Splinter Cell demo infiltrates Marketplace

Like the game's stealthy protagonist, a Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent Xbox 360 demo quietly snuck onto Xbox Live Marketplace over the weekend. The file is more than 700MB in size and focuses on the game's multiplayer portion.

There are two options for people to get their stealth on--a cooperative mode that sees gamers try to hack files and computer-controlled bots try and stop them, or a multiplayer mode that pits acrobatic spies versus gun-heavy mercs in a game of cat and mouse.

While many Xbox 360 owners downloaded the demo in anticipation of snapping other gamers' necks over Xbox Live, connecting to matches proved difficult over the weekend.

Ubisoft recognized the problem and has reportedly fixed the issue. A company rep told GameSpot, "We have received reports that some consumers have had connection issues with the MP demo over the past weekend. We have determined that it was a server issue--demand was too high and there were not enough servers to host everyone. The issue has been resolved and players should now be able to play via Xbox Live."

An Xbox 360 single-player demo is due out soon, and PC demos of the game are expected, but have yet to be released.

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent is rated M for Mature and will be available on Thursday, October 19. For more information, read GameSpot's previous coverage.