood Stone)
• Danica Patrick as Herself (Blur)
• Emmanuelle Chriqui as The Numbers Lady (Call of Duty: Black Ops)
• Felicia Day as Veronica (Fallout: New Vegas)
• Jennifer Hale as Commander Sheppard (Mass Effect 2)
• Kristen Bell as Lucy Stillman (Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood)
• Tricia Helfer as Sarah Kerrigan (StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty)
• Yvonne Strahovski as Miranda Lawson (Mass Effect 2)

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Pierce Brosnan returns to TV

Deadline has a new scoop today about former James Bond Pierce Brosnan returning to TV, although not in a lead role. Called an investigative thriller, it’s from ER writer-producer Jack Orman and tells the tale of a private investigator who specializes in international crisis innervation; anything from solving homicides to financial schemes around the world. It is based on the real-life experiences of international PI Logan Clarke.

Brosnan will be executive producer through his Irish DreamTime production company and have a smaller role on the show. Brosnan has starred in several TV movies and been on a number of TV series’ throughout the 80s and 90s, but is best known for his lead role on NBC’s Remington Steele before he became James Bond for 1995’s GoldenEye.

CBn Review: GoldenEye 007

Up until GoldenEye 007 for the Nintendo 64, first-person shooters on a console were almost laughable. Many tried, many failed. GoldenEye succeeded and paved the way for several of gaming’s biggest games today; everything from Halo to the latest iteration of Call of Duty. Ask any 90s gamer what some of their fondest memories were and undoubtedly GoldenEye will come up. While James Bond games have had varying degrees of success since then many of them have been outright failures even though some tried to copy or tap into the GoldenEye formula or name like GoldenEye: Rogue Agent. So you’d think the idea of remaking GoldenEye, what many likely see as nothing more than a cash-in for Activision, will fall flat too right?

It doesn’t. James Bond is clearly back with GoldnenEye 007, easily one of the best James Bond games and one of best games on the Nintendo Wii.

Story

This next part might be a little risky.

When you adapt a fifteen year old story, a lot of the details will have to be changed to make sense in today’s world especially a movie like GoldenEye which came about just after the fall of the Soviet Union and was aimed largely at redefining James Bond from a Cold War hero to a more modern spy. Largely the story stays the same. All the characters are there with the exception of Boris and Jack Wade. The differences are in the details. Valentin Zukovsky, for instance, is no longer a former KGB agent, he’s a trendy nightclub owner, but his role is still pretty much the same. Many other details have been changed as well, from how James Bond infiltrates the Russian facility to where the cradle is located. The main story carries out over six major locations with a number of missions per location: Arkhangelsk (the dam), Barcelona (Zukovsky’s nightclub), Dubai (where the EMP hardened helicopter is stolen from), Severnaya, St. Petersburg, and finally Nigeria.

Severnaya

Most of the changes are welcome for a more modern take on the story, but some of the others might leave you scratching your head. The craziest one is the near destruction of St. Petersburg. It’s crazy enough (or awesome enough) to have James Bond in a chase sequence using a tank. There’s going to be destruction, but GoldenEye 007 takes it to a whole new level. Buildings fall, helicopters are blown out of the sky and a battalion of Russian soldiers are decimated. I like my video games to go big, but this might have been overkill. Fun though. There’s another change I don’t know if I approve of. I don’t wish to spoil it because it involves a character’s death. You’ll know it when you see it.

All in all, the story works with Daniel Craig’s James Bond. If GoldenEye was original, it’d make an awesome Bond 23.

Design

GoldenEye 007 recaptures much of what made GoldenEye for the Nintendo 64 great. In all it should take you about 7 or 8 hours to complete the story’s 14 missions, but each mission is designed for maximum replayability. The higher the difficulty the more objectives there are and once you’re finished you can run the missions in a time trial.

Only the second time we've officially seen Ernst Stavro Blofeld since 1981's For Your Eyes Only.

