The N64 classic from Rare was being prepped for a Live Arcade release, but the project was halted.
Gaming site 1up.com and sister magazine Electronic Gaming Monthly are reporting that a direct port of GoldenEye 007, the classic N64 first-person shooter, was a mere two months away from being ready for launch on Xbox Live Arcade. As of right now, the game will never see the light of day, as Nintendo and Microsoft can't seem to come to an agreement financially.
According to 1up, everything about the game was going to be just like the N64 version with the addition of online multiplayer over Xbox Live. As 1up reports, "the point of contention, as our source puts it: would Nintendo receive a one-time fee for the rights to the game, or a continuing cut of the XBLA revenues?"
This story is especially interesting for Wii owners, as many people have been hoping to see a GoldenEye 007 release on the Virtual Console. It's hard to say whether or not Microsoft could prevent Nintendo from doing that in the same way Nintendo apparently kept the game off of Live Arcade. Regardless, fans want the game, and it'd be nice if the parties involved could come to an agreement that would bring it to both platforms.