Ubisoft Toronto is only a few years old and is close to releasing its first title Splinter Cell: Blacklist on a range of consoles including the Wii U.
The game will feature a co-op mode, which will be available on all versions, while the GamePad will be utilised for things such as item management, setting targets, changing camera views and steering projectile weapons on Nintendo's system.
In an interview with Gaming Bolt, creative director Maxime Béland said he believed Splinter Cell: Blacklist was a "great fit" for Wii U. The protagonist Sam Fisher uses an OPSAT - that's OPerational SATellite Uplink for the uninitiated - in this iteration and he will use it in the same way players will use the GamePad.
Sam uses his OPSAT to control gadgets like the triorotor, which the player can also do using the gamepad. I’m proud of the fact that our Wii U implementation makes sense in the Splinter Cell universe, it feels like a really natural platform for Splinter Cell Blacklist.
Béland believes the GamePad's use in a franchise like Splinter Cell "makes sense":
Ubisoft Toronto is looking at new technology and seeing in which ways their features make sense to use for our brands ... It’s an extension for what Sam does in the game. It’s [a] great feeling when new technology immerses the player into gameplay in a fun and realistic way.
Jade Raymond is heading up Ubisoft's latest studio and said this adaptation of Splinter Cell will have nostalgic elements that fans both old and new will love.
Splinter Cell: Blacklist will be released in the US and Europe on 20th and 23rd August respectively. Ubisoft is bringing plenty of games to Wii U in the second half of the year, with titles like Watch_Dogs, Rayman Legends and Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag on the way.
What are your thoughts on Splinter Cell: Blacklist? Let us know in the comment section below.
Thanks to Ryan Millar for the tip!
[source gamingbolt.com]
Comments 76
This is going to sell horribly on Wii U
I hope sell well.
I'd get it, but I NEED to spend my money on Pikmin 3!
it will sell well if its as good as it looks im sure ubisoft understand that its early days for the wii u its not even a year old yet.
Not the least bit interested in FPS but glad to see the Gamepad getting some love and usage like this.
I almost bought AC3 today at Target for $19.99 but didn't think the wife would approve as we don't actually own a WiiU yet. She's a stickler.
@rjejr
It's not a 1st person shooter. I'd describe it as a 3rd person Stealth/Action game. I think it's going to be pretty good. Give it a try. AC3 is a horrible mess of a game, i'd get this instead tbh...
all this games at the end of the year!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=svh0PhiNkF4
@rjejr i buy the basic edition, my wife think it was a gift from my tow brothers
I'm getting this game Day One, not only because I'm quite interested in the title but also because I believe in supporting genuine 3rd party efforts, you scratch my back I scratch yours
Splinter cell is a tired franchise , I am honestly suprised it is still around. So I wont be purchasing this.
AC 4 I will get as I still enjoy the series.
Watch Dogs I will be ....watching
I hope this sells well, since the Wii U definitely needs any boost it can get. It's not my kind of game, though, so I'll probably just pass.
Getting this day one.. I want Pikmin and will try to get it on launch but at the end of the day Pikmin is a Nintendo title who won't ditch WiiU, where as Ubisoft are already thinking of turning away from WiiU. Can't blame them, they've been strong supporters of WiiU yet few Wiiu owners are returning thier support.. Really hope things change with the titles Ubisoft are still set to release through the year it will be a shame to see yet another 3rd party dissapear.
@C-Olimar Like everything else, If ZombiU reported the other day can't even make a profit on the system it does not look good for any third party games. Mario U is the only title to sell & Nintendo Land but that came with ever premium console anyway it's not surprising so many third party game companies have jumped ship. Nintendo have only released Wario which has not seen many good reviews & just a load of mini games not a real proper game. Ubi Soft have released more games on the Wii U then Nintendo have sort it out Nintendo I'm losing hope.
I'm getting this, looks freaking awesome.
This looks cool! If it plays well enough, I might get it, even if at that time, I still don't have a WU. I'm currently trying to like the WU, but it's hard when very few places actually have a playable display. I can't really use the Gamepad for much on the Wario demo, since Gamestop tethers the Gamepad with a not-so-long spring cable.
The enthusiasm is appreciated, but I'm totally expecting this to do pretty not good on Wii U. I'm not even thinking it will do all that great on any platform, this game has felt like it's had zero hype from anyone.
Looks good but I'm already buying Pikmin 3 sooooo... I'll have to pass
This game has potential to sell well if the reviews favor the Wii U version. If critics find the gamepad integration useless or the the framerate/graphics inferior to other consoles people will buy the ps360 versions.
Wii U really needs a multiplatform game to be considered best played on their console.
I'll get this if it gets good reviews and also rayman legends and watch dogs if they get good reviews. Thank you fir the support ubisoft. So not getting pikmin 3 till later as that will sell well enough.
