Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell will release in time for the lucrative Christmas 2002 market exclusively on Xbox, with a PC version to appear by the end of the year. Xbox is the lead development platform for the game, which has been designed to take full advantage of the advanced graphics and sound capabilities of Xbox. Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell will also feature online elements using the recently announced Xbox Live service.

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell is a third person stealth action game featuring cyber-terrorism, shadow agencies, and covert operations, and is set in the realistic, highly detailed geopolitical universe as portrayed by Tom Clancy. Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell will grant players access to the highest echelons of national security, where shadowy operatives have the freedom to do whatever it takes to safeguard America. In Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell, the player controls Sam Fisher, a field operative of a secretive "black-ops" NSA sub-agency called Third Echelon. Sam Fisher is geared up to infiltrate high-security strongholds, seize critical intelligence, destroy threatening data and neutralise the enemy - all without leaving a trace. Developed by Ubi Soft's Montreal Studio in Canada, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell is a unique experience that will have the player thinly skate on the fine line that separates fact from fiction.

“Xbox is the ideal platform to premiere Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell,” said Yves Guillemot, President and CEO, Ubi Soft Entertainment. “We’re using the Xbox hardware to truly realise the vision we had for the game, and to implement some fantastic special effects. For instance, the character can be moved in front of a working movie projector and the movie realistically projects on the character’s back with the appropriate lighting effects, just like real life. Little touches like that are making this game really come alive, and were possible thanks to the powerful capabilities of Xbox. We’re also looking to take advantage of Xbox Live to extend the experience.”

“Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell is shaping up to be the game of the show at E3 2002 - we’re thrilled to welcome this must-have game to the Xbox portfolio,” said Robbie Bach, Chief Xbox Officer. “Gamers will need to prepare for a gaming experience like no other that makes the most of the advanced Xbox capabilities. And it’s a console-exclusive for Xbox, which shows that the world’s best game designers choose Xbox to bring their visions to life.”

Now available in Europe for an estimated street price of €299/£199*, the award winning Xbox is the most powerful video game system on earth. With more than 40 games currently available and more than 150 to be available by Christmas, Xbox is the only video game console designed for the future of gaming with a built-in hard drive and broadband adapter.