Splinter Cell: Conviction locks up 250GB Xbox 360 bundle

Gamers may have been skeptical early last month when Ubisoft attached an April 13 release date to its long-percolating return of Sam Fisher in Splinter Cell: Conviction, considering the sheer quantity of delays the game has seen. However, adding a little more security to the game's debut next month, Microsoft today announced that the game's launch will be accompanied by an Xbox 360 hardware bundle.

The Splinter Cell: Conviction Special Edition Bundle will include a copy of Ubisoft's stealth action adventure, as well as a 250GB-equipped black console and two black wireless controllers. The bundle will be available in North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand in "early April" for $399. Microsoft has not released the 250GB hard drive as a stand-alone purchase, saying in September that it has "no plans" to do so in the future.

However, beginning with November's launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Microsoft has been keen on pairing some of the Xbox 360's biggest releases with a 250GB console. Most recently, Microsoft announced a 250GB bundle for Square Enix's Final Fantasy XIII, the only hardware-software combo package the one-time PlayStation 3-exclusive will receive outside Japan.

Conviction is set two years after Splinter Cell: Double Agent, which saw series hero Sam Fisher become a fugitive from the FBI, NSA, and an alphabet soup of other agencies. In the course of investigating his daughter's death, the now-grizzled Fisher discovered that his former employer, the covert organization Third Echelon, has double-crossed him. Avoiding capture, he travels to Washington, DC, to uncover the conspiracy that led to his undeserved disgrace.

For more information, check out GameSpot's previous coverage of Splinter Cell: Conviction.