I hope it's good and in that case will sell well.
I will follow a similar approach like @YChung, Pikmin 3 can also wait a little for me.
Does anyone know.. Is the cooperativ-mode in the Splinter Cell Wii U version now instead of splitscreen: TV & Gamepad?? If that's the case i am really hyped for it!
If I get the cash together I'll get this and Pikmin 3 next month.
@GiftedGimp
My sentiments exactly dude. I so get tired of Nintendo "fanboys" always crying & getting butthurt over devs not wanting to bring titles to their system, yet they don't support the devs that actually try to bring quality content to them & the system! As you pointed out in the case of Pikmin; it's Nintendo's IP, which means it's going NOWHERE! And as we all know, Nintendo will make their $$$ from it as their games are notorious for keeping the same price point for pretty much the duration.
Ubisoft (& others) on the other hand don't have that luxury. And they running a business will have to do what's best for them if the support isnt there. Now I have defended people for the feeling of being taken for granted & treated as "lesser" customers in the past. However, there comes a time as well when you're a bit more unbiased where I see where these companies are talking about & what they are going through.
And really, it just gets kind of tiresome to hear Nintendo fans cry & complain when no one wants to support their favorite system whe you're overlooking the quality efforts given to the system for (Nintendo) games that aren't going anywhere. Really, I can honestly see why some of these devs are like put up or shut up. And as much I enjoy Nintendo & their games, if you think that they can survive with just their talent & efforts alone, then...well I don't know what to tell you actually.
This is not going to sell well because its a M rating game needs a teen rating for it to sell well on the Wii U
Unrelated to the topic at hand, did anybody else notice that that lady's name is "Jade Raymond"? I just find that to be kind of ironic considering two of Ubisoft's big IPs by Michel Ancel are Rayman and Beyond Good and Evil staring Jade. Sorry...I notice the little things.
Also, gotta say that if you've never played Splinter Cell, definitely give it a try. They're really fun stealth games and there's just nothing more satisfying than being able to make it through your mission without being spotted. There's all kinds of gadgets that Sam has access to as well such as electric stun darts (though they're lethal if someone is standing in the water, lol) and his iconic night vision goggles.
@gameboy1975 Both you and @GiftedGimp bring up excellent points. Both of you are right, Ubisoft needs our support. Nintendo gamers should support as much that the third-parties are offering as possible.
This will be the first Splinter Cell I actually get, can't wait to experience it
@hydeks
I've heard some say that between it and MGS, Splinter Cell does stealth better. I haven't played enough MGS (just barely started the first game) to give my own opinion, but just thought I'd mention that in case you'd ever played them.
I can't wait for Splinter Cell. I've already pre-ordered mine.
I want a demo first, and will probably wait until september, but as long as there are no technical issues and this is solid splinter cell, I will get this. I need to see more about mp because that is truly where SC shines. It is a shame that this version won't sell, and a lot of that can be attributed to Nintendo and Ubisoft failure to show off or push this.
Horray for having a birthday in august. looks like Ill be getting this and pikmin 3!
Ill pick this up for sure. Just not day one. Probably near Christmas.
@FiveDigitLP It's kinda true. Although MGS always had a classical stealth feel and superb storyline to it, SC always had a better and immersive stealth experience (at least the old ones were).
Anyways, did the game some justice and pre-ordered it. It's been a while since I've been hyped for a game.
@FiveDigitLP I've played MG and MGS solid games before, they are interesting games but the stealth aspect in the games is piss-poor Great games though, freaking weird story when you reach near the end (especially for MGS 2, what the hell was that ending about?!?)
Uhm why doesn't Ubisoft say this about Watch_Dogs? Is not using the gamepad as your hacking smartphone not a natural fit?
Problem is Blacklist is going to bomb hard on Wii U and other consoles as well (worse on Wii U with the tiny install base)... Watch Dogs has so much marketing and buzz behind it its going to sell alot
A splinter cell game use to be a day one purchase for me... but the last one was dumbed down and way too easy compared to the earlier ones. The fun was in the challenge. I'll wait for the reviews this time...
Don't think any Ubisoft product I have bought has been better than mediocre and most of it has been utter garbage.
Just Dance 4 is probably the best thing they have - I have not played it myself but spoken to children that seem to really like it(But even that doesn't support the balance board).
Rayman Origins can only be described in steaming piles of turd terms where perhaps it comes out on top. (I bought it on Wii and PC and it doesn't play any better).
It will probably sell terribly on Wii U, but I'm definitely going to buy it around launch.
