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Michael Ironside: Splinter Cell: Conviction's story is 'more human'
Michael Ironside is like one of those dudes you respect so much, he could show up at your house, eat the last of your Nilla Wafers, break your Solid Snake figurine collection while tracking mud all over the house and you'd still love him afterward. He's got unlimited clout and his job as the voice of Sam Fisher, protagonist in Splinter Cell: Conviction, is just one of the many respectable bullet points the man has on his resume. In that vein, we thought it appropriate to point out the brief video interview with Mr. Ironside above, which discusses coming back to the character for the fifth time and how this time around, the dialogue was "emotionally richer" than what he's used to. Frankly, we don't buy that. We were a mess when Lt. Rasczak bought the farm in Starship Troopers -- a performance that was about as emotionally rich as they come.
Splinter Cell: Conviction Xbox 360 bundle coming this April
click for more top-secret images As was foretold, Microsoft has announced a special Splinter Cell: Conviction Xbox 360 bundle set to arrive this April in North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. The bundle will retail for $399 and will include two controllers, a standard edition copy of Splinter Cell: Conviction and a 250GB hard drive. We should remind readers that, unlike the one offered in the Final Fantasy XIII bundle, the second controller will actually be useful in Splinter Cell: Conviction, thanks to its split-screen co-op modes. Check out hi-res images of the bundle in the gallery below. %Gallery-86914%
Splinter Cell: Conviction, future Ubisoft PC games to use internet-based DRM
Assassin's Creed 2 has yet to even arrive on PC, but ever since PC Gamer got an early hands-on with the final retail version, Ubisoft's ... somewhat cumbersome (to be very polite) internet-based DRM has caused a bit of a worry for some gamers. As it would seem, regardless of consumer complaint, the publisher is allegedly moving ahead with plans to implement the anti-piracy software in many of its upcoming titles. Softpedia reports that an Ubi rep (speaking with PC Gamer) has confirmed Splinter Cell: Conviction, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, Silent Hunter 5: Battle of the Atlantic, and the recently announced Ghost Recon: Future Soldier to employ the DRM tools. The publisher also specifically pointed out that different titles handle the loss of data differently -- for instance, AC2 depends on checkpoints and The Settlers 7 saves wherever you last were -- though PC Gamer supposedly pressed for an answer to the question on all our minds: Will every PC game from Ubisoft in the future have this DRM? Cryptically, the publisher replied, "It's hard for us to say, yes, from now until the day that we all die all of our games are going to include this but most will." While we can appreciate the efforts of publishers to diminish piracy of their games, we can't help but wonder what the logic is in seemingly frustrating your already dwindling legitimate consumer base with measures targeting the folks who probably wouldn't purchase games anyway. [Via Shacknews]
Splinter Cell: Conviction videos feature co-operative espionage
If you were hoping to infiltrate this post about Splinter Cell Conviction and find anything short of three trailers, then prepare to be totally satisfied. Ubisoft's established a correspondence with Joystiq, deploying three fresh new videos from April's Badass: The Game -- and like that totally accurate and brief description, these videos will bash your face against a mirror and leave you bleeding for dead on a men's room floor. OK, not really, but we're painting a picture, so work with us here. A picture with words. Above, you'll find a brief overview of how the co-op game fits into the story and the four additional gameplay modes, but you'll need to sneak on past the break for the next two pieces of intel: one video is a closer look at Deniable Ops, while the other documents Persistent Elite Creation, the special series of challenges within the single-player and multiplayer framework. Basically, it's a fancy way of saying "unlockable junk for your stuff." %Gallery-80549%
Sam's having a terrible day in this new Splinter Cell: Conviction trailer
Sam Fisher's been tossed into some fairly unenviable scenarios in previous games, but if this new trailer is any indication, Splinter Cell: Conviction might just place the former spy into his most precarious mission to date. Between knife fighting dudes in bathrooms, holding off home invaders and generally being rude to receptionists, Fisher's going to great lengths to prove his bad-assitude. (Little does Sam know, he already proved it during the original Splinter Cell's opening credits.) Additionally, the trailer provides a bit more of the backstory leading up to Conviction, as well as some of the events we can anticipate in the game. Apparently, Sam's going to be storming the White House after an EMP blast devastates Washington. We wonder if he'll pass the Modern Warfare 2 guys while he's in there? %Gallery-64705%
NECA making action figures based on Borderlands, BioShock 2 and more