It seems for most games you either get a great single player experience or a great multiplayer experience, but with GoldenEye, you once again get both. GoldenEye’s multiplayer features two types: an offline 4-player split screen experience much like the original and an online 8-player provided through Nintendo’s Wi-Fi Connection and includes XP progression, multipliers, modifiers and numerous unlockables. All of the major characters from the single player carry over into the multiplayer with additional classic characters thrown in such as Francisco Scaramanga, Dr. No, Baron Samedi, Jaws, Oddjob, Blofeld and more.

Voice acting in the game is pretty stellar as far as games go. Daniel Craig takes the place of Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, Judi Dench returns as M (the only actor and character to be unchanged from the original film) and Rory Kinnear reprises his role as M’s chief of staff Bill Tanner from Quantum of Solace.

Although the soundtrack was done by David Arnold who has done all the soundtracks for the films since Tomorrow Never Dies, I don’t think it stood out or is anything to write home about. Like the film, the James Bond theme barely gets used. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but in a video game you expect it more frequently. Nicole Scherzinger’s cover of the theme song originally performed for the film by Tina Turner is pretty good though. Actually, Scherzinger sounds so much like Turner that it’s a wonder they redid the song at all. I liked how the incorporated the theme and the title sequence with the pre-title sequence. That was unique even for Bond.

Gameplay

James Bond uses his cellphone to reprogram a sentry in GoldenEye 007

There aren’t too many gadgets in the original game or film and that fits perfectly with Daniel Craig’s James Bond. In fact there are even less here. Bond has one, but it’s all he needs. Instead of the watch, he has a cell phone that does just about everything. It can hack, take surveillance pictures, remote detonate explosives and obviously be used as a phone to stay in contact with MI6 (typically Tanner who sometimes in my opinion talks too much and has an amazing sense of exactly where 007 is in his mission). The downside to the phone in my opinion is that it feels like it controls differently than every other “device” Bond holds such as a gun. Bond can pivot around with a gun fairly well looking down its sights, but with the phone, it feels stiff. An indicator pops up on your HUD when it can be used, but sometimes finding whatever Bond has to interact with can be hidden fairly well or the box that you have to line up with is almost too small.

Not so stealthy.

The game offers several different types of guns all of which have modified versions. Some have silencers, laser sights, thermal sights, and different looking scopes all randomly strewn about through GoldenEye’s various missions. Bond always has his trusty Walther P99 even comically when he gives one away to someone. It’s odd, he’ll give one to Natalya so she can protect herself and then immediately pulls another one out of his… vest? Interestingly, when Ourumov shows up to kill Mishkin (same as the movie) with Bond’s gun, he dumps the ammo on the ground then gives it back to Bond, yet later Bond has full ammo again. Maybe in harder difficulties that doesn’t happen. I don’t know. It’s just odd. Bond’s Walther can optionally have a silencer for when he’s feeling stealthy.

Unlike a lot of recent James Bond games, GoldenEye doesn’t have a cover system, but it does have something similar. Instead of sticking to a wall, you can get behind any object and when you look down your iron sights Bond pops up a bit to look over that object. It actually works really well and I prefer it much more than Quantum of Solace’s cover system. Enemies use it a lot too sometimes diving away from your shots to get to cover and then popping out to take a few shots at you. The best part is that a lot of the cover is destructible so the game doesn’t slow down. Crates fall apart and even concrete crumbles exposing its metal frame and the enemy behind it. A lot of the environments are destructible as well. There are plenty of gas cans lying around and almost all vehicles you happen upon can be destroyed with a few quick shots to its gas tank. Missiles can be used to take down attack helicopters and automatic sentries can be reprogrammed to shoot at Bond’s enemies instead of him.

Stealthy. Personally, I'd just knock him out.

