As part of their third quarter revenue report, Ubisoft today announced that Splinter Cell: Double Agent has been delayed. Originally scheduled for a spring release, the game has been pushed back until September.

The rescheduling to September 2006 of the launch of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent is meant to release the title on all platforms simultaneously, including the Microsoft Xbox 360 that should have a much larger installed base by that time. This will also enable to maintain the highest quality for which Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell is recognized. This rescheduling will ensure the best return from the coming release as well as from future sequels of this brand over time.

Over at Computer & Video Games you can find a new Splinter Cell: Double Agent Q&A, asking Ubisoft producer Julien Gerighty about the game. Topics include the game quickly following up Chaos Theory, Sam starting in jail, the John Brown Army, new gameplay features, locations and environments and the Splinter Cell movie.

More Splinter Cell: Double Agent Q&As can be found at EuroGamer, IGN and 1UP, talking to various Ubisoft folks about the upcoming stealth action game sequel.

Wasting no time at all, GameSpot has posted a Splinter Cell: Double Agent Q&A. Most of the Q&A is actually about the previous Splinter Cell games, but SC4 questions are about the next-gen visuals, storyline, and gameplay.

Ubisoft today announced that Splinter Cell 4 is now titled Splinter Cell: Double Agent, and will be released this spring on PC, Xbox, Xbox 360, PS2 and GameCube. According to Ubi, the game "will completely revolutionise and reinvent the spy action genre by introducing an unprecedented double agent concept and an entirely new breed of game play that adds an exciting new dimension to the gaming experience". Key features include

- Dual objectives to fulfil: NSA government agents and terrorists will each want you to accomplish opposing tasks at the same time.
- Discover the tension of being a double agent: Use actual tactics employed by today's real-life double agents to sabotage the terrorists' plans.
- Explore a branching storyline with multiple endings: Your choices have an impact on how the story and game play unfolds.
- A world of international espionage: Missions from all over the world, from Asia to Africa to the heart of the US. Experience extreme situations: underwater or in a sandstorm, hiding behind the dust or smoke - and even skydiving.
- New authentic gadgets: Master the latest weapons and gadgets used by NSA government agents in addition to black-market terrorist weapons.
- Innovative online play: The critically acclaimed multiplayer action of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell is back with entirely new innovations for each platform.

Over at FileShack you can find a teaser trailer, though if you're expecting in-game footage you'll be disappointed.

Ubisoft has released new Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory patches, updating US and international releases to v1.05. The update includes two new co-op missions.

It's hardly a surprise considering the franchise is so popular; Ubisoft has announced that a fourth Splinter Cell game is in the works for current and next generation consoles as well as the PC. Splinter Cell 4 will be released Spring 2006, and will "thrust players into a new breed of game play that promises to innovate and revolutionize the Splinter Cell franchise. Ubisoft is taking the saga of Sam Fisher into entirely new territory, expanding the story and depth of his character". A teaser site is up at bewaresamfisher.com.

Ubisoft has released a new Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory patch, updating the stealth action game to v1.03. The patch (also available as an incremental update for 1.02), fixes some more NAT issues and also has several Versus mode fixes. A patch for the European, Frech Canadian and Australian versions of the game is available as well.

Ubisoft sends along word that they'll be releasing three new maps for Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory soon. There will be one Versus map called Squat, and two co-op missions called Nuclear Plant and UN HQ. The maps will be free of charge, and available for download on Xbox and PC. Expect the Versus map at the end of May and the co-op maps shortly after that. Here are two shots from Squat.

Ubisoft has released new patches for Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, updating the stealth action game sequel game to v1.02. The update fixes more co-op bugs and also adds All Seeing Eye support. If you have an un-patched retail version of the game you can download the full U.S. or European/Australian/French Canadian patch, if you already have 1.01 installed there is a U.S. or European/Australian/French Canadian incremental patch. Thanks 3D Gamers.

Ubisoft has released the Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory map editor for those of you who want to create their own maps for this Unreal engine based game. Besides the editor there's documentation as well as several 3D Studio MAX plugins. Thanks Blues News.

Ubisoft sends along the Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory "european" patch, which besides the European version of the game also updates the French Canadian and Australian ones. Changes are similar to the US patch released a few days ago.

Ubisoft has announced that Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory has gone gold, and is off to manufacturing. Chaos Theory is being released on PC, XBox, PS2, GameCube and N-Gage and should be out March 31st.

The year is 2008. Citywide blackouts... stock exchange sabotage... electronic hijacking of national defense systems... this is information warfare, which has become the most dangerous threat to global stability. To prevent these attacks, you must infiltrate deep into hostile territory and aggressively collect critical intelligence, closer than ever to enemy soldiers. You are Sam Fisher, the NSA's most elite black-ops agent. To achieve your mission you will operate undetected, kill at close-range, attack with your combat knife, shoot with the modular SC20K rifle, and use radical suppression techniques such as the inverted neck break. Work alone, or enjoy the thrill of cooperative multiplayer infiltration missions, where teamwork is the ultimate weapon.

You can find a singleplayer demo on FileShack.

Ubisoft sends along some new Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory screenshots, showing off a few different locations. On FileShack you can find the latest tongue-in-cheek training video, this time highlighting the inverse neck break.

Also previewed at IGN is Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, with the editors checking out the game's co-op feature.

GameHelper has the latest Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory preview, going hands-on with a PC preview build of the game. You can check out the game for yourself by grabbing the demo.

Ubisoft sends along the official web version of the Splinter Cell Chaos Theory demo. The content is the same as before, but there are a couple of additional bug fixes. If you were hoping for a smaller download this time around, you're out of luck as that isn't the case.

The third Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory training movie has been released, offering another tongue-in-cheek look at one of the game's new moves; in this case, the Amazing Slash. Thanks 3D Gamers.

A hefty Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory demo is now available, allowing you to sample the singleplayer part of Ubisoft's newest stealth action game. The 590mb download includes the Lighthouse level.