Activision's James Bond games disappear from Steam and Xbox 360

Activision's suite of James Bond games have all disappeared from Steam, Xbox 360 and Activision's own digital store. Spotted by Neogamr.net, 007 Legends and James Bond 007: Blood Stone, from now-defunct studios Eurocom and Bizarre Creations, and the Treyarch-helmed Quantum of Solace are no longer available to purchase from Steam.

There are no results in Activision's own store, either. On the consoles, the Xbox 360 Games on Demand version of GoldenEye 007: Reloaded has also been pulled. The game is still available to buy on the PlayStation 3, but it is not clear if the game will remain listed on the PlayStation Store when the marketplace is refreshed this week.

One reason for games being pulled from digital sale can be down to licensing agreements expiring, as happened with GTA: Vice City on Steam recently. Activision obtained the gaming rights to the then-lucrative Bond license from EA in 2006, in a deal with MGM and EON that was scheduled to last until 2014. It is possible that Activision has pulled the plug on this arrangement.

The last Bond game, Eurocom's 007 Legends, was derided by critics and failed to make an impact on the sales charts, despite being timed to coincide with the release of uber-blockbuster Skyfall. The studio's previous game, the lukewarm 2010 remake of the classic GoldenEye 007, also failed to capture hearts and wallets and the Derby-based studio was closed at the end of 2012.