[Image via Figures] If you appreciated the handiwork of the National Entertainment Collectibles Association on the BioShock 2 props revealed a couple weeks ago, then you'll be pleased to know the company has revealed that additional video game-themed products are in the works. According to a Figures forum post, five franchises will receive replicas by early 2011: BioShock 2, Street Fighter, Gears of War, Dante's Inferno and Dead Space 2. Three other projects were mentioned, but not detailed: Assassin's Creed 2, Splinter Cell: Conviction and Borderlands (which includes an "articulated Claptrap with sound effects"). You can find a full list of the characters that the company will toy-ify on the Figures forum. Most of them are based on the aforementioned franchises' nightmarish enemies -- but hey, if you feel like lining your desk with Necromorphs and Unbaptized Babies, that's your prerogative. [Via Big Download]
X10: Splinter Cell: Conviction hands-on
There you are, old Sam Fisher, minding your own business at some unknown cafe when the waiter brings you a cell phone and Bluetooth earpiece, compliments of the caller. It's Grim, it's Third Echelon, and it's the end of his vacation. Some thugs have managed to upset his vacation -- now we know why he's always carrying 12 rounds and a pistol. %Gallery-85308%
We've exfiltrated these new Splinter Cell: Conviction screens from X10
click to interrogate higher-resolution screens Thanks to a hush-hush covert op, we've extracted a handful of new Splinter Cell: Conviction screenshots to whet your appetite. Oh, okay. They were just given to us during the X10 event in San Fransisco -- but we can dream, can't we? With Splinter Cell: Conviction (finally) hitting stores this April, these images only serve to anger us at the game's numerous delays. Also, these images are so crisp, we're not even sure they are real. If they are, someone needs to do something about that that horrific green couch (above). That is so last year. %Gallery-85308%
Ars mole: Splinter Cell: Conviction, Final Fantasy XIII getting 250GB Xbox 360 bundles
We're devoted fans of the Ars Technica mole, who has nailed big stories like the PS3 Slim and the Resident Evil 5 bundle. As a result, we feel pretty comfortable getting excited about two new Xbox 360 bundles Ars highlights today. The first, a Splinter Cell: Conviction-themed bundle, will reportedly include a not-in-any-way-branded system packing a 250GB hard drive, two black controllers and the game, all for $400. The other bundle will, according to Ars, have all the same specs except with Final Fantasy XIII and white controllers. Considering the the mole's track record, we wouldn't be surprised to see an official announcement any day now.
Splinter Cell: Conviction April 13 release date 'set in stone'
[Image Source: IGN] Word around the campfire is that Splinter Cell: Conviction has a release date. No, for real this time. Those other two times were just to test your resolve. According to IGN, Ubisoft has announced Sam Fisher's latest adventure will hit the Xbox 360 and PC on April 13, 2010. Poking fun at itself, Ubisoft evidently delivered a rock with the new date etched on one side to the site. Get it? The date is set in stone! Oh, those crazy French-Canadians! If you're asking yourself, "Where's Joystiq's rock?," the answer is simple: Had Ubisoft delivered one to us, we'd use it to break the windows at the Ubisoft Montreal offices for making us wait this long for Badass: The Game. This way is just safer. %Gallery-64705%
Dead to Rights: Retribution dated April 13 in NA, April 16 in Europe
Along with yesterday's news of ninja dog pre-orders and a snazzy "noir style" graphics filter, Dead to Rights: Retribution has been given a release date of April 13 and April 16th for North America and Europe (respectively). That means you've got just under three months to start preparing for the reboot to the Dead to Rights series -- and three-ish months to prepare for some hard choices. In case you'd forgotten, April is the month that brings us the much delayed Splinter Cell: Conviction, Capcom's Super Street Fighter IV and Monster Hunter Tri, as well as Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption. And yes, again, this is the busiest Q1 ever. Good luck! %Gallery-45220%
The Digital Continuum: Delay? You can't handle the delay!
Rumor: a story or statement in general circulation without confirmation or certainty as to facts. Example: Star Wars: The Old Republic will be released in October, 2010. Yeah, guys, that was never in the wings. The fact of the matter is that the game was never delayed. You need at minimum a projected release date before something can be delayed. I personally find it pretty ridiculous that some people are worried about hype dying down for a game which they themselves thrust a false release date upon because they're so hyped up for it.
Sam Fisher off his leash and in this new Splinter Cell trailer
"Understand this: The Sam Fisher you knew is dead." Spolier alert! Nah, he's very much alive (albeit starring in a game that's delayed yet again), and this latest trailer for Splinter Cell: Conviction features one Victor Coste, private military contractor and veritable encyclopedia on all things that make a (now) former Third Echelon agent go ker-azy. And man, can he lay it on. "He's off the leash and going for answers," Coste says, in an extremely serious tone. We think the first question Fisher's going to ask this guy when he catches him is, "Just how many times have you watched The Bourne Identity, anyway?"
Splinter Cell: Conviction merely looks 'brilliant,' delayed to make it 'awesome'
Ubisoft has apparently delayed Splinter Cell: Conviction for "a bit more polish," the publisher told Eurogamer. Although the common wisdom is that the delay occurred due to the unnaturally packed Q1 of triple-A goodness, a representative for Ubisoft stated, "The game looks brilliant, but we want it to be awesome." Play this post off, Keyboard Cat Sam Fisher.
