The 2007 Xbox Live Arcade remake of GoldenEye was cancelled for many reasons, not just issues with Nintendo

Discussion surrounding the never-released 2007 Xbox Live Arcade remake of GoldenEye has been swirling once again, as a full playthrough of the game has made its way to YouTube. Fans of the classic game have been going back-and-forth on why the title never saw release, and most believe Nintendo to be the biggest hurdle that was never vaulted. The truth is a lot more complex than that.

Those familiar with the situation have pointed to a bigger source of issues for the remake's release. It was actually the Bond license holders, MGM and Eon Productions, that caused the headaches. Despite the success of GoldenEye on the N64, the Bond license holders weren't happy with many things that were showcased in the game. Blood, Bond fighting other good guys in multiplayer, the killing of civilians, and so on. Following the release of GoldenEye on the N64, the rights holders were much more restrictive with their rules.

RARE even tried to release the GoldenEye remake as part of RARE Replay years later, but once again, both MGM and Eon Productions caused problems. By this time, Nintendo had almost nothing to do with the original GoldenEye release, as all their rights and deals had long since expired.