Nightdive Studios Opens Up About GoldenEye 007 Remaster Pitch Denied by Nintendo
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Published on: April 14, 2025
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Nightdive Studios Opens Up About GoldenEye 007 Remaster Pitch Denied by Nintendo
Nightdive Studios, known for its acclaimed revitalizations of classic games, has recently revealed more details regarding its proposed remaster of the iconic Nintendo 64 shooter, GoldenEye 007.
The studio’s CEO, Stephen Kick, spoke with Video Games Chronicle (VGC), offering fresh insight into why the GoldenEye 007 remaster pitch was ultimately declined—despite positive movement from film rights holders MGM and Eon Productions.
GoldenEye 007, which first launched on the Nintendo 64 in 1997 to critical and commercial success, remains a touchstone in the history of video game shooters.
In 2022, after years of speculation, Rare and Code Mystics announced an official reissue of the beloved title for modern platforms, including Nintendo Switch and Xbox consoles.
Around this time, Nightdive Studios disclosed that it had previously vied to handle a remaster of the classic first-person shooter.
During his conversation with VGC’s Andy Robinson, Stephen Kick explained how Nightdive had assembled what he described as a 'dream team' and successfully secured preliminary approval from MGM and Eon, the rights holders for the James Bond franchise.
According to Kick, gaining this approval alone took nearly a year of negotiations and proposal work.
"We invested significant time and effort," Kick stated.
"After MGM and Eon approved our pitch, we believed we were ready to proceed.
But then the question arose: had we secured the rights from Nintendo? To our surprise, Nintendo wasn’t interested in collaborating."
Kick went on to recount that a Nintendo representative firmly told the team, "No third party’s ever going to touch any Nintendo stuff, ever," referring to content the company owns or heavily manages.
This strict company stance, Kick shared with VGC, was a major disappointment for Nightdive Studios, especially after such extensive groundwork.
The news that Nightdive was once in contention to helm a GoldenEye 007 remaster reignited curiosity within the gaming community.
Graslu00, a respected voice in the GoldenEye 007 online fandom, questioned Nintendo’s position, noting that both Rare and Code Mystics—who ultimately delivered the 2022 re-release—are also third-party developers.
This has led to further inquiries regarding why Nightdive’s status as an external studio was the reported stumbling block.
When approached for additional clarification on specifics about the pitch, the MGM/Eon negotiations, or Nintendo’s policy as it related to current hardware such as the Nintendo Switch or potential third-party platforms, Nightdive Studios declined to comment further.
This silence has only deepened the mystery around the decision process, leaving fans and industry observers waiting for more concrete explanations.
Nightdive Studios’ unsuccessful GoldenEye 007 remaster pitch highlights the often complex licensing arrangements and stringent platform-holder policies that define game development for classic titles—especially on platforms like the Nintendo Switch and eShop.
As GoldenEye 007 enjoys renewed life through its official reissue, the backstory of Nightdive’s near-miss underscores the enduring legacy and intricate stewardship underlying Nintendo’s most treasured games.
