Splinter Cell infiltrates Wii launch lineup

by Ludwig Kietzmann { Sep 8th 2006 at 9:00PM }

Not content with preparing seven titles for the Wii's upcoming and still nebulously dated launch, Le Ubisoft has announced that Splinter Cell: Double Agent will also join the arm flailing fray. IGN reports that the Wii version is based on the PS2 and Gamecube builds and that it will fully utilize the system's unique control capabilities. The exact control specifics have yet to be divulged. One of the examples cited is using the Wiimote to pick locks, though there's arguably more appeal to be found in the the thought of slashing a hapless guard's throat with one swift and decisive motion.

Curiously, the game will be missing "some" of the missions present in the Xbox 360 version (and less curiously, an online component). The Wii launch will likely fall after Double Agent's October debut, so the cause doesn't appear to be an unreasonable restriction in development time. A few missions for a different control scheme -- is that a fair trade? While it's certainly possible that Ubisoft will include extra missions more closely designed with the Wii controller in mind, that seems unlikely given the platform differences in past Splinter Cell titles. After all, there are seven other motion-sensitive games that need to be bitten off and chewed before the Wii's launch later this year.

[Thanks AssemblyLineHuman and Jeremy.]

Tags: Sam Fisher, SamFisher, Spies vs. Mercs, SpiesVs.Mercs, Splinter Cell, SplinterCell, Stealth, Tom Clancy, TomClancy, Ubisoft

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Bread @ Sep 8th 2006 9:04PM

Ubisoft, you will reap the fruits of your support BIG TIME!

There's still space on the bandwagon guys!

Tom @ Sep 8th 2006 9:05PM

Shouldn't it be L'Ubisoft?

Ludwig Kietzmann @ Sep 8th 2006 9:08PM

Could be ... but I am le tired. :)

killr0y @ Sep 8th 2006 9:09PM

Considering every Splinter Cell released on the PS2 & GC were utter flops in comparison to the Xbox versions, I don't think Wii fanboys get warm fuzzies hearing about how the Wii version is based on a 6 year old console's.

csc @ Sep 8th 2006 9:09PM

Everyone loves Wii

Everyone hates sony

X360 people are too busy actually playing their games to bother with the console fanboy war (jackasses!)

zbarron @ Sep 8th 2006 9:10PM

Wii is such a kiddy system!

HallwayGiant @ Sep 8th 2006 9:11PM

Sounds like pretty much all of Ubisofts Wii launch games (aka previous-gen port w/ new control scheme) =

potato @ Sep 8th 2006 9:19PM

SP: DA + Wii = LAWL
what a joke
stick with the simple fun

Dylan @ Sep 8th 2006 9:25PM

If this includes neck twisting action, I'm sold.

Jonn @ Sep 8th 2006 9:26PM

I like the Wii as much as the next guy, but, um...how would this work? Why doesn't Ubisoft just release an exclusive for once?

Guess Who @ Sep 8th 2006 9:35PM

@ Jonn

Red Steel much?

subnet6 @ Sep 8th 2006 9:38PM

"Shouldn't it be L'Ubisoft?"

I think if Ludwig could choose, it would be "Das" Ubisoft. ;)

serbz @ Sep 8th 2006 9:45PM

@csc i like the wii and sony so take your genius theories somewere else

Kayzai @ Sep 8th 2006 9:47PM

i dont think a console has launched with this many games!!!

ZELDA, FAR CRY, METROID, SPLINTER CELL and 26 more games at launch??? This is just too much!!!

I plan on buying a 360 or PS3!!! But, what ever happens I AM GETTING A WII.

Gosh!!! For the price of 3 Xbox/PS3 games - I can get a Console??? COUNT ME IN!

corwin @ Sep 8th 2006 9:47PM

this line up is by far the best of the next generation consols.

Damian G. @ Sep 8th 2006 9:47PM

Except for Rayman and Red Steel and their two racing titles...

