Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 
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The original Ghost Recon and DLC for its sequels are free to keepOct 5, 2021 - PC GamerTo celebrate the 20th anniversary of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon, Ubisoft is giving away the original game, as well as DLC for a couple of its sequels—the Fallen Ghosts add-on for 2017's Ghost Recon Wildlands, and Deep State Adventure for 2019's Ghost Recon Breakpoint. All three are available until October 11 on Ubisoft Connect, and instructions for how to get them are on the giveaway page... Read more.Classic Ghost Recon, plus Wildlands and Breakpoint DLC, is free-to-keepOct 5, 2021 - PCGamesNThere's a new Ghost Recon on the way, and Ubisoft is keeping the promotional machine rolling with something for aficionados of free PC games - which, let's be honest, is all of us. You can grab some classic Ghost Recon for free from the Ubisoft Store, and a bit of DLC for Ghost Recon Breakpoint and Wildlands is also available gratis from a variety of platforms. You can grab the original Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon from the Ubisoft Store for free from now until October 11. While the promotion is only available for a limited time, once you've claimed it, it'll remain in your Ubisoft Connect library forever, just as with any game you'd purchase with actual money. If you're looking for something more modern, the Ghost Recon Wildlands Fallen Ghosts DLC is also available for free across Steam, Ubisoft Connect, and the Epic Games Store. (Plus Stadia and the consoles, too.) And if that's not enough, you can also grab the Sam Fisher crossover in the Ghost Recon Breakpoint Deep State DLC from the in-game store. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: A mod for the original Ghost Recon is finally done, 15 years later One man has spent 15 years making a hyper-realistic Ghost Recon mod - and you can play it now EA and Ubisoft enter legal tussle for 'Ghost' trademark Ghost Recon Frontline is a free-to-play class-based battle royale FPSOct 5, 2021 - PC GamerGhost Recon Frontline, revealed today during a livestream marking Ghost Recon's 20th anniversary, is a free-to-play PvP shooter that supports up to 100 players in team-based combat across a large, open battleground. That's right—it's a battle royale game, although its main mode has an extraction twist in the vein of Hunt: Showdown... Read more.The title of the next Ghost Recon game may have leakedMay 8, 2019 - PC GamerIt looks like my wildly speculative theory that the upcoming reveal of a new Ghost Recon game will actually lead us to a new Splinter Cell is in trouble. The unveiling is set to take place tomorrow, but a leak captured by redditor jrmywl30 has revealed—unofficially—that it will in fact be called spoilers. No, it won't be called spoilers, but potential spoilers follow, so consider yourself warned. The leaked image shows the "Wolves Collector's Edition" of Ghost Recon Breakpoint, a direct sequel to Ghost Recon Wildlands. The CE will apparently include a large figurine of someone who wouldn't be out of place in a near-future Assassin's Creed game. But that, according to further leaks, is not where Breakpoint is headed. Instead, the game will reportedly be set on the fictional island of Aurora—too many hassles dealing with real-world locales, maybe—and the chief villain will be none other than Cole D. Walker, the Ghost team leader and Jon Bernthal lookalike who came to Wildlands in the new Operation Oracle expansion. That's an interesting twist, and not outside the realm of possibility. The teaser for the expansion suggests that Walker is something of a loose cannon, describing him as having "his own agenda" and warning that players "will uncover information that will redefine loyalty … What you will discover here might very well set the scene for the future." In hindsight, the bit with Walker removing his dog tags and dropping them into an ammo box seems a lot more meaningful, too. The leak, if accurate, doesn't complete ruin my Splinter Cell theory. It's possible that Walker isn't really bad, he's just more of a "lone wolf" type (and the wolf motif is certainly present in the collector's edition image), and all of this is actually just the in-between step from Ghost to Fourth Echelon—kind of like those superhero crossovers where everyone's a good guy but they have to fight before they figure out that they're all on the same side. But all of this is entirely unconfirmed, obviously, and will remain that way until 11:30 am PT/2:30 pm ET tomorrow. Ubisoft teases Ghost Recon 'world premiere' coming later this weekMay 6, 2019 - PC GamerUbisoft has confirmed that there's something new cooking in the world of Ghost Recon, and whatever it is will be revealed later this week. A rumor that began a few months ago picked up steam last week on the "official" Skell Technology website, in a promotion for an event called "Skellcon" that's scheduled to begin at 11:30 am PT/2:30 pm ET on May 