The game also features some quick time events. These are the events when you’re required to push a button or waggle the Wii remote or nunchuck. This only happens a couple times, specifically with major characters Bond interacts with and it works moderately well. The real delight is to sneak up behind an enemy and waggle the nunchuck a bit to subdue them. Sometimes Bond just knocks them out with a quick punch, other times he puts them out of commission with a stranglehold of some sort. Not many first-person shooters do this, but it works to great effect with GoldenEye especially when Bond is once again feeling stealthy or just wants to get his hands dirty.

When it was announced, I thought for sure this game was going to fall on its face and be another cash-in like GoldenEye: Rogue Agent. Even if it wasn’t bad I thought for sure it would be difficult to shake comparisons to the original GoldenEye. Gamers seem to hold it in such high esteem that any remake would only really be met with harsh criticism, and up to the release of the game I think that was true, but not anymore. Eurocom and Activision did a great job making this game stand on its own two feet and finally getting a Bond game right. Is it going to redefine the first-person shooter console experience like the original did? No and not even on the Wii which has had great success with the Metroid Prime series, but who cares. It’s a fun game. The story is good, the gameplay is good, and the controls work as well as you’d hope. Easily, as I said, it’s one of the best Wii games of the year. What more can you ask for? Well, perhaps next time do an original story that doesn’t mooch off of GoldenEye’s name and legacy.

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Activision closing Bizarre Creations

Bizarre Creations

Recent James Bond developer Bizarre Creations is being shut down by Activision after disappointing sales for their last couple video games including Blood Stone, The Club and Blur. Activision purchased Bizarre Creations only 3 years ago. Bizarre Creations is best known for their critically acclaimed and widely popular racing series Project Gotham Racing as well as Geometry Wars, both of which were developed prior to the sale.

According to a source at Giant Bomb, Bizarre Creations will undergo a “90-day consultation period, statutory redundancy” which is required by UK law prior to shutting down a business. Bizarre Creations has almost 200 staffers.

Blood Stone ends with something of a cliffhanger that was designed to setup a sequel. Regardless of what Activision decides to do, that sequel won’t be coming from Bizarre Creations.

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Richard Kiel is pretty awesome

Oh, it’s true. We all know it.

Activision sends along its latest and possibly final video hyping up the recently released GoldenEye 007 for the Nintendo Wii. This one features Richard Kiel crushing his enemies in multiplayer. Well sort of. Definitely a controller anyway.

Nicole Scherzinger

Not into gaming or haven’t had a chance to get your hands on GoldenEye 007? Are you curious what the title sequence looks / sounds like? We got that video too. Taking the place of Tina Turner is Nicole Scherzinger (pictured). Keep in mind that the video may contain spoilers. Not really, just what Daniel Craig’s Bond does instead of bungee jumping off the dam like Pierce Brosnan did. Clearly the end to the Dam level.

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MGM announces Bond 23 for November 2012

It’s not set in stone, but MGM has announced that new James Bond films starting with Bond 23 may be released every second year starting in November 2012 according to Bloomberg. Right now MGM is only wanting to own 50 percent of Bond 23 with an equal partner paying all of the production costs. Further 007 adventures would be wholly owned and funded by MGM.

Before any of this occurs though MGM must first go through bankruptcy which it recently filed for, and take care of its obligations for Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit. MGM announced that they’ve already paid $20 million to fund production of the two films and estimates that they may be required to pay $275 million total.

Still unknown is whether MGM plans to continue to distribute the James Bond films. Much speculation has been made saying they won’t which could open a battlefront for distribution rights to the lucrative series. Columbia Pictures, Warner Bros, Fox, and Paramount are said to already be in contention.

