Splinter Cell
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Splinter Cell: Extinction fan film gets three greenlights
Indie film studio Companion Pictures recently released a teaser trailer for its upcoming miniseries, based on Tom Clancy's super sneaky game franchise, titled Splinter Cell: Extinction. Check out the scattershot, dialogue-free teaser posted after the break!
Steam discounts NightSky, Tom Clancy games
If you're looking to spend your long weekend in a quiet, relaxing way, you could do worse than to check out NightSky, the meditative rolling-ball platformer by Knytt creator Nifflas. And now's a good day for it, because Steam has reduced the price to five bucks through 1PM tomorrow. If you're in the mood for less tranquility and more Tom Clancity, the ongoing Ubisoft sale continues today, with 66% discounts on pretty much every Tom Clancy game ever, including various Splinter Cells, Ghost Recons, Rainbow Sixes, and HAWX ... es.
Ubisoft Motion Pictures making Assassin's Creed, Ghost Recon, Splinter Cell flicks
Perhaps all that "playing" of your favorite Ubisoft games was getting tiresome? The French game publisher's film arm, Ubisoft Motion Pictures, told Variety this week that it's working to adapt three of Ubisoft's biggest properties -- Assassin's Creed, Splinter Cell and Ghost Recon -- into "3D features," confirming speculative plans that appeared in a consumer survey last month. UMP head Jean-Julien Baronnet explained that his division "has been working with the games' producers and Ubisoft's marketing team to identify the DNA of each game and come up with storylines that are consistent." He also noted that the group's plans have garnered plenty of interest "from US studios and screenwriters." Further, senior VP of international marketing and distribution Jean de Rivieres promises a script for at least one of the projects "by the end of the year." He and two other UMP execs will be taking a trip to Los Angeles next month in order to broker deals with studios and agents, Rivieres added. In addition to the trio of feature projects, the studio is reportedly developing a 3D, CGI animated series based on the Rabbids property and named after the Raving Rabbids game series. It's said to comprise 78 episodes, at seven minutes apiece, and negotiations are apparently underway to distribute the series in France and the US. [Pictured: Assassin's Creed Lineage (2009 web series) set]
Ubisoft founds motion picture division, vows to keep Jake Gyllenhaal working
Quick show of hands: how many of you like playing video games? And how many of you would like to watch movies based on video games you've played? No doubt slightly more sophisticated market research went into Ubisoft Motion Pictures, the game maker's unique approach to adapting games like Assassin's Creed and Splinter Cell for film and TV, meaning we'll finally see movies about assassins. Last year's Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time film grossed $335 million worldwide, surely thanks to Jake Gyllenhaal's smoldering yet boyish intensity, and the French game publisher clearly wants a bigger slice of Hollywood pie -- it also recently bought visual effects studio Hybride Technologies. You might as well get in line now for Battle Tag: The Movie.
Splinter Cell and Prince of Persia HD trilogies coming March 22 on PS3 Blu-ray disc
Despite being a franchise that's all about sneaking, it comes as no surprise that the first three Splinter Cell games are getting HD facelifts for PS3 -- after all, the Prince of Persia trilogy already has (on PSN, at least). Ubisoft has announced today that both "remastered" series will hit retail on Blu-ray disc March 22 for $40 apiece. Splinter Cell Classic Trilogy HD will include the original Splinter Cell, Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow and Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, all three offering 3D modes for compatible televisions. The Prince of Persia Classic Trilogy HD disc contains Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Prince of Persia: Warrior Within and Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones. While the games run at a higher resolution, they're identical to their original releases underneath the HD sheen, meaning any bugs that plagued them are present, too. The Splinter Cell collection will also be released on March 22 on PSN for the same $40 price tag, along with a digital Prince of Persia trilogy "bundle" for the same price. Currently, the three PoP classics are going for $15 a pop as separate downloads on the PlayStation Store.