9. Ubisoft nailed that down to something slightly more specific (but still very vague) earlier today on Twitter. The Skelltech website is "official" because Skell Technology doesn't actually exist: It's a tech company in the Tom Clancy game setting that makes a lot of the high-tech weapons and gear used by Ghost Recon, Fourth Echelon, and Rainbow. It also figures prominently in the new Ghost Recon Wildlands expansion Operation Oracle, in which a guy who really looks (and, I guess, sounds) like Jon Bernthal hooks up with the Ghost Recon team to recover a Skell engineer who's been captured by the Bolivian special operations unit Unidad. Ubisoft hasn't offered any hints about what's coming in this big world premiere, nor, annoyingly, has it officially confirmed anywhere I've seen that this guy who is obviously Jon Bernthal is actually Jon Bernthal. So here's my baseless (but still pretty good, I think) working theory: The Ghost Recon angle is a bit of a misdirect, and the reveal will actually see Cole D. Walker—the maybe-Bernthal from Operation Oracle—transition from Ghost Team leader to (hold on to your hats) Splinter Cell. Rumors of a new Splinter Cell are thin but persistent, and Bernthal's turn as The Punisher demonstrates that he'd be great in the role, if perhaps a bit noisier than his would-be predecessor. And as much as I hate to say it, Michael Ironside is not getting any younger. Replacing Ironside as Sam Fisher is clearly a dead end, but replacing Fisher entirely with a man of gravelly voice and violent impulses absolutely could. So that's my bit of wild speculation for the day. We'll find out on May 9, which is just a few days away. After 16 years of work, 'hardcore realism' mod Ghost Recon: Heroes Unleashed is finally finishedApr 17, 2018 - PC GamerHeroes Unleashed is a mod for the original Ghost Recon that promises to turn it into "the most hardcore military shooter simulation ever made." Developer Apex Mods began working on it in 2002 and now, in 2018, version 1.0 is finally ready to go. I haven't played the mod myself, so I can't comment on how successful it is in achieving its goals. But Apex Mods certainly sounds committed to the job. "The direction the series took after original Ghost Recon just saddens me, and that goes for all sequels, including the latest," he said in a Mod DB interview. "What had started out as the epitome of a deeply engrossing gaming experience in realistic squad-based infantry combat, has turned into a shallow slugfest of superficial Hollywood action and eye candy, all for the sake of mass market appeal, all to satisfy casual gamers with the attention span of a fruit fly." It's interesting to hear someone refer to Ghost Recon fans as "casual," and Apex Mods acknowledged that Heroes Unleashed can be "frustratingly difficult" at times. But that's also the source of the entertainment, as "unfettered realism paired with deliberate tactical gameplay" leads to a degree of immersion that, in their view, simply cannot be achieved through less-demanding simulations. That commitment to fidelity is also why it took 16 years to make the thing. The weapon simulation alone "took years worth of work hours and countless iterations," and takes into account weights, dimensions, ballistics tables, and other data for every weapon in the game. And despite the 1.0 milestone, there's apparently still more to come, as Apex Mods has "enough on my worksheet for another two decades." "Ghost Recon has a loyal die-hard following keeping it alive. Among tactical realism and MilSim fans the game enjoys cult status, and many consider it to be the best tactical shooter ever devised. You can always find active servers online, and there are still regular events like tournaments scheduled, although it's naturally a far cry from Ghost Recon's prime, when it dominated competitive online gaming," they said. "Of course, I hope that Ghost Recon: Heroes Unleashed will help grow the community of true tactical shooter fans, but the tough challenge of unforgiving realism obviously isn't for everyone." Ghost Recon Phantoms is closing its doorsAug 26, 2016 - PC GamerGhost Recon Phantoms, the free-to-play online shooter that debuted in 2012 as Ghost Recon Online, is closing for good on December 1. The decision was made following a slow but steady decline in users over the past couple of years that left its average concurrent player count for the last 30 days at just a little over 800. After more than four years of battles, fights, deaths and a lot of fun, we have made the difficult decision to close Ghost Recon Phantoms. It s a tough day for our studio and indeed the team, some of whom have been working on this project since its inception some 7 years ago, Ubisoft wrote in the closure announcement. GR Phantoms has been a tremendous undertaking and we really relished the opportunity to bring to you a different take on the GR franchise. We are proud of what we have achieved but of course, a game like this would be nothing without its community. We d like to sincerely thank you for your support, enthusiasm, patience and above all, your loyalty. For the hours played, the fun in your company, the never ending deaths at Balaklava Sub-Pen, the fights to control Tomsk-9, the sounds of shotguns and the fear of the P90 SD WAR, we are grateful. The message doesn't mention why the plug is being pulled, but Ubisoft said in the shutdown FAQ that Ghost Recon Phantoms was not as successful as we had hoped for. A game always has different factors that influence its success, internally as well as externally. We can't pinpoint one or more reasons that easily, it says. In the end the game reached the last cycle of its development. As for a possible follow-up, Ubisoft said that Phantoms has been developed as far as we could take it, and a sequel or successor of any sort is unlikely to happen. Ghost Recon Phantoms, and the in-game shop, will remain online until December 1, but Ghost Coins will no longer be available for purchase. There will also be no refunds offered on leftover virtual currency, or conversion of that currency to a different game, so if you've got it, you might as well spend it. EA withdraws "Ghost" trademark filingFeb 29, 2016 - PC GamerElectronic Arts has given up on its attempt to trademark the word ghost, which caused something of an uproar when it came to light in January. EA wanted to trademark the word for its Ghost Games studio, the maker of the new Need for Speed game, while Ubisoft, publisher of the Ghost Recon games, not so spookily opposed the move. But in a filing dated February 24, EA formally withdrew the application, without prejudice, with Opposer's consent. As NeoGAF points out, the withdrawal filing only applies to serial number 86568854, for Computer game software; Downloadable computer game software via a global computer network and wireless devices; Video game software. A second application, under serial number 86568852, for Entertainment services, namely, providing an on-line computer game; Provision of information relating to electronic computer games provided via the Internet, remains in place but will presumably be withdrawn soon as well. No specific reasons for the withdrawal of the application were given, but an EA rep indicated that the matter has been concluded to everyone's satisfaction. "We now have an agreement with Ubisoft to carry on with our respective trademarks," he said. "Nothing will change with respect to our use of the Ghost Games studio name." Electronic Arts files for "Ghost" trademark, but Ubisoft says noFeb 1, 2016 - PC GamerUbisoft and Electronic Arts appear to be caught up in a low-level but interesting beef over a trademark filing for the word ghost. Back in March 2015, EA applied to trademark the term for its Ghost Games studio, currently working on Need for Speed, relating to entertainment services, namely, providing an on-line computer game provision of information relating to electronic computer games provided via the Internet." Ubisoft, naturally, is against the idea. Ubisoft first published opposition to the trademark application in August 2015, but the legal action was only filed on January 29. In it, Ubi's lawyers point out that the publisher has been using the Ghost Recon mark since November 13, 2001, long before Applicant filed the Applications on March 18, 2015 and long before Applicant's November 19, 2013 claimed date of first use. Furthermore, the goods and services covered by the trademark—the providing an on-line computer game and so forth—are identical and highly related to the goods and services offered by Opposers in connection with the Ghost Recon marks. Applicant's Mark so resembles Opposer's Ghost Recon marks alleged herein as to be likely, when used in connection with the goods and services identified in the Applications, to cause confusion, to cause mistake, or to deceive, the opposition filing states. Consumers are likely to believe, mistakenly, that the goods and services Applicant offers under Applicant's Mark are provided, sponsored, endorsed, or approved by Opposers, or are in some way affiliated, connected, or associated with Opposers, all to the detriment of Opposers. This is actually the second bit of trademark trouble EA has run into recently; in January is came to light that it had abandoned a trademark filing for the upcoming puzzle platformer Unravel, because of a conflict with a children's tabletop game called Beary's Unravel Games. Despite not being granted that trademark, EA said Unravel's title will not change, and I suspect that Ghost Games will remain so named regardless of how this all works out. EA has until March 9 to file its answer to the opposition. Thanks, NeoGAF. Tom Clancy s Humble Tom Clancy Bundle Is GoodSep 2, 2015 - Rock, Paper, ShotgunHumble Bundles normally pass me by these days, but this week’s Humble Tom Clancy Bundle, is worth a second look. For whatever fee you fancy you can get Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six, Rainbow Six 3, Rainbow Six Vegas, Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, Ghost Recon and access to the multiplayer beta for Rainbow Six Siege. Pay over the average of $8.09 ( 5.29) however and you also get Rainbow Six Vegas 2, Splinter Cell, and Splinter Cell Conviction. Less Patriot Games, more Pay-What-You-Want Games, eh? Eh? … Ubisoft Publisher Weekend - Day 1 - Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Franchise 75% off!May 17, 2012 - AnnouncementThe Ubisoft Publisher Weekend begins today with 33% off the Ubisoft Catalog*! Additionally, each day will bring a new Daily Deal with even deeper discounts! Today only, save 75% off the Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Franchise*! Plus, this weekend only, Pre-Purchase the Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier™ Deluxe Edition for the Standard Edition price. Pre-Purchase also includes Ghost Recon Future Soldier inspired items to use in Team Fortress 2! Be sure to check back each day, now through Sunday, for more great deals! *Discount does not apply to the Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier™ Pre-Purchase. Ghost Recon: Future Soldier console beta announcedApr 5, 2012 - EurogamerA multiplayer beta for forthcoming tactical shooter Ghost Recon: Future Soldier runs from 19th April until 2nd May on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, publisher Ubisoft has announced. The trial will let up to 12 players choose from three classes - rifleman, engineer or scout - and access two different game modes. Conflict sees players battling it out to complete various objectives around the game map, while Saboteur asks you to locate a bomb and then detonate it at your opponent's HQ. Both modes are playable on two maps: Pipeline and Mill. Conflict will be available from 19th April, while Saboteur unlocks on 26th April. Anyone who owns an Xbox 360 copy of Splinter Cell: Conviction gets access to the beta. If that's not you, you'll need to pre-order Future Soldier for a key. Publisher Ubisoft has also announced Ghost Recon Network, a companion service that lets you tracks stats and connect with other player via smartphone, tablet or a web browser. The app will let you customise weapon load-outs on the go, access your player performance details, challenge friends, check up on their progress, manage your squad and unlock various in-game extras. See the screens below for a closer look. It will launch in tandem with the game on 25th May, though anyone in on the beta will get early access to a few of its features. The PC version of the game follows a few weeks later on 15th June. Ghost Recon: Future Soldier PC release date announcedApr 3, 2012 - EurogamerThe PC version of forthcoming tactical shooter Ghost Recon: Future Soldier launches on 15th June, publisher Ubisoft has announced. It's optimised for DirectX 11, features an online widget for improved multiplayer and party functionality, and boasts fully customisable keyboard controls. As for DRM, you'll need to log on to the internet for a one-time uPlay product registration when you first boot the game up. No connection is needed thereafter unless you're after online multiplayer. Finally, Ubisoft has also released the game's system requirements: Minimum hardware requirements: * Supported Operating Systems: Windows XP (with Service Pack 3)/Windows Vista (with Service Pack 2)/ Windows 7 (with Service pack 1), both 32 bit & 64 bit versions
; * Processor: Intel Pentium D 3.0 Ghz or AMD Athlon64 X2 4400+ 2.2Ghz
RAM: 1GB Windows XP / 2GB Windows Vista or Windows 7
; * Video card: 256 MB DirectX-compliant, Shader 4.0-enabled video card; * DirectX: DirectX 9.0c
; * DVD-ROM drive: DVD-ROM speed 4x, dual-layer drive; * Sound card: DirectX 9.0c - compliant sound card
; * HDD space: 25 GB; Recommended configuration: * CPU: Intel Core2 Quad Q9450/ AMD Phenom II X4 940 or higher
; * RAM: 2 GB Windows XP / 3 GB Windows Vista & 7
; * Graphics Card: 1024 MB DirectX-compliant, Shader 4.0-enabled video card based on nVidia GeForce GTX 460 or AMD/ATi HD 5850 or better; The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions arrive three weeks earlier on 25th May. For more on the game, see Eurogamer's recent Ghost Recon: Future Soldier preview. Ubisoft, Ghost Recon Online and gamers' "day parts"Apr 2, 2012 - EurogamerOnce upon a time gaming required a single disc, or cartridge, or, going back further, a cassette tape, and a gamer. Now, the biggest game companies in the world are dreaming up ways for you to play their biggest franchises wherever you are, on whatever device you might have to hand. These disparate experiences, on a mobile, on a PC, on a home console, are different, but they connect to each other, fuelling each other and the progress you make in one, all encompassing, resource gathering profile. One of the companies at the forefront of this sea change in the way we play games is Ubisoft, which, with the upcoming release of Ghost Recon Online on the PC (and, later this year, on Wii U), hopes to tap into the modern way we play on a much deeper level. To coincide with the launch of the free to play shooter, Ubisoft will release a