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Posted Jan 23, 2008 at 10:13PM by Ryan C. Listed in: PlayStation 3 Tags: Ubisoft, Sony, UK, Tom Clancy, Sam Fisher
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Ubisoft - Image 1Want to play Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction (Xbox 360, PC) on the Sony PlayStation 3? Then you might want to sit down and breathe deep breaths, because Ubisoft has just confirmed that there will not be a PS3 version of Sam Fisher's latest adventure. Check out the statement itself in the full article.

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Posted Jul 31, 2007 at 06:44PM by Nicolo S. Listed in: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Games for Windows Tags: Ubisoft, Ubisoft Montreal, Sam Fisher, Jade Raymond
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Jade Raymond - Image 1Assassin's Creed (Xbox 360, PS3, PC) is not exactly a sneaky title. With so much hype, you'd wonder how Altair will ever do some discreet killing when thousands of gamers have their eyes set on the bird of prey. Website Riottt seeks to shed more light on the title, as they sat down with producer Jade Raymond to talk about what's hot with Ubisoft Montreal's latest offering (aside from Jade).

Fans of Prince of Persia or anyone familiar with the series would notice that Altair's acrobatic feats don't stray too far from the prince. This isn't a mere coincidence, "the guys who made that happen are now on our team, and you can see that they’re trying to take it to the next level" said Jade.

Based on what we know so far, Assassin's Creed is an entire package that shows what gaming has become, both as entertainment and art medium. "There’s a book called 'Alamut,' and it’s about the assassins. That book was a big influence. Obviously, Ridley Scott’s 'Kingdom Of Heaven,' but also 'Black Hawk Down' in the way it was shot and the art direction, that had a big influence on the look. "

The game takes cues from other smash hits like GTA to create the ultimate mix of sandbox, platforming, stealth, and action genres. Following the trend of open-ended environments, the team "watched [free running] videos to death to get that feeling."

Splinter Cell gave Sam Fisher a new look which resembles Altair a lot. Jade doesn't see this negatively, however, saying "it’s like that argument over who invented noodles, the Chinese or the Italians, and maybe you could argue about it forever, but maybe noodles are just a good idea."

To know more about Jade Assassin's Creed as discussed by Jade, click on Full Article below!

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Posted Jul 24, 2007 at 01:52PM by Ryan C. Listed in: Xbox 360, Games for Windows Tags: Ubisoft, Sam Fisher
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Splinter Cell: Conviction - Image 1 


Bad news for Splinter Cell: Conviction (Xbox 360, PC) fans looking to get their hands on a copy of Sam Fisher's latest adventure this holiday season - the game's release date has unfortunately been pushed back to January or March of next year.

This development started to become apparent after the game failed to make an appearance at today's E3. So what could be the reason for the delay? No actual information about that yet, but at the very least, it's not that long a wait - only a few months after the game's previous November release date.

A guess as to just what caused the delay, though, could be the fact that many highly-anticipated titles are also making their debut around the same time, so it's a smart move coming from Ubisoft. We certainly don't want Sam Fisher getting buried by all the other new releases, don't we?

More updates about Splinter Cell: Conviction, so watch this space.

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Posted Jun 19, 2007 at 04:37PM by Nicolo S. Listed in: Mobile Tags: Solid Snake, Sam Fisher
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Remember: Phones are supposed to be handheld - Image 1Smart guys would do anything to sneak past any tight security. Solid Snake, Sam Fisher, Gabe Logan - you name it. Different tricks are used by stealth masters and fugitives alike. This one prisoner thought of hiding a mobile phone up his bum, but it didn't go just as planned.

This 32-year old Irish burglar, Martin Mahoney, had the phone inside his bowels for days before it broke apart. Only after these painful days did he confess, and was sent for surgery. More than 200 internal stitches and a missing part of his bladder marked the failed attempt.

It's a common thing among thieves to hide phones crucial to their operations in all parts of their body. Someone from behind the rails said, “The method he used to conceal his mobile is the most common among lags, but they might start kicking the habit now."

Martin is now known as Phoney Mahoney among his inmates. May he serve as model to fellow crime doers using tricks that could end up having them on a hospital bed with shattered parts of a mobile phone up their bottom.


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Posted Jun 10, 2007 at 07:11PM by Nicolo S. Listed in: Xbox 360, Games for Windows Tags: Christmas, Ubisoft, NPC, UK, Sam Fisher
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How are we supposed to hide without glowing goggles? - Image 1Splinter Cell has made its name as one of the best stealth-based action games there is. Shadows and dark corners have always been your best friends, but Splinter Cell: Conviction begs to differ. In an interview with UK site Pro-G, Ubisoft senior producer Mathieu Ferland revealed more about the series' major turn.

Gone are the days of hiding. Ferland defined stealth as "the art of going unnoticed," which means mingling with public is fine too. The "social stealth" philosophy will have Sam Fisher out of his cave and trying other tactics. Similar to the Hitman series, doing your actions while in disguise will play a major role. Using distractions will create safer routes to your objectives than just running, hoping not to be seen.

NPC numbers will reach more than 100 at times, so blending in could be a lot easier. Most areas are casual public places, like museums. Fortunately, Fisher won't be wearing glow-in-the-dark goggles.  Another cool feature is how your environment is very interactive. Sam will be able to pick up objects to use as weapons, or roadblocks to flee from enemies.

Controls are simplified to make sure the player won't be overwhelmed. "If I have a table, for example, I can pick it up and make and aggressive action, like hitting someone with it or pushing them away, or make a stealth action and hide under it to use it as a cover, so it is all contextual and that affects the accessibility of control," said Ferland

That's all for now. We'll keep you informed 'til the game reaches the shelves come Christmas for the PC and Xbox 360.

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Posted May 29, 2007 at 09:22PM by Glen D. Listed in: Xbox 360, Games for Windows Tags: Ubisoft, Solid Snake, Sam Fisher
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Splinter Cell image - Image 1When Splinter Cell starring Sam Fisher first came out for the original Xbox, critics touted it as the next big thing that could possibly dethrone Solid Snake and the Metal Gear franchise.

For some time, it seemed to go that way as Sam thrilled stealth fans with ninja-like movement in the dark and assassination-style gameplay. The next three installments, however, didn't quite surpass the first, prompting Ubisoft to re-think the whole concept.

Enter the fifth game of the series- Splinter Cell: Conviction which stars Sam Fisher as usual but with a radically different approach to the action. It was revealed that instead of hiding in the dark with your night vision goggles and picking off targets, Sam has to use blending and distractions using crowds in broad daylight to escape enemies. Oh, did we mention that you're fighting lawmen now?

The controls have also been revamped. Doing your business is now a lot less complicated than before with three buttons taking center stage. Aggression, interact and stealth commands will drive you most of the way, so old fans will have a new learning curve.

This caused quite a stir in the Splinter Cell following's ranks. Supporters questioned why the changes had to happen and a lot of them seems to have been displeased. QJ reader Bob says "they're taking the best part of the game away. Hiding in the dark made me feel like a ninja or something."

Still, Splinter Cell producer Mathieu Ferland holds his ground and explains "to us, it's a nice way to expand the brand because Ubisoft is a nice company and you can push it hard with innovation, especially in Splinter Cell, and sometimes when you want to push innovation you need to adapt your creative direction to fit the kind of gameplay you want to provide."

Ferland says that even if the concept behind Conviction's reinvention doesn't do well "you can always go back and do different things." He adds that having Sam in a new position, or a different character to explore light-and-shadow gameplay are among the possibilities. However, the veteran producer expressed his confidence that the new model will work and add depth to the distinguished franchise.

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Posted May 23, 2007 at 07:41PM by Ceasar S. Listed in: Xbox 360, Games for Windows Tags: Ubisoft, hitman, Tom Clancy, Sam Fisher
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No longer a stealth game, Splinter Cell: Conviction (for the PC and Xbox 360) has ex-Third Echelon agent Sam Fisher dashing through crowds and using his environment to evade detection and capture. In a franchise often defined by the tact, sleekness and precise surgical infiltration possible only with stealth, Conviction steers the game deeper into Sam Fisher's story.

Although latest installment to Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell series had little details as to what would Fisher be doing now, Ubisoft's Mathieu Ferland did state that the game would revolve around Sam Fisher's self-discovery and self-realization. So aside from adding more action instead of more thought into the game, you will also be getting more emotional now.

Ferland also noted that the game was "a big change in the devotion of the brand," which to most fans is practically the understatement of the year. Fans that started out with the first Splinter Cell and have tasted the likes of Eidos' Hitman series may find this game to be particularly lacking in something. Oh yes, we remember now: it lacks Splinter Cell.



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Posted May 20, 2007 at 08:20PM by Ceasar S. Listed in: Xbox 360, Games for Windows Tags: Japan, Ubisoft, Ubisoft Montreal, Tom Clancy, Sam Fisher
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When Ubisoft Montreal revealed the fifth installment to Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell - Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction for the PC and Xbox 360- developers of the game took out the visage of the stealthy, one-man army of an elite counter-espionage cell and fleshed out the man behind the night vision goggles and black-as-night stealth suit.

Now without Third Echelon and without the aid of close friends, Sam Fisher dons a hooded sweatshirt and jeans and uses commotion and crowds to evade detection. No longer blessed with advanced technological gizmos and gadgets, he thwarts enemies and the threat of capture using his immediate environment. In short, he's becoming a lot like the C.I.A.'s Jason Bourne.

Splinter Cell's Sam Fisher is the new Jason Bourne - Image 1


And a lot of the fans are not happy about it. We're talking about the hardcore sneaks and spooks of the days of Metal Gear on the NES and Famicom, and the ones who are still playing Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory over and over...and over again. And who could blame them?

It's great that Ubisoft is tying down a story, past, and personality to the same man who thwarted Displace International and the impending nuclear apocalypse wrought by the hostilities between Japan and North Korea. But should they really do so at the sacrifice of a tried-and-tested gameplay feature? We mean, that's what made Splinter Cell stand out from the rest anyway.

Click Full Article to continue reading about our take on Ubisoft's new direction for Sam Fisher.

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Posted May 15, 2007 at 10:43PM by Glen D. Listed in: Xbox 360, Games for Windows Tags: Microsoft, Ubisoft, Game Informer, Sam Fisher
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Fisher meets clooney - Image 1Game Informer magazine has the scoop on new details regarding Sam Fisher's latest outing in Splinter Cell: Conviction. There will be changes that go far beyond graphics in its new installment. An overhaul in gameplay mechanics and a fresh plot are among the things that gamers can expect.

First off, Canadian developer Ubisoft has confirmed that the game will ship exclusively for the Microsoft Xbox 360 and the PC. The game will still star Sam Fisher, but don't expect him to grope around in the dark again with his night-vision goggles. Sam will be in broad daylight this time as he eludes enemies using crowds and other distractions to remain unseen.

Another development is that Sam will no longer be part of spy network Third Echelon. It's still unclear if he's acting alone now or taking orders from someone else. The only thing certain is that we can expect a lot more action than before. The developers also revealed that the characters in the game and the environment where Sam will thrive will be more interactive. This should quirk up the gameplay and make for more clever escapes and attacks. Splinter Cell: Conviction ships this fall.

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Posted May 02, 2007 at 02:42PM by Ryan A. Listed in: Xbox 360 Tags: Ubisoft, France, Ubisoft Montreal, Tom Clancy, Sam Fisher
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Splinter Cell: Conviction mag scan - Image 1Heads up Splinter Cell fans, as video game magazine Pela Aja has just revealed that Ubisoft Montreal is developing a new game for the franchise - Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction. Pardon us for the lack of other information, as that above mentioned mag is written in Finnish.

Based on the few things that we understood though, Conviction will be released on both the Xbox 360 and the Games for Windows (PC) platform. The story will still involve Sam fisher and this synopsis was provided by the folks from GameSwank.com:

They say that at the beginning of the game Sam learns that Anna Grimsdottir is in danger so Sam joins Third Echelon again in order to help. However, Third Echelon is not what it used to be and in the first mission Sam gets false info and the wrong equipment, while his bosses are bickering amongst themselves about procedures, authority and such. Then Sam finds out that the threat to Anna comes from within the Third Echelon, quits and becomes a fugitive.


Sounds pretty interesting, we should say. However, we wish that Ubisoft will finally make an official announcement about Splinter Cell: Conviction. While waiting for that to come, check out these scans and screenshots first. The latter screens were taken from gaming site Play France.

Splinter Cell: Conviction - Image 1Splinter Cell: Conviction - Image 2Splinter Cell: Conviction - Image 3

See the rest of the pics after the jump!



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