Splinter Cell Trilogy sneaking onto PS3, in HD (of course)
PS3 owners may not have had a chance to play Splinter Cell Conviction, but in 2011, they'll have too much Sam Fisher to deal with. Ubisoft has confirmed the Splinter Cell Trilogy to IGN and, as previously rumored, it will include HD updates of the original Splinter Cell, Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow and Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory. Although additional details weren't offered, it's likely the Splinter Cell Trilogy will be very similar to Ubisoft's other HD compilation: the Prince of Persia Trilogy. But we wonder, will it have 3D support? Will it be released on Blu-ray or a la carte via the PlayStation Network like PoP HD? We'll let you know if can pry anything else out of Ubisoft.
Prince of Persia, Splinter Cell HD collections listed by UK retail site
High-definition updates of last generation's Splinter Cell and Prince of Persia games have popped up again, this time on a UK retail site. Eurogamer points to listings on Zavvi.com of the two Ubisoft trilogies, bundled on PlayStation 3 for £30 MSRP. Splinter Cell has a late November date attached, while PoP is listed for March 2011. Last month, the two HD collections emerged on Amazon France, both with an early November release date. The PS3 already has the God of War Collection out there, with Sly Cooper and ICO / Shadow of the Colossus bundles on the way. We've contacted Ubisoft for official word on the Splinter Cell and PoP bundle matter, but should that fail we have an asset on standby to extract the information ... through any means necessary.
Ubisoft Toronto aiming to develop five big games at once
Ubisoft Toronto Managing Director Jade Raymond hopes to eventually have five triple-A projects going on at the studio. Speaking with Develop, she reiterated that the site is currently working on two projects, one of them the next Splinter Cell, and that the Toronto studio will eventually have five "major" projects in about ten years, when it beefs its staff roster up to 800. Even with such a massive staff, it sounds unlikely all the development for any one game will take place in Toronto. Raymond expressed that triple-A development currently requires several Ubisoft studios working together, explaining that "once [a] team reaches over 200 people – even if they're in the same studio – you need complex management methods to make sure everything is held together; the feature development, the communication, and everything else." A year since its creation (thanks to hundreds of millions in tax breaks), Ubisoft Toronto is shaping up to be a beast -- whether local newspaper columnists like it or not.
Rumor: Ubisoft releasing Splinter Cell, Prince of Persia trilogies on PS3
According to Amazon France listings spotted by The Sixth Axis, both Splinter Cell and Prince of Persia franchises could be getting the Blu-ray treatment in the coming months. Unfortunately, other than a 39.95 Euro ($54) price tag and a November 2 release date, neither listing provides any real detail on what the trilogies might contain. If Ubisoft is planning to re-release these games as compilations, it's possible that they might feature updated graphics, much like last year's God of War Collection. With a Sly Cooper collection on the way -- and rumors of a Team Ico Collection refusing to go away -- we'd hardly be surprised to see third-party publishers giving their own classics another spin.
Best Buy to slash prices for old Xbox 360 special edition bundles tomorrow? (Update: yes)
Let's face it: despite the new Xbox 360 being joyously quieter and more efficient, the previous model still manages to seduce some of us with its sexy curves. Speaking of which -- according to Joystiq's source, Best Buy's going to kick off August by lowering the prices for the Splinter Cell: Conviction and Final Fantasy XIII previous-gen Xbox 360 bundles. For just $299 -- $50 off the current price point (and $100 off the launch price) -- you still get a copy of the corresponding game title, a 250GB HDD, and two wireless controllers. So that's gaming sorted for the summer; now put that $50 towards some cooling aid and you're good to go. Update: and the new prices are live. Grab them while they're hot.
