Splinter Cell posts (Subscribe to this feed)
Worldwide PS3 releases for the week of August 6th
by Jem Alexander 
{ Aug 6th 2007 at 2:30PM }
Here we go again. The next three issues of "Worldwide PS3 releases" are going to be depressingly bare, so you can probably stop reading right now. Wait until the end of the month, then we'll have far more releases happening on a weekly basis. Possibly even, more than one. Fingers crossed. US Games
EU Games
- No new releases
- No new releases
*Update*
Okay, so the confusion about Splinter Cell comes from the fact that some places like Amazon.com are listing it in 'preorder' status right now, with a ship date of tomorrow. We have no idea why it would be like this, considering it was released worldwide on March 30th of this year. Ubisoft may have cut off shipments and be rereleasing it due to some unknown bug in the original version. If we can get an answer out of Ubisoft on this weirdness, we'll let you know.
Ubisoft dates Haze, Splinter Cell, Raving Rabbids 2, more [update]
by Ludwig Kietzmann { Jun 19th 2007 at 12:30PM }
A more notable entry in the release schedule (as posted by Eurogamer) is Free Radical's sci-political first-person shooter, Haze, previously described as "leading on PS3" in a display of timed exclusivity:
- Haze (PS3) -- 23 November
Haze (Xbox 360, PC) -- 30 November[Update: Oh dear, Ubisoft has removed the Xbox 360 and PC versions of Haze from the current release list. We're waiting to hear back from Ubisoft on the matter.]
Ubisoft dates its winter titles
by Richard Mitchell { Jun 19th 2007 at 11:30AM }
It's been said by many people for months now: 2007 looks to be a big year for gamers. It seems like every company is pulling out all the stops and quality games are getting ready to rain from the heavens. Some say that 2007 may be the best year EVAR. True or not, Ubisoft is playing a large role in the 360's holiday season. As proof of that, Eurogamer has unveiled Ubisoft's official release list for this holiday season, including planned release dates for major titles like Assassin's Creed and Splinter Cell Conviction. Check out the list after the break.
Splinter Cell trailer sneaks onto XBLM
by Richard Mitchell { Jun 14th 2007 at 10:30AM }
In addition to this morning's surprise Project Sylpheed demo, there is also a trailer for Splinter Cell Conviction. The trailer is the same one released at the Ubidays 07 event last month, so there isn't anything new for Splinter Cell fans to see. Also, the video quality is somewhat suspect, despite the video's label of "HD." Still, it's Splinter Cell Conviction on a larger screen, so we'll take what we can get (of course, we wouldn't mind if Ubisoft wanted to release a cleaner version in the future).
If Splinter Cell doesn't float your boat, you can also sink your teeth into a trailer for the Xbox 360 version of Rayman: Raving Rabbids. We watched it, and all we can say is DAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!
Vampire Rain downpours July 3rd
by David Dreger { Jun 7th 2007 at 1:00PM }
Vampire Rain goes gold, hits stores on July 3rd
by Ludwig Kietzmann { Jun 7th 2007 at 12:43PM }
Those hoping to judge the game for themselves and play the demo can call on any of their Xbox Live friends who happen to have accounts in Japan, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Mexico, New Zealand or Singapore. The absence of a US demo at this stage seems a little suspicious, if only because international impressions indicate that Vampire Rain falls mainly on the plain side of things. That's not something you want people to know when you dangle a $60 game in front of them, now is it?
[Via Microsoft press release]
Ubisoft defends Splinter Cell series changes
by Alexander Sliwinski { May 29th 2007 at 6:45PM }
All Ubisoft wants is for Splinter Cell fans to give emo-Fisher a chance. It seems reaction has been quite strong to Sam Fisher's new look and the departure from the light-and-shadow gameplay. 'Cause, you know, Splinter Cell without light and shadow is basically that other famous stealth action game (except you'd need to add a healthy dash of eccentric characters -- really eccentric characters). Speaking with GI.biz, Splinter Cell producer Mathieu Ferland says, "We've been working very closely with the fans from the beginning ... Their first reaction was, 'What's going on? Where's Sam?' And then they discovered these new possibilities, this new mechanic and they said, 'That looks awesome. I want to play it."Ferland goes on to say that if the game doesn't do well that they'll go back to the darkness and shadows that Fisher called home for so many years. It looks like Conviction is trying to do for Splinter Cell what Blood Money did for Hitman, by making the controls less complex and more intuitive. The game is still expected to release later this year and we don't expect Sam Fisher to release a book of poetry before then.
Ubisoft: Conviction is a risk, but we believe in it
by Dustin Burg { May 29th 2007 at 2:30PM }
Talking with GameIndustry.biz, Splinter Cell Conviction producer Mathieu Ferland talks about the game revealing that he and the Ubisoft team truly believe in the new direction they are taking their stealth based franchise. In Conviction Ubisoft is switching it up by allowing players to play a different Sam Fisher who's running from the law, blending in with crowds in broad daylight, and using distraction techniques to complete missions. This ultimately changes up gameplay and strays a little bit from the proven successful Splinter Cell formula. Ferland says that they've "been working very closely with the fans from the beginning" and thinks that Conviction will be a welcomed changed to the franchise. But Ferland also let it be known that that Ubisoft is not afraid to go back to its old stealth formula if Conviction were to flop. But for now, they're confident.As fans of the Splinter Cell franchise, do you think Conviction is a creative step in the right direction to expand the storyline and freshen up gameplay? Or are you dead set on being a shadows assassin and reject Sam Fisher's new hobo look?
ber Ubisoft Ubidays video roundup
by Ludwig Kietzmann { May 24th 2007 at 8:00AM }
Ubisoft's Ubidays event in Paris spawned almost as many video trailers as it did announcements. Thanks to the wonders of embeddable streaming video, we're able to put them all in a single post for your viewing pleasure and/or displeasure, depending on the game.
