Splinter Cell
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South Korea loosens game censorship
Game censorship is a big news item in the past few months. Political types of all walks of life enjoy trying to stifle the medium by passing laws that don't hold up in court in the US and even get through without much of a hitch in Europe. On the other side of the world, one nation is going the opposite direction. South Korea, which recently proposed an anti-gold farming bill, has pulled censorship on games depicting military action against their northern neighbor. Under the ban, any game that was negative toward North Korea was not permitted for sale in the South, citing they would only inflame the existing tension. However, wiser South Korean lawmakers finally realized video games have little impact on the real world, cut the rule and games like Ghost Recon 2 can now be sold. Lawmakers from the West take note; South Korea has the right idea. When they're sitting right next to an unstable tin-pot dictator and decide that games aren't going to cause a mass invasion, we should start reassessing this whole "games make people violent" kick. Our only hope is wiser people end up in leadership positions who actually try to solve problems instead of deflecting the responsibility on an unrelated party.
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.
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]
Wii gets the comic treatment
Oh snap! A Wii-centric comic? And apparently all about the, ah, immersive aspects of the console. Raise your hand if you think this may be you in a few weeks?As a side note, in no way do we encourage anyone to actually stab, choke, prod or cut family members or friends with any portion of the Nintendo Wii. Dude, you might get blood on it. Not at all cool. It stains.[Thanks, Nikolai!]
Xbox Live Demo roundup
There's been a lot of new demos out on Xbox Live Marketplace lately, some good, some bad. Some of them might end up saving you $60, since the demo could be craptacular, but you could also find yourself desperate for the full version. That's the whole mystery of the marketplace. Roll the dice and see what you think.Eragon: (415.28MB) This game is only going to appeal to fans of the book and the upcoming film. The graphics are not what you'd call "pretty," and it feels as if the game was tossed together over a drunken weekend using old code found on a floppy disk in a dumpster outside of Electronic Arts. It plays like Lord of the Rings meets Knights of the Old Republic. You have a sword, a bow, Jedi-like magic powers, and face an onslaught of identical foes. You can call in a dragon for air support every now and then, almost like having a special Dragon-whistle. *TWEET* "Hey! Take out that SUV in front of me! Thanks, girl!" Now that would come in handy.Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent: (702.31MB) No surprises here. It's the same old Splinter Cell that you've come to love or hate. Ubisoft could just start calling these games Splinter Cell: The Sequel and you'd get the drift -- although this one has some big changes to the multiplayer, new plot, still fun ... if you're into that sort of thing. Fire it up and and see what you think of the latest installment. Then go try out the next one down and see which one knocks your socks off. Double Agent is the biggest download of the group, so get one of the smaller ones first and let this load in the background while you get some game on.Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas: (477.57MB) Can they make the titles to these games any longer, please? Soon it'll be crossover time and you'll have Tom Clancy's Rainbow Cell Splinter Six of the Old Republic Theft Auto to deal with. This is the second smallest download, barely ahead of Eragon, but it really manages to put the money where the megabytes are. This demo alone makes us want to pony up the money for the real things. Plus come on, Vegas, baby, Vegas.F.E.A.R.: (542.72MB) And then there was F.E.A.R -- an explosive ballet of destruction, clone commandos and kicking evil little girls in the head. In slow-mo. What more can you ask for in a free demo? What demos have you been checking out? We wanna hear about it.
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?
Nivea and Sam Fisher want you to shave that beard!
Nivea has snuck its way into Sam Fisher's heart. The two have teamed up to bring you in-game advertisements! What better way to escape your everyday dreary and tedious world than to get pelted with ads for real companies while breaking someone's neck in a bathroom? Ubisoft's Splinter Cell: Double Agent will offer a fine array of Nivea and Philips Norelco products set along bathroom sinks in hotel rooms. There are also billboards specifically designed to talk to you, the gamer, not you, the Sam Fisher, saying such game-related teasings as "The 'Good Guy' almost never has a beard," and "There are many faces of evil. Don't let yours be one of them."If you want your ads to be subtle, use real ads. Ads in the real world. Don't make ads that are trying to talk about the game that's being played. That's like a movie stopping suddenly and listening for the audience to laugh, or if something unrealistic happens in a movie, a character cleverly snaps out the one-liner "Only in the movies!" Please. Game advertisements may be lucrative, but they're still lame. As much as the phrase itself irks us, we're tempted to say "sell-out", but it's becoming all too common in the "Realistic Gaming" world. Sam Fisher... you can be pretty stealthy, but you're not too good at dodging corporate advertisement offers. Hmm... it sounded a tad bit better in my mind.