Splinter Cell: Conviction CE on sale for $35 on UBIShop
The "official" Ubisoft online store, UBIShop, is featuring the Collector's Edition of Splinter Cell: Conviction on sale for 50 percent off. That means Mr. Fisher's face-breaking-(via urinal)-adventure can infiltrate your Xbox 360 for $35 -- for an unspecified limited time. The Collector's Edition is bundled with (that possibly defective) USB drive packed with downloadable assets, art book, decals, comic book and other random doohickeys. We're following up with Ubisoft to find up when it'll put two in the back of this sale's skull. %Gallery-64705% [Thanks, Ali Mir]
Splinter Cell: Conviction now on iPhone
Is it no longer enough for you to be sneaky in Splinter Cell: Conviction? Would you also like the ability to be sneaky about playing it? Gameloft has just released an iPhone version of the stealth action game, so you could be playing Splinter Cell all day, with the people around you thinking you're just texting a lot. Conviction on iPhone attempts to bring essentially the same visual style and gameplay to the handheld platform, with a similar third-person perspective, cover, and even Sam's mark-and-execute abilities. According to TouchArcade's review, problems with controls and AI keep it from quite achieving that goal -- you can see the guard AI in (in)action in the trailer after the break. Splinter Cell: Conviction ($9.99):
Splinter Cell: Conviction 'Insurgency' DLC now available
Have you been denying yourself time with Splinter Cell: Conviction's multiplayer Deniable Ops because what came on the disc was getting a little stale? Good news: Ubisoft is happy to spice up your life as a super agent with four new maps and added Achievements totaling 250 Gamerscore points. The DLC will set you back 800 ($10), which is far less than you'd spend to actually travel to the pack's San Francisco, Portland (ME, not OR), Salt Lake City and New Orleans settings -- or on an attorney to explain why you killed all those people in cold blood. Xbox.com: Add the SC: Conviction Insurgency DLC to your Xbox 360 download queue
Ubisoft's Toronto studio making next Splinter Cell and another 'triple-A' game
The new Toronto branch of Ubisoft has been operating quietly, going largely unnoticed for almost a year since its initial announcement. It sounds like the perfect group to develop a new Splinter Cell game. Ubisoft announced that the new Toronto studio will produce the next game in the series, and will work on a second, unannounced title with Ubisoft Montreal. Splinter Cell: Conviction producer Alexandre Parizeau has joined the Toronto team for this new Splinter Cell project. Managing director Jade Raymond told Gamasutra that many Montreal staffers -- "all the core team," as she described it -- relocated to the new Toronto studio. She said that, because of significant investments from both Ubisoft and the Ontario government, Ubisoft Toronto can start right away on large-scale games. "It's a really nice position to be in," Raymond said. "Instead of starting a studio and working on small projects, Nintendo DS or portables, we're starting out of the gate with triple-A only." The second game in Toronto's slate involves a small team coordinating with Montreal, led by A2M alum Lesley Phord-Toy. She told Gamasutra that the second team "gives us the chance to focus not only on bringing the right people in at the beginning, but putting them in the right place either to train or for training. When we look to grow this second team into a full team, we'll have the core team."
Splinter Cell: Conviction 'Insurgency Pack' coming May 27 for $10
Ubisoft took the first Splinter Cell: Conviction paid DLC, dubbed the "Insurgency Pack," out of hiding this morning, sticking it with a May 27 release date and a $10 (800) price tag for Xbox 360 and PC. Aside from 250 new Gamerscore points for you 'Cheevo seekers, the content includes four new maps playable across all of the Deniable Ops game modes. The DLC announcement says that the Insurgency Pack will span four unique new settings: "from the docks of San Francisco to a New Orleans cemetery, a prison in Portland to a hidden research complex in Salt Lake City." Presumably, this paid content won't disturb Ubisoft's plans to release free weekly content. Right, Ubi? %Gallery-93163%
Snag the Splinter Cell Xbox 360 Elite bundle for $325
We know how it is. You've had your eyes on the Splinter Cell Conviction Xbox 360 Elite bundle for weeks now. "I want it!," you say, "But it's so expensive." You're in luck, because it looks like Sam Fisher did some 'negotiating' with Dell and got the company to knock a full $75 off the price, making it a cool $324.99. It's worth noting that Dell seems to have the bundle details incorrect. The bundle includes two wireless controllers, not one, and a 250GB hard drive as opposed to a 120GB model. It also does not include an HDMI cable, an accessory Microsoft stopped bundling with Elites some time ago. If $325 is still a bit too steep, you can also grab the Xbox 360 Elite Spring bundle, which includes Halo 3: ODST, Forza Motorsport 3, one wireless controller and a 120GB hard drive for just $269 ($30 off the usual price). Act now and you'll still have time to get in on the Halo: Reach beta. Lest you haven't heard, it has jetpacks. [Via Destructoid]
Ubisoft launches UBIShop online store (no relation to Bishop's Univ.)
Not satisfied with offering its games through a variety of retail options worldwide, Ubisoft today launched UBIShop (pronounced "you-be-shop"), a direct-to-consumer avenue that offers boxed and digital copies of the French publisher's games. (The online store would appear to be unaffiliated with closely-named ubishops.ca, the web home of Bishop's University in Quebec, Canada.) To jump-start the store's launch, Ubisoft is offering the "Elite Echelon bundle," a collection of the original Splinter Cell, Chaos Theory, Double Agent and Conviction, for $76 on PC, along with a whole mess of PC titles as part of a buy one, get one free (old game) deal. Currently, however, the prices for some of Ubi's newer PC titles are well above comparable retailer prices. In the press announcement for UBIShop, the publisher described the destination as "an online meeting point for Ubisoft fans around the world." After our initial visit, we're not convinced there's much more here than another, potentially more expensive place to purchase Ubisoft games. That said, Beyond Good & Evil is free with purchase of several games -- not a bad freebie, Ubi.
Splinter Cell, Far Cry 2 designer Clint Hocking leaves Ubisoft
[Image Source] Clint Hocking, longtime creative director at Ubisoft on the Splinter Cell games and lead designer on FarCry 2, has announced on his blog that he has resigned from Ubisoft. The separation appears to be genial -- Hocking waxes a little poetic about his nearly-a-decade with the company, and then goes on to say that he has found the courage to "bid farewell to those tragically comforting habits" and move forward to "walk on hot coals and sleep on a bed of nails." We'll assume he's speaking metaphorically there, and guess that Hocking is moving off to start his own company. Still, as Hocking points out, it's a big move away from the company where he started out, originally hired after "fiddling around more or less constantly ... with the Unreal Level Editor" and having "sent in a resume on a lark" to a job posting. Hocking started work on the first Splinter Cell, and says he's "been very lucky to say the least" in his career so far. We'll let you know when we hear what he's up to next. [Via IdleThumbs]
This week's free Splinter Cell DLC is the FAMAS G2
It's Thursday, meaning your Splinter Cell: Conviction gun cabinet has magically produced a new something. Last week it was the Proximity Mine, and today it's the FAMAS G2, a new assault rifle designed to engage far-off targets (that you're too lazy to sneak up and around on). If you're behind on the "Project Trend Buck" initiative (read: free weekly Splinter Cell DLC), you'll need to head to the game's "Extras" menu to get the new items. Have fun shooting dudes in the face!
Two more Tom Clancy games in the works at Ubisoft
In a recent interview with Dutch gaming news site Control Online (that is to say, the site itself is Dutch -- it doesn't exclusively cover the booming Dutch video game industry), Ubisoft's Tom Clancy brand manager Michel Verheijdt explained "at this moment I'm working on two Tom Clancy games which have just gone in development." He remained tight lipped about the identities of the two franchises, warning that if he exposes any more info, he'll "have to send Sam Fisher after you." Fortunately, Joystiq was able to get the scoop on these two games, and you'll never believe what they are. For the first time in ... hold on a second. Someone's at the door. Hello? Who are you, and -- hey, why are you grabbing our neck? This doesn't seem very safe, begoggled, gruff-voiced stranger. [Via Eurogamer]
