Splinter Cell: Conviction Interview

The co-op story is the prequel to the single player story. If you think about it’s cool but f**ked-up at the same time! Because usually you play co-op after the single player, and I think that’s still the way you should play it, I think you should play single player first and then co-op. Because then once you play co-op a lot of things are going to make you go ‘oh sh*t!’. I think it’s interesting. There’s a big twist at the end of co-op also that I’m really proud of.

So I think that aspect made sense for Splinter Cell. Then on top of that, because we’ve built our AI in a systemic way, our AI is all reactive to the ingredients you throw at it, it’s not scripted at all – because we’ve built that, it was very easy for us to create some multiplayer modes that took advantage of our AI. You take a map that’s working, you throw in enemies, and they’re going to be fine – they’re going to be talking, shooting, taking cover, hunting for Sam. Everything works. Once the AI is debugged for story, it works in all those modes. It required very little work on the AI side to get us all those modes.

And just like we did in Vegas, we had a lot of different modes, and what’s cool is they’re playable in co-op, they’re playable in single player, and it’s just extra value for the player. And it’s not that hard to do. So it’s fun to do it, a pleasure to do it! To give even more gameplay for the same amount of money. I sent an email to the team about this before leaving… Deniable Ops [the competitive multiplayer mode] is going to last people like 20-25 hours, easily – there’s a lot of modes and maps. Then we’ve got co-op, story – easily 30-35 hours of gameplay. So we should be selling the game for 200 bucks!

VGD: A couple of final questions. Do you think Conviction, considered almost as a franchise within a franchise, could migrate to other platforms in the same way that Assassin’s Creed has with the iPhone and PSP? And secondly, do you think Splinter Cell is going to play a big role within Ubisoft’s strategy of media convergence, perhaps as a film?

Beland: Those are good questions. Are we going to see more Splinter Cell on other platforms? I don’t see why not. I think there are some very good elements of that franchise that if you made me design a Splinter Cell game for the iPhone, I could do it. I think that’s very possible. I’m not aware of anything right now being done, but I guess if I was I wouldn’t tell you either!

VGD: I have to ask!

Beland: Yeah I know, it’s fine! [laughs] As to your second point, I’m very hungry for a Splinter Cell movie. I think Sam Fisher is a great character, I would love to see him right next to Jason Bourne and right next to James Bond, because I think he fits there.

So I would love for a Splinter Cell movie to be made. Can Ubisoft make a movie? Can Ubisoft make it 3D, like a real footage and 3D movie Splinter Cell? I think so. I would almost say it’s just a matter of time before we end up doing that. I think Assassin’s Creed right now is such a great franchise for Ubisoft that it makes sense that we make movies out of that also. But I don’t see why we wouldn’t do it for Splinter Cell.

VGD: Would Michael Ironside play Sam Fisher?

Beland: It’s probably the biggest question. The biggest questions are probably ‘who is going to play Sam Fisher?’ and ‘do you keep Michael Ironside for Sam’s voice?’ There is a big decision there, because Michael Ironside is Sam Fisher.

VGD: Maxime, thanks for your time.

Splinter Cell: Conviction is coming to PC and Xbox 360 in April.