GoldenEye 007 Wii preview: 'Striking a balance between nostalgia and the modern'

Activision is taking a risk with its GoldenEye 007 remake for Wii. Legal precautions aside (Microsoft and Rare still have rights to the original game), GoldenEye for N64, or simply "Bond," is a beloved, iconic console FPS. So, to re-imagine this game on the Wii, Activision risks both tarnishing us old-timers' fond memories and further alienating a newer generation that wonders, "What's the big deal?"

At a recent preview event, I checked out two levels of the new GoldenEye and spoke with Activision brand manager Eric Stielman. "We thought, if we're going to bring it back, we need to have a commitment to authenticity; and the original game was on Nintendo -- we wanted to be on Nintendo again," Stielman told me, when asked why Activision had focused its remake solely on the Wii (a DS version will also be released). "If you look at the Wii, it's very much about people together, in the same room, having fun, playing games together. It all added up to us getting the exclusive, and Nintendo has been a big help every step of the way."

Gallery: GoldenEye 007 (9/13/2010)