companion experience, as it calls it, called Ghost Recon Commander, on Facebook and mobile. This game connects and contributes to the core Ghost Recon Online experience. This, Ubisoft's digital boss Chris Early tells Eurogamer, is the latest fruit of the French company's analysis of core gamer "day parts" - that is, how and when they game throughout the day. Ubisoft's "experiement", as Early puts it, with this was Assassin's Creed Brotherhood companion Facebook game Project Legacy, which let players unlock items in the console game. "The Project Legacy is an example of how you can, only at lunch, but whatever, play a Facebook game that's going to give you some benefits to your gameplay in the evening," Early explains. Face it, at lunch I'm not going to sit down in front of my console at that big screen TV, nor am I necessarily going to want to sit on my phone at night. "Face it, at lunch I'm not going to sit down in front of my console at that big screen TV, nor am I necessarily going to want to sit on my phone at night. It's about creating compelling experiences for the platform." More and more publishers are investing in providing an experience across multiple platforms so gamers can stay engaged in universes and brands throughout the day, and the emphasis is on social. One high profile recent example was EA's Mass Effect 3-related app Mass Effect Data Pad. Not only did this contain codex entries and a feed of the BioWare Twitter page, but it allowed you to gather resources by deploying ships to conflict zones across the galaxy. These resources would then contribute to your Galactic Readiness in the main game. But it was a two-way street: characters in the main game would send you text messages, commenting on the story and the decisions you made as Commander Shepard on console or PC. This was a single-player experience. For Ubisoft, the future of gaming is having all your friends involved in your game, working together, whether they're core gamers or not, to fuel your progress. This is what Early hopes Ghost Recon Commander will achieve. "One of the concepts we're looking at with Ghost Recon Online and Ghost Recon Command...GRAW lead turns to Kickstarter to fund hardcore tactical shooterMar 5, 2012 - EurogamerGhost Recon Advanced Warfighter and Halo: Reach lead designer Christian Allen has taken to Kickstarter to fund his resurrection of old-school, hardcore tactical shooters. He's after $200,000, and he's got until 1st April to make it. So far he's had 151 backers who've pledged a combined $7448. "For years, fans of tactical shooters have been crying out for someone to make a quality, hardcore, close-quarters combat tactical shooter," wrote Allen on his Kickstarter page. Christian Allen with, appropriately, guns. "But in contrast to these requests, game publishers eschew realism and tactics in exchange for ease of use and 'cinematic' flavour. " don't care about a blockbuster cinematic experience; they can already get that from COD or Uncharted. They want a focused, challenging experience that leaves them satisfied in conquering it." Christian Allen, founder, Serellan "This campaign aims to see if my theory that real tactical shooters aren't dead, and that enough people want one to justify the cost of development." Allen has started a new company called Serellan, and formed a small, experienced team. "We are focusing our initial development on a hardcore CQB tactical shooter," he shared. "This game will get back to the core of what is loved about the tac-shooter, featuring realistic weapon modelling, outfitting and commanding your squad, objective-based, non-linear missions set in real-world locations around the world, single player, co-op, and multiplayer. The funding will help Allen prove to investors that the appetite for such a game exists. "My approach is to look to the fans and what they have been asking about for so many years," Allen explained in a separate interview with Hookshot Inc. "They don't care about a blockbuster cinematic experience; they can already get that from COD or Uncharted. They want a focused, challenging experience that leaves them satisfied in conquering it. Here's a whole basket of Pledge. "Pitching that to a publisher, though, is like pitching a new flight sim. They think the genre is dead, like point and click adventure games supposedly are - Double Fine showed them the error of their ways." "This game will get back to the core of what is loved about the tac-shooter, featuring realistic weapon modelling, outfitting and commanding your squad, objective-based, non-linear missions set in real-world locations around the world, single player, co-op, and multiplayer." Christian Allen Tim Schafer's Double Fine studio received overwhelming Kickstarter support for an old school point and click adventure project. Double Fine sought $400,000, but has received - with eight days to go - a staggering $2.4 million from 69,507 backers. Christian Allen and Serellan will reward Kickstarter funders in different ways. There are three tiers of involvement: Silver, Gold and Platinum. Pledging $50 or more gets you into the Silver tier, where you'll be able to vote game content. Pledging $100 or more gets you into the Gold tier, allowing you t...Assassin's Creed 3, Splinter Cell: Retribution coming this year?Feb 14, 2012 - EurogamerUPDATE: Ubisoft's unverified list of 2012 release dates is "inaccurate", the publisher has told Eurogamer. "We're thrilled and kind of amused to see this line-up news," a Ubisoft statement handed to Eurogamer begins. "It shows that players are anxious to hear about Ubisoft's upcoming releases. This reported line-up is inaccurate. We guarantee you that you'll hear directly from us soon about the amazing variety of games Ubisoft has slated for fiscal year 2012-13." ORIGINAL STORY: Ubisoft will release Assassin's Creed 3 and Splinter Cell: Retribution this year, according to an unverified release schedule posted by Gameranx. Eurogamer has been trying to contact Ubisoft all morning, but has been unable to verify the document with the publisher. But it sounds about right. Ubisoft has teased that 2012 will bring a "major" new game in the Assassin's Creed franchise. Eurogamer since discovered that this game will conclude the story of protagonist Desmond Miles before the series' doomsday date arrives in real life. That doomsday date is 2012, so we'll need the concluding instalment this year. PC, PlayStation 3, Wii U and Xbox 360 versions of Assassin's Creed 3 are apparently on the way. Nintendo mentioned an Assassin's Creed Wii U game when the console was unveiled at E3 last summer. This is the first time we've heard the name Splinter Cell: Retribution, but we knew a new Splinter Cell game was in development at Ubisoft Toronto, and has been for several years. That project's being lead by ex-Assassin's Creed frontwoman, Jade Raymond. Retribution's down to appear on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. A Prince of Persia game for Wii and 3DS is also mentioned. Could it be a new game, or is it the downloadable Prince of Persia port that was released for WiiWare and the 3DS Virtual Console last month? A game called Just Dance Final Party is listed for Wii, PlayStation Move and Xbox 360 as well. And what a dramatic name - do we take this to mean Final Party will be the last Just Dance game from Ubisoft? We doubt it. We've reproduced the full (and as yet unconfirmed) Ubisoft slate below. Curiously, there's no mention of Rayman Origins, which is scheduled to launch on PlayStation Vita next week. * Brothers in Arms: Furious 4 (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows); * Far Cry 3 (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows); * I Am Alive (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360); * Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Microsoft Windows); * Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Online (Microsoft Windows, Wii U); * Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Retribution (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows); * Prince of Persia (Wii, 3DS); * Assassin's Creed 3 (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U, Microsoft Windows); * Just Dance Final Party (Wii, Xbox 360, Playstation Move); Ghost Recon Preview: Rebuilding the Future SoldierJan 30, 2012 - EurogamerGhost Recon: Future Soldier ain't quite what it used to be. When it first broke cover - and when we last took a serious look at it - Ubisoft's tactical shooter series had evolved into something far removed from the games of old, having become an action-heavy third-person shooter starring a soldier who was, in Ubisoft's own words, "an F-16 on legs". It had turned into Gears of Recon, and it proved an unpopular shift in direction for a series once known for its tactical smarts. "We'd just finished Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2, but that was just an iteration of the first Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter," creative director Jean-Marc Geffroy says of Future Soldier's first pass. "The team wanted to renew the game - they wanted to stay faithful, but they wanted to renew as well. And sometimes, when you're like that maybe you go too far in one direction." Remember the over-powered exoskeleton, the class system and the player tethering discussed at the game's reveal? Forget about it - all of it - as today's version of Future Soldier is a world away from the one first shown in 2010. "The team was thinking about changing the game, and at the same moment we were working with consultants," says Geffroy on the decision to switch tracks with Future Soldier. "It was interesting - at this time, we needed another view from someone who could tell us that maybe it's a great game, but from a military perspective, it's just s**t. "It was at this moment where we thought that we're too sci-fi - we had some good input from Special Forces who told us what really is their job. It was the right moment to change. We didn't change the engine, we didn't change a lot of stuff - but we changed the design, the visuals and the mission system." Welcome to the gun show First highlighted at Microsoft's E3 conference last year, Gunsmith is where Future Soldier lets you craft the game's tools. It's an incredibly detailed and comprehensive customisation tool that allows you to swap out various elements, from the sights to the barrel and beyond, with each piece coming with its own stats. Finding the right gun should prove a compelling exercise in alchemy, and it's a feature on all versions of Future Soldier. The Xbox 360 gets Kinect functionality that adds a tactile element, and while it's perfectly serviceable, it's hard not to see it as any more than a briefly diverting novelty. It's one hell of an about-turn, although it's an about-turn that's hardly alien to Ubisoft, nor to Tom Clancy's extended family of games. I Am Alive recently shifted from a sci-fi survival horror to a taut downloadable action game, swapping studios in the process, while Splinter Cell: Conviction famously debuted with a hobo Sam Fisher and an elaborate combat system that were both never to be seen again. Future Soldier's been taken down a similar path, and in its roundabout journey in the last six years it's ended somewhere near to where the series left off. Having flirted with gung-ho heroics, it's now ret...Ghost Recon: Future Soldier delayed until MayJan 10, 2012 - EurogamerGhost Recon: Future Soldier, the latest entry in Ubisoft's tactical shooter series has been delayed until 24th May. The game had originally been announced for a March release on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, though the development team has decided it needs a little more time. "We're pretty much there. We just want to take that extra couple of months to make sure your experience is perfect," explained the game's development director Adrien Lacey via a YouTube announcement today. Lacey also seized the moment to confirm that a PC version of the game is in the works - despite word to the contrary late last year - and a multiplayer beta will go live on consoles prior to launch. For more on the follow up to 2007's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2 take a look at the trailer below. Ubisoft confirms Vita launch line-upJan 5, 2012 - EurogamerRayman Origins, Lumines, Michael Jackson: The Experience, Asphalt and Dungeon Hunter Alliance will all be available from the Vita's 22nd February launch, publisher Ubisoft has announced. A new release schedule sent out today includes one other Vita game - an undefined Assassin's Creed title marked for "calendar 2012". Elsewhere on the publisher's revised slate, the 3DS version of Rayman Origins is down for 16th March, while PC and console versions of Ghost Recon: Future Soldier arrive some time the same month. Oh, and something called Funky Barn blesses the 3DS with its presence in June. I Am Alive director explains controversial PC piracy commentsNov 25, 2011 - EurogamerStanislas Mettra, the I Am Alive creative director who made controversial remarks about PC gaming this week, has attempted to retract/explain/downplay his outburst. What Stanislas Mettra originally said: PC gamers were "bitching" about I Am Alive not being on PC. He then questioned whether PC gamers really wanted I Am Alive on PC, or were just "making noise" because they felt hard done by. Mettra went on to say a PC port, which may take a team of 12 people three months to make, was "not worth it" if only 50,000 people bought it. In a subsequent email to IncGamers, Mettra wrote how he would "really love" to see I Am Alive on PC, and that his comment 'the game won't happen on PC' was "probably and English language miscommunication" (English isn't his native tongue). "What I meant," Mettra explained, "is that the PC version did not happen yet. But we are still working to see the feasibility of it, which is not necessarily simple. I gave some examples to illustrate the problematic , but obviously it is not in my hands and not my part to talk about this. "Honestly, which game maker would not love his game to be playable on as many platforms and by as many people as possible?" Stanislas Mettra, creative director, I Am Alive "Honestly, which game maker would not love his game to be playable on as many platforms and by as many people as possible?" Mettra ended his email with a word about "the pleasure" of the game mattering more than the platforms it was on. Mettra's original comments were unlikely to have gone down well with I Am Alive publisher Ubisoft, for which PC gaming has become a sensitive subject. Late PC conversions of multi-platform games and intrusive DRM have dogged the publisher's desktop reputation. And yesterday we discovered that Ghost Recon: Future Soldier won't be released on PC - free-to-play adaptation Ghost Recon Online will be the equivalent offering. The unwritten supposition of Mettra's comments and the Ghost Recon Online news is that Ubisoft no longer wants to develop multiplatform games for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.
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