Spudnick @ Sep 8th 2006 9:51PM

more love for my wii

I hope I dont get std's

corwin @ Sep 8th 2006 9:56PM

...of all wii games.

Moogle @ Sep 8th 2006 10:49PM

Well have a nap... THEN FIRE ZE MISSLES!!

( http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/end.php for the confused)

Jay @ Sep 8th 2006 11:01PM

Excellent. I think. Never really much a fan of Splinter Cell games though I really want to get into them, the Xbox games just never pulled me in. I hope this does.

Raynre @ Sep 8th 2006 11:04PM

What are we up to? 40, 42 promised launch titles?

peanutter @ Sep 8th 2006 11:06PM

I think it speaks volumes of the sad state of console gaming of late that the Wii looks to be launching with more quality games than the xbox360 has accrued in the entirity of it's first year of release.

Bryce @ Sep 8th 2006 11:07PM

As much as I love Wii, and expect to buy one as soon as possible, I doubt I will be picking up this game. Splinter Cell just doesn't seem all that apealing on the Wii.

Unless I hear a lot of good things about Double Agent for Wii(which I doubt it will be better than the 360 version) I won't be buying it. Sorry Ubi. Maybe next Splinter Cell, or an exclusive when you guys really nail down the best design for Wii.

DrMongol @ Sep 8th 2006 11:10PM

Didn't they say something about the online feature possibly coming later via downloadable content?

dkh @ Sep 8th 2006 11:25PM

Wait, this game is lacking the online modes? No vs.? That's... that's absolutely ridiculous. The games are decent enough, but it's the versus mode that makes them go from truly brilliant.

I'd love to get this for the Wii, but I guess I'm going to have to wait until I get a 360.

Paul P. @ Sep 8th 2006 11:57PM

I believe it is missing the same missions from 360 that both the PS2 and GCN are missing. So mission wise it should be identical to the latter two.

I'm definitely picking this up since I don't have a 360. I love Splinter Cell so much I'll probably buy it again next year when I DO get a 360.

OTAM @ Sep 9th 2006 12:20AM

Peanutter,that depends on who you're asking.I'm still getting a Wii,but personally don't care for Zelda or Metroid (or the majority of the launch lineup),but LOVED PDZ,Condemned and Kameo.

Raynre @ Sep 9th 2006 12:35AM

OTAM, you are a sad, strange little man...

FimShady @ Sep 9th 2006 12:44AM

I know so many people that are getting the Wii, having swallowed the whole "innovative gaming" nonsense without even taking time to chew.

I can't wait to see their faces when they realize that they dropped 250 bucks on a turd, and they can't even bring it back to the store because their arms are too tired from playing Red Steel.

Firegirl @ Sep 9th 2006 1:04AM

The Wii keeps sounding better and better. This would be a great game for any console, as long as the controls don't get messed up by the Wiimote.

vidGuy @ Sep 9th 2006 1:04AM

Let's include the whole quote from IGN:
"The Wii version of Splinter Cell Double Agent is based on both the PlayStation 2 and GameCube builds, with enhancements made to gameplay and graphics."

Considering the main complaint about the Wii is the graphics, maybe it should be mentioned that this isn't just a straight port graphics-wise.

The screens look pretty, um, great.

OTAM @ Sep 9th 2006 1:36AM

Why Raynre? Just because I don't have the same tastes in games as you?

I didnt say I never played any of the games,I just didnt like them. I tried to play Metroid Prime more than once,actually sat down and tried and just didnt enjoy it. I did enjoy the 360 launch lineup (which is why I bought the 360 to begin with).

I plan on getting the Wii at launch (start preorders already! Garhhhh!!!),but the main game i'm buying the Wii for is Super Smash Brothers Brawl. There's no need to make "you're sad" comments to me when you don't even know me and I havent said one negetive thing about the Wii or it's lineup (just that I havent found anything particularly interesting).

cringer8 @ Sep 9th 2006 2:02AM

Thank you for that, vidguy. I was a bit put off by the assumption that it would be a straight GC port without graphical upgrades.

