Splinter Cell going next-gen next year

More than six months after Splinter Cell 4's existence was first revealed, Ubisoft has made it official: Sam Fisher's next mission will be on current and next-generation consoles. In a statement, the company confirmed that "Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell 4 will be available in spring 2006 for current and next-generation consoles, as well as [the] PC," facts first revealed in a March 2005 financial report.

Though Ubisoft didn't name any specific next-gen consoles, the PlayStation 3 is tentatively scheduled to hit the American market in spring of 2006, raising the possibility that Splinter cell 4 could be a launch game for Sony's forthcoming console. And given the fact the France-based publisher sent out a press release timed to coincide with the start of Microsoft's X05 event in Amsterdam, an Xbox 360 version is all but certain.

Unfortunately, the Splinter Cell 4 announcement divulged about as many details as a redacted intelligence document. Ubisoft would only say that the game "will thrust players into a new breed of gameplay that promises to innovate and revolutionize the Splinter Cell franchise." Plot-wise, the publisher said that it "is taking the saga of Sam Fisher into entirely new territory, expanding the story and depth of his character."

GameSpot will have more details on Splinter Cell 4 as they emerge. For a full rundown of the latest entry in the series, check out the full review of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory.