James Bond: Blood Stone

Activision-published James Bond games have been pulled from sale on Steam and Activision's own web store.

A new James Bond game will be announced at Comic-Con this month.

In a brand new episode of Eurogamer Asks, the three studios formed from Bizarre Creations' ashes have talked to Eurogamer TV about their experience of Activision's controversial cull.

Project Gotham Racing and Blur lead designer Gareth Wilson has found a new home at Sumo Digital - maker of OutRun Online Arcade and SEGA All-Stars Racing.

Liverpool developer Bizarre Creations closes today – and it's said goodbye with a touching video showcasing its superb portfolio of games.

PGR, Geometry Wars, Blur dev closes.

Woah. It's hard to believe that it's been almost five months since we posted Face-Off Round 27, the most recent of our multi-game comparison features. Here, in an effort to make up for the deficit, is a compilation of the most interesting games to come our way, with the promise of further roundup coverage next month.

While none of the releases covered in this feature are absolute must-buys, it's equally fair to say that each and every one of them has its own unique charms, and in a market where games just a couple of months old are savagely discounted, even a Eurogamer 6/10 rated title can provide plenty of value when the price is right.

Here's a quick rundown of the titles we're covering this time:

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Football Manager 2011 is top of the UK all-formats chart.

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With James Bond's cinematic future in limbo thanks to the bankruptcy of MGM, Activision's blockbuster license finds itself in an unusually strong position. Based on an original story by an actual Bond screenwriter, starring Daniel Craig and Judi Dench, Blood Stone is this year's official Bond adventure by default.

Can videogames fill the gap left by Hollywood's flaky finances? Bizarre Creations has certainly gone all out to make it look that way. With globe-trotting locations, bombastic set pieces and a lavish credits sequence set to a new Bond theme song from Joss Stone and that bloke from Eurythmics, Blood Stone looks and sounds the part.

Sadly, the game beneath the glamour isn't quite as impressive. There are two main gameplay elements, shuffled together as the episodic plot requires. For the most part, it's a third-person shooter with a half-hearted stealth flavour. You enter an area and try to remain hidden for as long as possible, picking off enemies with silenced headshots and melee takedowns. Once spotted, you're able to fight back using, well, noisy headshots and melee takedowns.

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Actually a video.

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James Bond: Blood Stone will be released in the UK on 5th November, Activision has confirmed.

Aston karting.

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Behind the scenes with the 007 crew.

Has there ever been a more confusing press event? With Activision frugally deciding to kill two birds with one bloodstone, both of its forthcoming Bond games have been squeezed into the penthouse suite of a (s)wanky Mayfair hotel. It starts badly when I mistake the bowler hat-wearing doormen for Oddjob impersonators, and gets worse when a man dressed as a sailor turns out to be the PR contact. Girded by a lukewarm Diet Coke, I patiently sit through the GoldenEye presentation in which Daniel Craig infiltrates a dam. Somebody laughs out loud.

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All those diamonds everywhere, somebody'll lose an eye.

Apparently, Daniel Craig quite likes videogames. So far, however, videogames don't seem to like him very much in return. Part of the problem, aside from the fact tthe last Bond game was a quiet stinker, is that handsome face.

Invest in some war Bonds.

Joss Stone joins Craig in new pouting.

Singer Joss Stone has revealed she plays "a posh version of Paris Hilton" in the new James Bond game, Blood Stone, due this autumn.