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Amazon: Buy one, get one on Ubisoft DRM-free PC downloads
Got five bucks? Want a couple of kinda-old Ubisoft PC games? Well, if you fall within that very niche category of people, a current promotion over at Amazon may be relevant to your needs.Assassin's Creed, a few Splinter Cells and Far Cry 2 are just a few of the titles you can nab for half a sawbuck -- without that pesky Ubisoft DRM. And, as astute headline reader types will tell you, if you buy one, you'll get one free of charge. The sale ends Saturday.
Ico/Shadow of the Colossus heading to PSN next week; Crysis 2 and Tom Clancy classics too
This week's PlayStation Blogcast revealed that Ico and Shadow of the Colossus will be available next Tuesday, January 17, through the PlayStation Network. Regularly priced $40 at retail as a bundle, the two games will be $20 apiece on the PSN. Other retail games being added to the PSN next week include Crysis 2 for $40, along with Tom Clancy titles Rainbow Six Vegas and Splinter Cell: Double Agent for $20 each. If the idea of touching discs has held you back from Ico or Shadow of the Colossus, now's the time to check out these artistic milestones.
GRAW and Splinter Cell: Double Agent infiltrate Games on Demand
Grab your night-vision goggles and strap on your Kevlar, Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter and Splinter Cell: Double Agent have been added to Xbox Live's Games on Demand service. While GRAW is available in nearly all Xbox Live regions, Splinter Cell: Double Agent is only available to (most) European Xbox Live users. Prices vary by region, but we're confident in saying that no matter where you live, the asking price is probably too high for games that launched in 2006.
Steam has Assassin's Creed, Splinter Cell, Double Agent 50% off until June 5
Steam is ready to let you sneak up and take a few of Ubisoft's stealth-action titles at very reasonable prices. Until June 5, Assassin's Creed is only $10, while the exploits of Sam Fisher in Splinter Cell and Double Agent are a mere $5.If those prices are too high, remember that Steam also has Unreal Tournament III to play this weekend for free. So frag away for gratis in multiplayer, or take the quiet killing of single player. The choice is yours.
Splinter Cell: Double Agent gets lady spy, new maps on 360
Splinter Cell fans took it on the chin yesterday, finding out that the next iteration of the series, Conviction, wasn't due out until early 2008. It's sad, really. They're just sitting around now, sweating in their stealth wet suits, with their goggles down so we can't see the tears. Now it's time to perk up, guys and (specifically) gals, as new, free content for Splinter Cell: Double Agent has just been dropped on Xbox Live. It was talked about in February, but is finally here, just in time for nigh irrelevance. You can pick up two new multiplayer maps ("Kinshasa" and "Secret base"), but the real draw here is lady spy, who (as the blade description proudly touts) comes with three outfits. Who says women's liberation is over?
Splinter Cell 'spy girl' a Double Agent, on PS3 & 360
Ubisoft has clarified that the Splinter Cell: Double Agent 'spy girl' multiplayer skin will be available for both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game. The skin will be included in the PS3 release (scheduled for March), along with a pair of new multiplayer maps and additional co-op challenges. Xbox 360 players will be able to download the skin through an upcoming Xbox Live Marketplace offer. Ubisoft has yet to confirm the new maps and co-op challenges for Xbox 360, or publicize whether or not the spy girl skin (and any additional content) will be free to download. Given that Microsoft has already invested so much in the franchise, securing a console-exclusive deal for the next Splinter Cell game, our guess is that any new Double Agent content featured in the PS3 version will be eventually offered on Xbox 360 -- for a price. [Via Eurogamer]
Splinter Cell Double Agent getting the females
Fans and community members of the Splinter Cell series have been worried for a while about the upcoming content for Splinter Cell Double Agent. There has been a nasty rumor floating around that only the PS3 version of the game will include female multiplayer skins. Bummer right? But fret not, because that evil rumor has been debunked! On the Ubisoft forums Rhoulette, Ubisoft community manager, confirmed that the new female skins will indeed be available on the Xbox 360 version too. It'll come in the form of downloadable content, but they'll be available none the less. So stop worrying about the female skins and get back to playing, you know, the reason you bought the game.[Thanks, j10jep2]
Double Agent still PS3-bound
Don't fret PlayStation 3 faithful, Ubisoft has not forgotten you. After releasing versions for GameCube, PC, PlayStation 2, Xbox, Xbox 360, and Wii, the Splinter Cell developer has turned its attention to the PS3 release of Double Agent, due ... sometime in March. The delay is not without consolation, as Ubisoft will tack in some Sixaxis wiggle n' shake action. New maps and skins will also be added to multiplayer.
Splinter Cell: DA sneakily patched
What's with all the patches today? Another patch arrives today, this time for sneak master extraordinaire, Splinter Cell: Double Agent. The patch fixes several online bugs, including connection issues, lobby issues, and a few lag problems as well. There are a few other random fixes in there regarding scores and whatnot, too. We intimated before that we haven't had a chance to fire up Tom Clancy's latest, but we're going to go out on a limb and assume these fixes will be welcomed by Fisher fans.Anyone gotten the patch yet? Are the problems really history?[Thanks, Mark]
Double Agent single player sneaks to XBLM
For those of you who missed Splinter Cell: Double Agent -- or simply haven't had the time -- a single player demo is now available* on Xbox Live Marketplace (it looks like a College Hoops 2K7 demo is up as well).. I am loth to admit that I am one of those who have not played Double Agent at all. I think I had Enchanted Arms on my rental queue at the time (oh, if I had only known!). Still, if you haven't had a chance to play, or if you're just the kind of person who needs a demo to make purchasing decisions, now is your chance. The demo clocks in at about half a gig, so find something else to play while you're downloading. Here's a suggestion: just watch the Halo 3 ad over and over again until the download completes.*As usual, we are informed that this content will be available for Silver members in about a week.
Double Agent patch is hiding
According to the official Splinter Cell: Double Agent website, a patch for the game was released yesterday, but we're receiving reports that it is not yet available. The patch was set to fix multiple issues with the game, including lag issues, connection issues, and a few miscellaneous issues. We aren't familiar with these issues (I still haven't played the game) but we can only assume the fixes would be welcome. In fact, reading through the fix list makes it look like there are quite a few problems with the lobby system.Has anyone spotted the update yet, or is it still MIA?[Thanks, Bountyhunterinc]
Splinter Cell: Dynamic Advertising Agent
Concerned reader and avid Splinter Cell fan, Carlos Birdsong, shares some interesting info about Double Agent."I was playing SCDA with some friends as a Merc and I saw a spy run under a truck that had a Comcast ad on it. I was out of grenades and told one of my teammates to toss a grenade under the comcast truck, only he didn't see it. Why? He saw what was by default a Hong Kong truck instead of the Comcast truck.While I think in game ads are cool when in context, I saw some Comcast signage as well, but this dynamic ad rendering can affect gameplay--subtle but interesting side effect."Dynamic ad placement in games is starting to become commonplace, and situations like this could be an unfortunate byproduct. Have any of you experienced similar problems? Do you think dynamic ads should be removed from multiplayer games where positioning is important, or at least made so every player sees the same thing?[Image via Mega64]
How to get Double Agent for $48
After doing the post about the Assassin's Creed collector's edition, we couldn't help but notice this little tidbit. It looks like Play-Asia is offering the region free version of Splinter Cell: Double Agent for a measly $44.90. Add $3.10 shipping and you've got your own copy for $48. That's $12 dollars of the retail price. Not bad at all. We've done a story or two on region free Xbox 360 games in the past. For the uninitiated, 360 games released in Asia are often region free. Not only that, but they are usually completely identical to their English counterparts, right down to the manual. We haven't confirmed whether or not this is the case with Splinter Cell, but it's a fairly safe bet. Did anybody here get their copy from Play-Asia? For future reference, Play-Asia maintains a list of its region free 360 games. You might want to bookmark it if you enjoy saving money.
What are you playing: sneaky edition
It's time once again for that all important question, what are you playing? This week marks the release of Splinter Cell: Double Agent so, we imagine quite a few of you will be spending your weekend snapping necks and being all sneaky-like. Me, I've still got to wrap up Dead Rising, Lego Star Wars II is staring me in the face, and I have yet to crack into Enchanted Arms. And let's not forget that the Phantasy Star beta is still running. Oh, and that the Project 8 demo should hit today -- still not out as of this posting. On the Live Arcade front, there's Lumines and 3 more episodes of DOOM to clear up (on Ultra Violent difficulty, of course).Put simply, there's just too damned much to play. How 'bout you? What will you be playing this weekend?
Metareview: Double Agent
Reviews for Splinter Cell: Double Agent are pouring in. The consensus, more of the same, but that's not a bad thing. Most reviews point to the subtle refinements of the series. So far, the streamlined multiplayer seems to be the most controversial aspect of the game. Most critics tend to think it's a step in the right direction, but all of them know that the hardcore SC fans won't like the changes. IGN 90% - "Double Agent digs down into the very role of duality by giving gamers hard choices to make. Whether that means confronting the option of nuking innocents on a cruise ship or betraying Fisher's associates with a gunshot to the head, it's now possible." 1UP 80% - "... the co-op missions are just gussied-up versus matches, and because the versus game doesn't have any variations in objectives (spies simply hack at computer terminals to retrieve files to return to the starting base) or modes, multiplayer may start to wear out more quickly than in previous editions. Gamespot 85% - "Sam Fisher is the star of the Splinter Cell series, so it's odd that the multiplayer portions of these games, which he's in no way a part of, seem to be evolving much more rapidly than the solo campaigns. Double Agent's few keen twists on Splinter Cell's single-player gameplay don't result in a remarkably different experience from the previous games, though that doesn't mean it still isn't some of the best stealth action out there." As of right now, the game has an average of 87% on Metacritic. Not bad. Has anyone picked it up yet?
Splinter Cell: Double Agent gets a close shave
Eternally five-o'clock-shadowed Sam Fisher is getting some in-game advertising in Splinter Cell: Double Agent, courtesy of Nivea and Philips Norelco, but we're unsure if this means he'll be shaving in the game. Apparently Sam comes across some Nivea and Norelco products as he sneaks through an in-game hotel bathroom. At least this explains why Ubisoft was giving out packets of shaving cream at this year's PAX. They missed the boat with this one. We know that he's in prison with a bald head in this game, so why didn't they feature Nivea shaving cream giving Sam a buzz? After all, part of the advertising tie-in for the game has bottles of aftershave shaped like hand grenades with the message "Balms Away" printed on them. You just can't make this stuff up, folks. While it seems odd to feature shaving ads in a game where the main character shaves probably every other Tuesday, it could have been worse. At least Sam won't be pushing Quaker Oats or Depends. But if Ubisoft keeps churning these sequels out, he may need 'em. All of the ads in the game point to a microsite created for this promotional tie-in. Register and win some Splinter Cell: Double Agent schwag, maybe even your own hand grenade aftershave. [Image credit: Planet of the Geeks]
Michael Ironside talks Sam Fisher
Michael Ironside, perennial badass, talks about his work as the voice of Sam Fisher in these two short videos. He also chimes in on his opinion of gamers in general. His impression: some of the most informed people around. Aw, shucks Michael, you're making us blush. Double Agent is getting closer every day. Anybody excited yet? Check out both videos after the break.
Tons of new X06 Marketplace content
Following today's press briefing, there is now a boatload of new trailers on Marketplace. They are, in no particular order:Assassin's CreedBlue DragonLost OdysseyHalo WarsViva PiñataCall of Duty 3Marvel UniverseBanjo-KazooiePGR4Splinter Cell: Double AgentBioshockFIFA 07All this and a bag of DOOM. We have to wonder, though: what the hell will we get next? They've got two more days to fill after all. Any predictions?
Splinter Cell infiltrates Wii launch lineup
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.]
Splinter Cell: Double Agent delayed till October
It's only one month on top of the original September release date, but the news of Sam Fisher's latest adventure in dark duplicity being delayed until the spookiest month of the year is not entirely welcome. Splinter Cell: Double Agent promises to take the series into new territory, allowing players to infiltrate the ranks of the enemy and experience the other side of global terror and insidious espionage. This dramatic addition to gameplay is characterized by the following exciting features (taken from the fake press release): Intricate pendulum level design: As a guard, you'll be expected to patrol a set area, walking back and forth between point A and point B (at higher difficulty levels, a more challenging point C may be added). This path will be made very clear to the player, with potential exits blocked off by debris, locked doors, raging fires or piles of dead guards. Dynamic AI conversations: In an effort to create the illusion of intelligence in your fellow evil minions, non-player characters have been designed to frequently respond to your actions and engage in banter entirely unrelated to work. An extensive dialogue tree enables you to choose a response for any situation, be it relaxed ("Good morning."), congratulatory ("Good work.") or alarming ("Good lord, someone's shooting at us.") Positional sound muffling: In order to be truly successful as a guard, distractions cannot be tolerated. Thanks to an advanced positional audio algorithm, the game aids the player in correctly categorizing the sounds of gunfire, explosions, bloodcurdling screams, shattering windows and crashing helicopters as the unremarkable, nocturnal machinations of rats. Oblivious (TM) lighting engine: The next generation of HDR lighting better simulates the vision of an actual guard. All fluorescent lights appear to be flickering, darkness is entirely impenetrable and brightly lit christmas trees that strangle you from behind are entirely invisible. Note: This feature is only available in the Xbox 360, PC, PS2, Gamecube, PS3 and Xbox versions of Double Agent. [Thanks Stephen!]
