Ubisoft Developing Tom Clancy Mega-Game? (Updated)

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Over the weekend, the internets were set aflame with discussion of a new Ubisoft-maintained website appearing to promote an unannounced game in its growing stable of titles licensed by novelist Tom Clancy (pictured left). Rev64.com, a URL linked on several Ubisoft product pages, redirects to jsf28555833-80604722.com, the more cumbersome URL of the page in question. It depicts a bloodied male face which begins to blink and wince once various text links are clicked. Many of the links also trigger audio recordings hinting at a desperate geopolitical landscape, with both the northern and southern borders of the United States breaking down, conflict breaking out worldwide, and immigration blocks being instituted due to overpopulation.

Ubisoft has set up official forums for the mysterious game, which the publisher calls only "jsf28555833-80604722." In military terminology, "JSF" is an acronym for Joint Strike Fighter, currently referring to the F-35 Lightning II fighter being co-funded by numerous nations. Last March, numerous sites reported on an alleged leaked Ubisoft game release schedule, which included the game title Tom Clancy's Firehawk as being in development for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 with a release period of March 2007. Following the publication of the leaked schedule, many of the listed unannounced titles were later confirmed to be accurate. Little credence has been given to reports that the game is also in development for Nintendo 64; such rumors sprung up based on the URL "rev64.com" and the "64" suffix convention of many Nintendo 64 titles.

Some speculation holds that the game will be part of a new franchise that will thematically join Ubisoft's three current Tom Clancy's-branded franchises--Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell, and Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon. One recording on the site contains the statement "Sir, we have an incoming transmission from Ghost Leader," likely referring to Ghost Recon. Internet detectives also pointed out that the official sites of the Rainbow Six, Splinter Cell, and Ghost Recon franchises have been updated in the last several days with mock news reports that appear to be set around the same international events suggested on the jsf28555833-80604722 site. Most of the updates deal with reports of terrorism or warfare.

Ubisoft has not commented on the site or the speculation surrounding it.

Update: Shacker Derek French pointed out that "rev64" may refer to the Book of Revelation's chapter 6, verse 4, which deals with the removal of peace in the world and the resulting conflict. It reads, "And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword."

Update 2: Speaking to Shacknews, a public relations representative for the Joint Strike Fighter stated that the Ubisoft project is unrelated to the Joint Strike Fighter program. Rather, in this context, "JSF" refers to "joint strike force."

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From The Chatty
  • reply
    April 9, 2007 2:19 PM

    Special Forces MMO ??

    You could pick your faction and specialty, like CQB (R6), Stealth (SC) or Soldier (GR).

    That would own!

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      April 9, 2007 2:24 PM

      I'd try that. Matter of fact, if it can handle FPS action w/o lagging to shit, I'd subcribe to an MMO like that.

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        April 9, 2007 3:40 PM

        I'd love a FPS + Guildwars system. Where you have small individual servers having coop play or 5v5 pvp but then a general central hub for chatting etc.

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      April 9, 2007 2:27 PM

      that infact could be pretty fucking awesome

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        April 9, 2007 2:40 PM

        A Military MMOG (MMMOG! =) has been talked about for some time now. I remember Jane's military sim developers (EA?) trying to come up with a Flight/Tank/Sub/Infantry game, all mashed up together, but that never came to fruition.

        A R6/SC/GR mix up sounds cool...

        Though... thinking as a company, how better to win a lot of money then sell THREE games with one single storyline which we would only understand by playing the 3 games. (remember the matrix reloaded fiasco?).

        Anyway, people are also talking about a Flight sim called Firehawk, dunno how true that rings. Heck, there is even speculation with Assassins Creed !

        Well, let's wait and see... i just hope for a MMO with the 3 "universes" (R6/SC/GR)

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          April 9, 2007 3:03 PM

          Uh, WW2 Online is a war.MMO.. http://www.wwiionline.com I've never played it tho, I'm not a big MMO fan..

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            April 9, 2007 3:10 PM

            Yeah, alright. But still, they wanted to make a game where everything is a sim, not just a vehicle you get in like Battlefield 2.

            Anyway, the MMO idea for this new came can be quite interesting, since the 3 franchises are really 'similar'. Military-wise and universe-wise, since all of the follow Clancy's rules and approval.

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          April 9, 2007 3:26 PM

          planetside was essentially a fps mmo (planes tanks inf).

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            April 9, 2007 3:29 PM

            Ok, so the point is, it's not a novel idea so with all the MMO showing up all over the place, a Military MMO with the 3 Clancy Franchise game is a good possibility. I'm not discussing the fact that it's the first, last, new, old or whatever MMOFPS.

            Geez =P

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          April 9, 2007 5:06 PM

          The idea of Janes World at War was you can buy individual sims and they'd all connect to the same world and you can go from being an Armored Cavalry to am F-15E or A-10 sim and then to an AH-64D Attack Helicopter.

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            April 9, 2007 5:57 PM

            That might also be a solution to this new Ubisoft game.

            You buy the individual game and can connect to a server which accepts all 3 games...

            hmmm interesting...

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