Hopefully it will be on the eShop... Download 4 Lyfe baby
Ubisoft logic - Release one of their 'big' games in direct competition with big first party games (in this case, Pikmin 3, the boxed edition of New Super Luigi U and the upcoming The Wonderful 101) and then complain when console owners predictably go with the first party releases.
This isn't going to end well.
Already pre ordered. Yes, I already spent bucket loads pre ordering every 1st party Nintendo title coming to Wii U, but we can't forget about the fantastic 3rd party titles also making waves on Wii U this fall. We support the developers, and in keeping with that mentality I went ahead and pre ordered every announced 3rd party title coming to Wii U as well. It's extremely important we support Ubisoft this fall, particularly with Splinter Cell Blacklist and Watch Dogs. These are big games that are drawing a lot of attention and hype on other platforms. If Wii U owners allow Splinter Cell and Watch Dogs to flop, we can pretty much kiss ALL 3rd party support bye-bye for the foreseeable future. Reason being, these games are about as big as they get, so if THEY can't make a profit on Wii U, developers and publishers will logically conclude that no 3rd party game can make a profit, especially after the fact Zombie U didn't sell. I would also argue that Batman Arkham Origins from WB Montreal is another key title we should try to support as best we can. Not every 3rd party game has to sell truckloads, but if we can at least throw 3rd party publishers a bone or two- Splinter Cell, Watch Dogs, and Batman Arkham Origins, and show Ubisoft and other 3rd parties we WILL buy their games if they're good, I think we'll see them continue to support the Wii U in 2014.
@ToxieDogg There is a 16 days diference so it won't matter much unless it magically gets to be released on the same day of course. I think it's great since it can backtrack off people who bought a Wii U for Pikmin 3. On the other hand it's bad for those who can only buy 1 game per month.
Plain and simple we need to support third party games. Cause honestly I don't won't this to become a Nintendo first party box. We deserve the other awesome games that the other consoles are getting.
@gameboy1975 Regarding Nintendo game prices, retailers are the ones that lower prices, not Nintendo themselves. Prices are reduced to increase sales which is pointless to do when a game is still selling well. Nintendo games stay at higher prices longer than other companies because they have a much longer shelf life.
It sounds like you're saying that's a bad thing.
I'm going to pre-order this game. I'm very excited for blacklist on wii u. I really enjoyed double agent and conviction. This game looks really awesome!
I hope they use the gamepad for offline two-screen co-op and spies vs. mercs... It does come with both online, no? I want this game since I enjoyed the series quite a bit but with full online and local support, it'll be a day one must!
This looks pretty TIGHT. I am really loving the 3rd person shooter, Mass Effect 3 on my WiiU right now, and this will be an excellent addition.
Hopefully this gets it's own commercial to highlight the features
Metal Gear Solid Stealth Aspects piss-poor?
Erh whatever, some people clearly haven't played MGS series, the old Splinter Cell series where good, not sure about the new Splinter Cell tho.
The only press that I'd heard about this game was from a blog about violence in gaming, where a playtester was repulsed by the game's audacity to give a moral choice (whether to kill or spare a guard) after it forced him to torture that same guard in a plot-related event.
And then that scene was removed. Yay for human decency! There was actually some interesting discussion on this topic stemming from this game in particular. I'm rather interested to see how it turns out.
Well as I already have four games on pre order & two of them are from ubi I still want this & watchdogs but not day one but that's due to financial as well as wife restrictions so maybe for Christmas
If this game has the Mec's vs Spies, I am def going to pick this up. MvS was one of the funnest multiplayer games I have ever played. I have been waiting for a decent online game to play on my wii. If i had any grip with nintendo at the moment is that I would like to play more online games with my friends that don't happen to live near me. I wish I could play some nintendo land with some of my friends online.
I'll be getting this over assassins creed. It's been too long since a good splinter cell and thi looks like a return to form
i need a Wii U ._.
if they advertice it well for the wiiU, it could sell alot of units, this is a game that shows how the controller works
See this game looks pretty great, but it just doesn't intrigue me as much as Watch_Dogs, ACIV or Rayman. If only I could borrow some of these games off of a friend
Aren't all of these Wii U remakes 'a great fit' ? Give me a good RPG!
Ubisoft are pretty much the only 3rd party trying to do things with the Wii U and it's gamepad right now. They showed what they could do, thinking out of the box with Zombie U which was a very good launch game. It's a shame if we don't see a sequel as it could be great and a system seller. This is why I am buying 3 or 4 or their games this year. And let's be honest, do we Wii U owners have that many 3rd party games to choose from and certainly not to the same level of franchises on offer. I'm sorry, but no one can point blame at Ubisoft about anything. Nintendo are the ones who need to do more with 3rd parties.
Hope lots of people buy the Wii U version of this. I wouldn't want to see Ubisoft ditching the Wii U over bad sales.
