Tom Clancy dead at 66

Prolific author Tom Clancy, whose military-themed novels have spawned numerous movies and video games, died in a Baltimore hospital last night. He was 66.

The New York Times confirmed his death, after Publishers Weekly first broke the news.

Many of Clancy's novels were spun into video games, including The Hunt for Red October, The Sum of All Fears, Politika, and Shadow Watch.

Clancy cofounded Red Storm Entertainment in the late 1990s, which would go on to create the now-iconic Rainbow Six franchise. Ubisoft purchased Red Storm Entertainment in 2000.

Other game franchises using Tom Clancy's name include Splinter Cell, Ghost Recon, EndWar, and upcoming console shooter The Division.

It is unclear what impact Clancy's death will have, if any, on the future of game franchises bearing his name. An Ubisoft representative was not immediately available to comment.