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  Blog > Q&a; With Game Developer

How long have you been working on the game?

We started with a core group of 3-4 guys back in 2006 and have grown by leaps and bounds since then. We're up to over 90 people on the core development team plus another 25 people building code and assets off-site. With the 30+ testers and localization people still to be added, we'll end up with a lot of names in the Credits!

In this console generation, it takes significant time and effort to build a AAA hit. As a team we're very lucky to have a helping hand on this project from the guys at Infinity Ward: they've given us the Call of Duty 4 engine, tools, and content pipeline upon which to build our game. That's the type of leg up that most new teams would never have, and we're incredibly grateful for their help.

When it comes down to it, game development is a team sport, and we have a team of people who are not only very good at what they do but take tremendous pride in the work they're doing on this game. We measure our success the same way gamers do -- on how great the game is. That's why we're pushing ourselves so hard right now, and why we believe gamers are going to like the result.

How closely do you work with the filmmakers?

We have a great relationship with the people from Danjaq and EON Productions. They've invited us out to the set three times to see filming in progress and we get weekly updates to the Quantum of Solace script. We've scanned and photographed Daniel Craig and showed him the game. I had read that he's a gamer and found out how true that was when I met him. He jumped right in and grabbed the controller! He picked up the first-person control scheme immediately and then started learning our cover combat system. I was even more impressed later when I heard he regularly played Guitar Hero in his trailer between shoots. He's a cool dude.

One of our company's great strengths at Activision is how well we work with the creative forces behind big movies. That close relationship will play a big part in helping make this game great.

What's the hardest part about making a Bond game?

Wow, this is a tough question. There are always challenges when bringing together a big team of very creative, very technical people to build a game. With that said, working on a James Bond game does have it's own set of unique challenges.

I think the hardest part about working on a Bond game is the internal pressure we put on ourselves to live up to the legacy gamers rememberin Goldeneye. I have a couple buddies who worked on that game, and we have a guy on our team who got into game development because he loved the game so much. That was the first real FPS on a console, and it holds a special place in the hearts of many gamers. The world is ready for a great new Bond game, and that's what we're working hard to deliver.

I'll add one thing to this question: the *coolest* part about making a Bond game. There's no question that the most fun thing about this project is in working with the team to bring the new James Bond to life in a videogame. Daniel Craig is a very different James Bond -- more lethal, more cunning, and more dangerous than ever before. He makes Bond a much more realistic and believable character, and this new Bond is core to the vision of our game. I'm very proud to be a part of the team that gets to build the very first game with this new James Bond.