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."