Splinter Cell: To 1080p or not to p
Has the 1080p console era arrived sooner than expected, courtesy of Ubisoft? The above pic is screen cap from a debug copy of Splinter Cell: Double Agent for the Xbox 360 showing support for "true HD" (to use Sony's patronizing marketing terminology). GamePro says they received confirmation from Ubisoft that the retail version will indeed support 1080p. Elsewhere, 1up says their contact told them "No, it's 1080i" but admits things are pretty hectic at Ubi right now, so who knows? All acknowledge that 1080p support is useless without the necessary update Microsoft, expected some time in the near future (although GamePro theorizes that it could be included on the Double Agent disc). Even then, without an HDMI solution from MS, the much-hyped resolution would be possible only via the rare 1080p HDTV (Sharp?) that supports 1920x1080 via VGA input. Meanwhile, back in standard-def-trying-in-vain-to-read-that -Dead-Rising-text land, the po' folk are snickering because their snooty 720p neighbors now have to go out and buy a new TV if they want to remain on the bleeding edge of the 360 community.How many lucky bastards already have a 1080p HDTV and are just dying to put it to use? How many don't think they'll get a 1080p set for years?Correction: As several readers have pointed out, only 1080p movies using the HD-DVD drive require HDMI. Games will work over both HDMI or VGA.[Thanks Luke]
360 Splinter Cell: Double Agent at 1080p? Ubisoft: yup [update 1]
[Update: Looks like the pissing contest ain't over, folks. GamePro circled back around and contacted that yay-saying Ubisoft repper who "apologized for the confusion, noting that the game currently supports only 1080i." Whoops! The GamePro pros are still trying to figure out why 1080p was enabled on their debug units. Just the software upscaler maybe?]The Good Ship Microsoft has come about a full 180 degrees over the whole 1080p issue. First they laughed at it and called it impossible, then they embraced it and, and now Ubisoft's Splinter Cell: Double Agent will be the first game to run in 1080p on the Xbox 360.1080p support has been the most contentious point between the two consoles, with Sony constantly waving their banner "True HD" and touting 1080p as something that only their console will have. They've fired more shots back and forth about what 1080p actually means, harking back to Clinton saying, "It depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is" during the whole Lewinsky affair.If the whole sordid world of HD gives you a headache while you sort it out, it gets more complicated. Shane Kim told us that while the software patch could upscale all content to resolutions as high as 1080p, Microsoft Game Studios themselves had no plans to produce gaming content taking advantage of this ability. He was similarly convinced that very few other developers would see the value in producing 1080p games, with the singular exception of Sony's first-party studios, eager to validate the value of the capability. We're not sure if Double Agent is being rendered in 1080p natively or if it's taking advantage of the Xbox 360's upcoming upscaling ability. We've asked Ubisoft for clarification, since our drinking buddy Sam Fisher has stopped returning our calls.[Thanks, Jdaman]
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]
Be Called to Duty on Nov. 10th
Call of Duty fans mark your calendars, Call of Duty 3 has been dated. CVG lists the 360 version for November 10th, well before any other version (the PS3 version is set for March 07). Curiously absent from Activision's announcement is the date for the Xbox version. CVG speculates that this could mean the Xbox version has been canceled. It seems doubtful, but COD2 is the 360's first million seller. Maybe Activision and Mircrosoft are hoping COD3 will drive sales of the 360. Regardless, 360 owners will be the first to play. We can't help but note that it's going to be impossible to sample all the 360 goodness this holiday. Gears of War, Phantasy Star, Splinter Cell, Viva Piñata, R6 Vegas, the list just keeps going. Who's planning on squeezing Call of Duty 3 in there?[Via Evil Avatar]
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.
Ubisoft takes a leak, reveals new titles
The NeoGAF forums exploded when an archive of assets from Ubisoft was stolen and leaked. The game of most significance for PSP owners has to be FarCry, a first person shooter that's been seen on the PC, Xbox and Xbox 360 (with a Wii version coming).Other games featured in the leak included a new Splinter Cell (before Double Agent even makes it into stores!) and Ubisoft's upcoming Naruto game.[Thanks, steve!]
Splinter Cell coming to the Wii
As if Ubisoft hadn't done enough already, they've added yet another game to the "launch window" release. Splinter Cell: Double Agent is currently being developed by Ubisoft's Montreal studios for a quick release on the Wii. Let's use our psychic powers to predict the future, shall we? There will be no online component for the Wii version. The programmers have utilized the Wiimote to create a special, unique control scheme. Some missions will remain exclusive to the Xbox 360 version of the game. Sam Fisher will star in some government-oriented espionage action. (goes to look) Oh my stars, look at that, we're precognizant. On the less skeptical side of things, this looks to be one of the better-looking Wii titles, and Splinter Cell doesn't often disappoint, so chalk this up as another minor victory for the fledgling console.[via Joystiq]
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.]
Who's afraid of the Darkness?
Xboxic goes hands-on with The Darkness and seem impressed. They also got their mitts on Splinter Cell: Double Agent, I although I found their take on the latter game a little dismissive. Sure, it's "just another Splinter Cell game," (with plenty of next-gen polish) but since when is that a bad thing?
Splinter Cell: Double Agent delayed until October
Need some extra time to glue mag-lites on your Sam Fisher Halloween costume? Ubisoft has pushed back Splinter Cell: Double Agent until October 20. Delays always suck, but in this case we'll assume it's for the best. Presumably, the extra spit and polish is going towards the the game's multiplayer, which is already looking pretty tight according to this hands-on.
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!]