I hope enough people buy this on Wii U too, so the online stays very much alive. Other than Kane & Lynch 2's online multiplayer (look it up if you don't know it, it's really interesting), spies vs mercs is my favourite mode for a shooting game online. Both are more then just two teams competing over an objective or kill count.
In K&L2 there's the factor of greed, trust, betrayal, revenge... Here it's pitting two different play styles -each with their own strengths and restrictions- against each other in an objective based match.
@MrDerpski Like I said though, it's competing with 3 games not just one, and I've been looking forward to Pikmin 3, New Super Luigi U (boxed) and The Wonderful 101 for longer than Splinter Cell. It's a shame, as I do really like the look of the new Splinter Cell and will probably pick up the Wii U version because of the gamepad integration, but it'll probably be in a couple of months time and after the price has dropped a little (don't forget, Rayman Legends is out soon, and there's also BIG upcoming releases on the PS3/Xbox 360 I want in the form of Saints Row 4 and GTA5) so Ubisoft will still be crying that it hasn't sold as well as they'd like it to.
I WANT THIS!
great if it's such a great fit then how about bring conviction the the WiiU too, then i can have all my Splinter Cell games on my Nintendo's
This game looks amazing! Definitely getting this on WiiU!
@gameboy1975 @GiftedGimp I agree. And if you remember back when nintendo life posted the news article about rayman legends going multiplatform, they had a poll asking what you would do about the game and one of the choices was boycotting it. I believe that had a big portion of the vote. Honestly that is a very very stupid decision!
@BATRA
Even though it wasn't profitable, Zombiu was the third in sales on Wii U.
It's a new studio and if they're doing things right with Wii U then I'm always up for a little 3rd-person action. I'll certainly check out a review, but a demo would be really nice.
I'm hoping that Ubisoft can mirror Criterion's efforts on Need for Speed which were truly outstanding.
Also in previews, this one has been compared to the older games in the series that were far better than the last two.
it would be good if they showed actual footage of this version.
@triforcepower73 Yeah I remember that poll, and I was never going to boycott Ubisoft or Rayman for going multiplatform. For a few reasons, not least Ubisoft actually being the biggest supporter and defender of WiiU at that time.
Things are looking dire for WiiU & 3rd party support, partly due to publishers fanboy-like mindset towards MS and Sony and Partly due to the publishers that have been showing WiiU support not having thier games supported by WiiU owners.
I really do hope things change on both fronts of Publishers supporting WiiU and WiiU owners supporting 3rd party releases As I am happy in all regards with WiiU except the 3rd party support and although I'm not keen on the idea I may find myself buying a Ps4 towards the end of next year for those titles missing from the WiiU's lineup. Fingers crossed this time next year 3rd party support will not be issue.
@turnmebackwards But Zombi U sucks so thats a bad example, its funnyn how when they made the first Red Steel on the Wii at launch it didnt sell well either and was another crappy launch title, but instead of "pulling" support they admitted they did a bad job and rectified it by making Red Steel 2, a real good and fun game that made the most use of the Motion controls at the time. It still didnt sell well due to lack of advertising and the Stigma from the first game but since the Wii had such a huge install base they didnt complain. Its all about sales and money ppl, thats why Ubisoft pushes multiplat so hard.
Since there is no sign of Metal Gear coming to the U, I'll grab this instead.
I hope its as good as it sounds and people will give it a chance. The console needs to start moving games NOW.
Buy this game and support the system. Its not another fps, as another post said. It's stealth/action. Sam Fisher FTW!
@BlackStar9000
Funny how opinions vary aye? Mine: ZombiU a great game with crap visuals, RS 2 a crap game with great visuals.
@BlackStar9000
Ubisoft should make a ZombiU sequel, just make it a multiplatform title rather than a Wii U exclusive. It clearly has potential, selling 500k on a platform with only a 3 million userbase is pretty good, so if it was on other platforms too it would likely reach over a million (or two) and be able to turn a profit.
I'm not sure about Blacklist. It could be a good game and could use the GamePad well; but the last few SC games have been rather mediocre (and for stealth I always preferred Tenchu). If it turns out good I might buy it and only for Wii U.
I'm going to pick up Watch Dogs and Rayman Legends on Wii U. I was going to boycott Rayman (for the delay, not for going multiplat) but the challenge app convinced me that I should still buy it. I'm doubtful about AC4 though as I don't like the series, so unless there's some big changes I'll give it a miss.
If I enjoyed the series, I'd get the game... but I've never really liked it. It looks like It's coming along great, though.
@doctor_doak - Well duh for me, so many FPS games look like this, didn't realize it was more like MGS.
I've read other bad reviews of AC3, guess it's a good thing I didn't pick it up.
I'm having this!
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