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Deaver's Edge published, talks Bond

US cover art for Edge by Jeffery Deaver

James Bond literary fans are hopefully well aware of Project X, the James Bond literary reboot by American author Jeffery Deaver that brings Ian Fleming’s character into the modern era similar to 2006’s Casino Royale. That book gets published next year in May, but in 2010 its author has been quite busy with two new novels hitting store shelves. In June his publisher Simon & Schuster released The Burning Wire, the ninth novel in the Lincoln Rhymes series of books. Additionally Deaver also had a short story published in June in a book called Stories that was edited together by Neil Gaiman and Al Sarrantonio. This November Deaver’s new standalone novel, Edge was published. Edge tells the tale of Washington D.C. police detective Ryan Kessler who is targeted by a ruthless lifter (a man who specializes in extracting information from his victims by any means necessary) named Henry Loving. Kessler is then put under government protection, specifically by a protection officer named Corte.

“Deaver unveils some nifty new tricks in this edge-of-your-seat thriller . . . Deaver’s first first-person narrator, Corte, is an exciting new weapon in the author’s arsenal of memorable characters.”
—Publishers Weekly

“In Mr. Deaver’s kaleidoscope world, the odds seem to change with each turn of the page.”
— Tom Nolan, Wall Street Journal

Promoting this new novel Deaver sat down with USA Today and talked mainly about Bond although Deaver can’t mention anything about the story or even the locations in Project X with the exception of London. What he did mention most have us have already known, but he did drop this interesting quote: “I get him into a lot of trouble in the book,” Deaver says. “The poor guy. I almost feel bad for him. He doesn’t get a lot of rest.” If you don’t know much about Deaver, give this article a read. A lot of interesting information on him. Did you know that Deaver raises champion briards? Two of them have won best of breed at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show.

Bond novels launch as eBooks in the UK

Starting on 4 November 2010, Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels will make their way onto digital store shelves at major retailers such as Amazon and Waterstone’s. Fleming’s 007 novels have been available in the United States in a digital format since Fleming’s Centenary celebration in 2008, but this marks the first time for the UK. Corinne Turner, Managing Director at Ian Fleming Publications said, “Ian Fleming wrote his James Bond novels to be read and enjoyed by everyone, and we are always looking for opportunities to introduce new audiences to Bond’s adventures. Fleming loved good, new technology, and I am sure he would have been thrilled by the idea of his books being available electronically.” Previously only Sebastian Faulks’ novel Devil May Care was available digitally in the UK.

Further Bond adventures not written by Fleming such as Charlie Higson’s Young Bond series will also premiere as eBooks starting in December. In all Fleming wrote fourteen James Bond novels:

• Casino Royale (1953)
• Live and Let Die (1954)
• Moonraker (1955)
• Diamonds Are Forever (1956)
• From Russia with Love (1957)
• Dr. No (1958)
• Goldfinger (1959)
• For your Eyes Only (1960)
• Thunderball (1961)
• The Spy Who Loved Me (1962)
• On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1963)
• You Only Live Twice (1964)
• The Man With The Golden Gun (1965)
• Octopussy and the Living Daylights (1966)

Press Release

James Bond novels launch as eBooks in the UK

Ian Fleming’s classic James Bond novels are to be published for the first time in the UK as eBooks on 4 November 2010. The 14 books, which include Casino Royale, Live and Let Die, From Russia with Love and Dr No, will be sold under the Ian Fleming Publications Ltd imprint and will be available through major retailers including Amazon and Waterstone’s. The eBooks will be priced in line with the lowest-priced Bond paperback editions available on the market.

Corinne Turner, Managing Director, Ian Fleming Publications Ltd, comments: “Ian Fleming wrote his James Bond novels to be read and enjoyed by everyone, and we are always looking for opportunities to introduce new audiences to Bond’s adventures. Fleming loved good, new technology, and I am sure he would have been thrilled by the idea of his books being available electronically.”

Fleming’s James Bond novels first launched as eBooks in the United States to mark the Ian Fleming centenary in 2008 and were sold through Sony’s special edition 007 Reader and the Amazon Kindle. The availability of the eBooks in the US marked a new chapter in Bond publishing, and it is anticipated that this success will be matched with the forthcoming UK launch.

Further James Bond titles including Charlie Higson’s bestselling Young Bond series will follow from December.

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