The Wii is going to make me broke by Christmas.

corwin @ Sep 9th 2006 2:04AM

oh FimShady, im sure you're the guy who still holds on to his sony minidisc player 'cause "you can put up to 4 albums on one disc!" wow that sure beats everyones vinyl there all holding on to. Just dont be all bitter when everyone copys nintendos innovation and your old playstation 3 controlers are only going for $4.99 on ebay.

cringer8 @ Sep 9th 2006 3:30AM

Launch window from Wikipedia (I guess it's pretty accurate, whatever)

Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII
Call of Duty 3
Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors
Far Cry: Vengeance
Gottlieb Pinball Classics
GT Pro Series
Leaderboard
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
Metal Slug Anthology
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Monster 4x4 World Circuit
Open Season
Rayman Raving Rabbids
Red Steel
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent
Trauma Center: Second Opinion
Wii Sports
The Ant Bully
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Blitz: The League
Cars
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2
Elebits
Excite Truck
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers
The Godfather: The Game
The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy
Madden NFL 07
Need for Speed: Carbon
SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab
Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam
Splinter Cell: Double Agent

cringer8 @ Sep 9th 2006 3:34AM

Whoops, I added Double Agent at the end...should have known it would have been in the list already.

OTAM @ Sep 9th 2006 3:58AM

The thing that I don't understand is that people are acting like having Double Agent on the Wii is some outstanding thing when it's going to be on the 360 also. If it was Wii exclusive at launch I could understand but it doesnt make much sense getting worked up over.

I mean,when the 360 came out you didnt see people saying how awesome it was that Madden 06 was there for launch did you?

wolfie @ Sep 9th 2006 4:13AM

OTAM, what people(including me) are getting excited over is a new way to play the games.
Having said that, I am not sure yet if I will get the PC build or for the Wii. It really depends on if Ubisoft pulls off the control for the Wii. I am not impressed by the controlls I have seen for Red Steel, though there have been reports that they have made improvements on the controls since E3.
We have to wait and see.

Pretty Obvious @ Sep 9th 2006 4:33AM

Wow thats alot of launch titles. Its a shame non of them can even be considered next-gen. After watching that IGN Wii vid the other week, neither does the system... or its controller for that matter.

kite @ Sep 9th 2006 5:44AM

Obvious...
The day that you can decide what next-gen is, I'll buy you a pancake. Hell, i'll even add ice cream and choclate with it.
I think wii is evenly 'next-gen' than just taking an old console and upgrade it.

killr0y @ Sep 9th 2006 5:58AM

You can get "all excited" of teh innovative arm-waving gameplay all you want. It doesn't change the fact that the Wii has substandard graphics, and that the novelty of swinging your arms around in a crudely rendered game world will get stale real quick. I like rooting for the underdog too, but I'm also realistic about things. There is nothing new about a gyroscopic controller. As Bill Gates said, "we done that already and nobody cared about it." In fact, I had a gyroscopic mouse about 6 years ago and it went into the closet because it just didn't have the precision of a normal mouse.

And therein lies the problem of the Wii.. There will be no such thing as "precision gaming". It will be relegated to the "gimmicky, twist here, swing here" gameplay that will turn every game into some kind of platformy puzzle game.

Every sports game, action game, adventure game, racing game, will be nothing but the same gimmicky platformy puzzle game that you'll only want to play for 15 minutes at a time. And this is precisely the reason why the Wii will be a SECONDARY console at best.

Kilika @ Sep 9th 2006 7:11AM

Looks like the Wii has a bigger launch lineup than the gamecube has games, yet.

Don Jose @ Sep 9th 2006 9:09AM

Wow! Truth...

"Sounds like pretty much all of Ubisofts Wii launch games (aka previous-gen port w/ new control scheme)"

...and jealous fanboy bullshit...

"I think it speaks volumes of the sad state of console gaming of late that the Wii looks to be launching with more quality games than the xbox360 has accrued in the entirity of it's first year of release."

...all in one thread! Fun!