Naruto: Rise of a Ninja (Xbox 360)
Loosely based on the 837,212 episodes of popular anime, Naruto, this cel-shaded action game seems to strongly encourage you to leap through trees, punch older men and generally behave like a ninja who's under the constant scrutiny of kids. No sudden decapitations like that other guy.
Splinter Cell Conviction trailer Bournes it up
by Richard Mitchell { May 23rd 2007 at 1:30PM }
Hot on the heels of a new Assassin's Creed trailer comes this new Splinter Cell Conviction trailer from Ubisoft's Ubidays event. The trailer shows off the new social stealth system that will be employed in Conviction, as well as Sam Fisher's new combat capabilities. We've noted before that Sam Fisher now possesses some kick ass maneuvers akin to those seen in the Bourne films and this trailer confirms it. In fact, the whole atmosphere of the trailer seems to take a page from the modern spy franchise, which isn't a bad thing at all. After all, how many times can you play as a guy in a rubber suit? Check out an extended look at the game after the break. Be warned though, the video is a little dark.
Playing easily, shooting happily
by Eric Caoili { May 22nd 2007 at 5:30PM }
Unlike other "zapper" products like Joytech's Blaster, the Pega pistol doesn't have a cavity for you to dock the Wii's nunchuck. Instead, you connect the nunchuck's cord under the butt of the $15 gun while the remote slides and locks into its top half. We're not sure yet if this is a more cumbersome or convenient implementation, but given our experiences with cheap, third-party accessories from Chinese manufacturers, you can easily guess which side we're leaning towards.
If you're wondering why we're even bothering to bring up this lackluster peripheral, it's because we love to scrutinize the packaging of these products! What's up with Splinter Cell graphics? And why is it branded with that same inapplicable Wii Sports logo we saw on Fire Bird's rechargeable controller grip? Does Pega actually expect people to play tennis with this clunky plastic attached?
[Via DCEmu]
Team works to send Sam Fisher back to high school
by Kevin Kelly { May 9th 2007 at 5:29PM }
Hopefully it won't lead to any arrests. Although you'll be able to sneak into the girl's locker room, you won't encounter any students, or teachers for that matter. According to their site, "Project SC-DV has absolutely NOTHING to do with the environment of a high school, nor does it have any relations to students or staff of the real life Deer Valley High School campus. In no way can you see nor hurt anyone that has anything to do in relation to the campus."
Check out their site for more pictures, which look fairly impressive so far. We'd like to see some side by sides to compare them, but as far as amateur projects go, this ain't bad.
[Thanks, Einhanderkiller]
Ubisoft says: Splinter Cell Conviction couldn't be on PS3?
by Nick Doerr { May 7th 2007 at 6:30PM }
Someone's cooking up some flamebait, right? Wrong. This is just an interesting, confusing interview with Ubisoft about the newest Splinter Cell (which seems to have turned into a yearly franchise). The game, subtitled Conviction, is headed exclusively to the XBox 360. That's all well and good, but why did they need to talk about the PS3?
What did they say, actually? They claimed that since they're an exclusive now, they can work a lot harder on the 360's hardware and pull out some tricks they wouldn't have been able to do otherwise. They said regardless, they wouldn't have been able to do these things even if they were exclusive to the PlayStation 3. Well... maybe, but they did a pretty crappy port of Double Agent, so we're not about to agree. Just because you don't understand the tools available doesn't mean it isn't possible to build a masterpiece. Thoughts?
Ubisoft says Conviction can't be done on PS3
by David Dreger { May 7th 2007 at 2:00PM }
There's been some more sleuthing (Ha! Legitimately unintentional pun, we swear) on the Finnish magazine that had the Splinter Cell: Conviction screenshot scans from Friday. Apparently the interview has some spiffy details about the enemy AI, Sam Fisher's ability to interact with his environment, and most deliciously, Ubisoft giving the PS3 some flack.
First, they say that Conviction being exclusive allows them to accomplish things on the 360 that couldn't be done if the title was multiplatform. They even go so far to say that if the title was a PS3 exclusive, they still would not be able to achieve some of these feats. Ouch ... coming from a well respected developer like Ubisoft, that's gotta hurt.
Splinter Cell Conviction scans are purdy
by Richard Mitchell { May 4th 2007 at 1:15PM }
Revealed earlier this week, scans of the upcoming Splinter Cell Conviction have been uncovered by our friends at Xboxygen. It looks like Sam Fisher has forgone his typical bald-headed, grizzled appearance for that of a shaggy hobo. You can see him above sporting some ratty hair, a full beard, and an oh-so-trendy man-purse. Metrosexual flavor aside, the scans show off some impressive visuals. There are civilians everywhere and the environments are incredibly detailed. Splinter Cell has always had top notch visuals, but these shots are damned impressive. One shot in particular shows off the level of detail, as coffee cups go flying when Sam knocks a police officer into a nearby cafe. There are also some sequential shots of Sam's new Bourne-tastic maneuvers.
If the gameplay lives up to the graphics, we could be in for a real (Xbox 360 exclusive) treat. Hit the "read" link to check out the scans.
