10 Pre-Internet Video Game Secrets Everyone Fell For

If there was any game that was going to generate a false rumour, it was GoldenEye 007. After all, Rare's revolutionary shooter had dozens of ridiculous cheats.

So, when there were rumblings that players could select previous James Bond actors in the multiplayer, it seemed pretty on-brand. Honestly, it seemed more believable than some of the actual cheats in GoldenEye 007, including Big Head Mode or Tiny Bond Mode.

Also, this fabrication was hard to dismiss since there was a kernel of truth to it. In early development, Rare were informed they could incorporate any character from the James Bond film catalogue. Thus, the director, Martin Hollis, thought there would be no issue with including the former 007s - Sean Connery, Roger Moore, and Timothy Dalton - in the multiplayer. (George Lazenby was suspiciously absent.) 

Worrying about the licensing fees, the creators ultimately went back on this idea. But since the classic Bonds remained in the game's code, the legitimacy surrounding this rumour was compounded. And when multiple gaming outlets pretended the classic Bond actors could be unlocked through non-pirated means after an April Fools joke got way out of hand, it sent many GoldenEye 007 owners on a wild goose chase.