Leper Messiah @ Sep 9th 2006 9:27AM

Man killroy, you have got to be one of the most oblivious fanboys I've ever seen.

You can go on and on about how not-as-good graphics and a brand new control scheme would get really boring and old and stale, and yet you dont mention how using the exact same set up and playing the exact same games again just with better graphics (and dont tell me those arent the same games, they might be original properties, but the gameplay is nowhere near original) wont get stale or boring at all. I'm not saying it will get boring, just as I dont think the Wii will end up sucking because of the control scheme, but if youre gonna make bullshit predictions, then look at things from both sides.

Leper Messiah @ Sep 9th 2006 9:27AM

Ubisoft is amazing. They really want the Wii to do well. Unfortunately, Nintendo is still holding 3rd parties back. I planned on getting CoD3 at launch, but then once I learned theres no online play, I quickly changed my mind. Why buy that version when I could wait for CoD4 with online play or simply get the standard controlled but better looking CoD3 on the 360 when I buy it in a few years? Hopefully, with WiiConnect24, there'll be some way to do an update and add an online multiplayer mode. Otherwise, I'm just getting one 3rd party game at launch, Blitz.

Psaakyrn @ Sep 9th 2006 10:11AM

I will admit that currently, certain things about the Wii are not fully refined, and especially the FPSs. I don't know about you, but using the remote to turn, then moving it back to aim is not exactly as intuitive as using the mouse to turn (and aim). However, it still beats using the dual analog to turn and aim, which is one of the most fustrating control schemes I've ever used. I still believe that by 2 years, someone will come out with a better FPS control scheme for the Wii.

Certain games (driving, simulation) would be almost perfect from the start, while others (motion simulation/rhythm, fixed-screen shooter) will be made possible without additional add-ons. Certain games (fighting, strategy, RPG) would be completely revamped, and probably improved based purely on the greatly extended input options.

The controller by itself is one of the most intuitive input devices currently (I'm still reserving the no.1 and 2 position for the touchscreen and mouse, until I use it physically), while the add nunchuck would make it the most versatile/complex input device known.

vidGuy @ Sep 9th 2006 11:59AM

"I still believe that by 2 years, someone will come out with a better FPS control scheme for the Wii."

We have a 'better FPS control scheme' at launch. Metroid Prime 3 has an expert control mode that locks the remote to a centered reticule just like a keyboard+mouse FPS. It doesn't get mentioned much because it's not the default control method, but it is there. Numerous other games may be making the control option available to replace the "invisible box" method.

Different gamers want different things. We can all say that the Wii launch window is amazing, and certain gamers will disagree. They should be allowed to, we can't choose their preferences for them. But in that same vein, lots of gamers have been underwhelmed by the 360 lineup thus far, and the PS3 is promising some great games, but they're too few to justify the cost for most gamers.

Personally, I've only found 3 XBOX360 games worth buying since the console's release: Condemned, Prey, and Dead Rising. I have beat each. In the Wii launch window, I'm considering buying ten different Wii games. That speaks pretty highly of it's stregth coming out of the gate, and there's plenty of sure-to-be-hits coming (SMG, SSBB, Sadness, Darkness, etc).

@OTAM,
Having Double Agent on the Wii is a good thing because it shows that companies aren't afraid to bring traditional games to the console, too. Now, it's Ubisoft, who has gone apesh!t with the Wii, but it is still positive news. The graphics look pretty impressive, and the controls might be interesting.

@killr0y,
That argument has been made millions of times, and the points have been made why it won't hold true for the Wii. "There is nothing new about a gyroscopic controller." Nintendo said from the start that it wasn't new technology, but a new way to use it.

J @ Sep 9th 2006 12:11PM

All of you Wii haters forgot one thing:

VIRTUAL CONSOLE

I will takes thousand of proven and affordable games from the past over new games with "enhanced" graphics for $60. Bomberman for 360 anyone? Man, that games sucks, but at least its in HD! For 60 dollars no less!

Thanks for coming out.