Splinter Cell Conviction delayed to April; RUSE to '2010-11'
In a financial performance update chock full of thrilling tidbits, like "revised financial predictions" and "sales targets," Ubisoft today announced the unfortunate news that Splinter Cell: Conviction would be bumped back from February 23 to "April 2010" and RUSE even further; to the ambiguous fiscal year "2010-11" (April 1, 2010 – March 31, 2011). No reason was given for either delay -- which is at least the second for just this version of Conviction (the original iteration was due out in November ... of 2007!).
Splinter Cell: Conviction also gets split-screen co-op
While we were flipping through the Facebook this morning, looking for pictures of Bobby Jones with that tramp Kelly Sue Eakins, we couldn't help but notice that our best buds on Ubisoft's Splinter Cell account had put up a sweet new pic. The snap captures our pals helping out some Russian friends with their makeovers (aren't they the nicest guys?), though we can't make any sense of the inexplicable caption below the image that reads, "Co-op mode split screen confirmed!" What does that have to do with makeovers, guys? Come on! [Thanks, SpyderTaco] %Gallery-80549%
Greenberg: Crackdown 2 coming first half of 2010
On Major Nelson's weekly podcast -- with a host left laughing and teary-eyed due to the Xbox head's dental-related lisp -- Aaron Greenberg did some NPD boasting before ruminating on the first half of 2010. After pointing out Mass Effect 2, Splinter Cell Conviction, and Alan Wake, he confirmed Crackdown 2 as part of Microsoft's list of "triple-A, exclusive" titles heading to the Xbox 360 during "the first half of the year." "Those are just the exclusives, that doesn't include Final Fantasy ... there's no way we had a first half of the year like that last year," Greenberg added. The back end of the upcoming year is no slouch either in his eyes, with Halo Reach and Fable 3 said to be on schedule for launch in the Fall. Considering the first Crackdown's February release date, we're hoping for a similarly timed release of the sequel (just in time for its third birthday!). We've followed up with Greenberg and will update this post if we hear more. %Gallery-78857%
Hands-on: Splinter Cell: Conviction co-op multiplayer
The chatter surrounding the multiplayer aspect of Splinter Cell: Conviction began late last month, culminating in yesterday's release of the co-op teaser trailer on Xbox Live. Well, I can one-up the trailer. I've actually played the mode. Everything you may have heard is true: The main co-op mode (either online or local / split-screen play, with a human partner or A.I.) is a prequel to the events of the game and doesn't star series staple Sam Fisher. Instead, the estimated 5- to 6-hour campaign focuses on two wetworks operatives -- one American, one Russian -- who must work together to recover stolen nuclear warheads before they're sold on the black market. The game will also feature co-op play in what are being called "deniable ops" -- more conventional intrusion missions and the like -- as well as a player-vs-player-vs-CPU "duel" mode. What I played was part of the the prequel campaign: an admittedly brief but eye-opening mission set in Moscow's fortified metro system. You can watch a walkthrough video of the section I played above. Read on after the break for my thoughts. %Gallery-80549%
New Splinter Cell Conviction trailer reveals co-op campaign
A new trailer for Splinter Cell Conviction has landed on Xbox Live, giving us the first official reveal of the rumored co-op mode. The game will feature an entire co-op campaign, which will serve as a prequel to the single-player story of Sam Fisher taking on his old organization, Third Echelon. The co-op campaign stars two special agents, an American Third Echelon agent named Archer and a Russian Voron agent named Kestrel. From what we can glean from the trailer, the two agents are paired up to stop a "rogue element within the Russian military" who has acquired "advanced warheads" to sell on the black market. They do this by sneaking, killing hapless guards and blowing things up. In short, it looks like a lot of fun. Download the trailer yourself -- using the handy link below -- and expect some fresh impressions of the game right here on Joystiq very, very soon. Shortcut: Add the Splinter Cell Conviction co-op trailer to your 360 download queue [Via Xbox.com]
Splinter Cell: Conviction Collector's Edition revealed for the rest of the world [update]
Click with conviction to see larger images Paying more for a fancier version of Splinter Cell: Conviction is no longer an exclusively North American privilege. Ubisoft just announced a Collector's Edition of the stealth sequel for "all" European, Middle Eastern, Asian, and Pacific territories -- and it comes with different stuff than the North American version! The rest of the world's Collector's Edition will include the usual steel-book case and soundtrack, and also the distinguished-looking Sam Fisher statue seen above, frozen forever in the act of almost stepping on his night vision goggles. The pack also includes in-game bonuses like an Infiltration Mode, a special "Shadow Armor" skin, and "early access" to the SC300, SR2 and MP5 weapons. Head into our gallery to see images of both the Xbox 360 and PC sets. Update: See the new weapons and the other bonuses in a video after the break. %Gallery-80273%
