I am not sure about the other writers on the staff, but the more that I see of Splinter Cell: Conviction, the more I am convinced that it is going to be a huge title for 2010.  In this developer diary from Ubisoft, we get to see more of the combat abilities that Sam Fisher will use in Splinter Cell: Conviction, including pistol use and Krav Maga. 

Also, catch the reaction of the one developer when he hears Michael Ironside lay down his first voice overs for Splinter Cell: Conviction.  It is priceless.

I only played a bit of the first No More Heroes, and it sits on my pile of shame, so I am intrigued a bit by the second game.  The first had a lot of style and an interesting game, but it just did not seem to grab me enough to keep me coming back.  Now the sequel is coming in January 2010, and everyone seems to be pulling out the stops on this title.  Ubisoft and Suda are looking to make No More Heroes 2 be even more ridiculously over the top than the first one, as you can see with the above video.  Also, hit the jump to see some of the madness they have come up with for minigames.

The Coconut Collection Job Level

The Steakhouse Job Level

Ubisoft decided that it could nut just put out a press release that touted the new release date for Splinter Cell: Conviction.  Instead, they released a whole trailer that tells the date.  If you feel like you are too cool to watch Sam Fisher kick some ass, the release date is 2-23-2010.  February just got bigger with the other releases that are timed for that month. 

What happened to the Christmas rush?  I am looking at releases that will keep me buying stuff all the way through the end of March at this rate.

Ubisoft and Telltale Games are readying the release of their newest entry in the Crime Scene Investigation franchise, CSI: Deadly Intent, with a developer diary.  The video discusses the use of the new cast from season nine, making the player feel like a more integral part of the CSI team and some of the new features.

CSI: Deadly Intent is coming to the Nintendo DS, PC and Xbox 360 this fall.

Ubisoft has released a new patch, version 1.1 for their western title, Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood.  The patch fixes quite a few bugs that were affecting the multiplayer modes of Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood.  Also, several classes have been play balanced for better parity.

The new patch allows players to link into Techland’s User Content Creation Tools.  The user creation tools will allow modders to create new single player and multiplayer maps, expanding upon the content already available in the Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood box.

To download the patch follow this link.  To find out more about the content creation tools, go to www.cojmodding.com.  Hit the jump for the full press release.

Call of Juarez®: Bound in Blood PC version updated Patch 1.1 available for download.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – September 21 2009 – Today Ubisoft announced that the patch 1.1 for the PC version of Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood is available for download. The patch 1.1 significantly improves the multiplayer experience on Windows-based systems: Spy, Gunslinger, Hombre, Veteran and Sniper classes have been balanced to offer the best multiplayer gunfights.

The patch 1.1 also brings compatibility with Techland’s User Content Creation Package which offers a complete solution for creating and modifying full functional multiplayer and single-player maps. The User Content Creation Package is now available at www.cojmodding.com.

Complete fix and feature list for Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood PC patch 1.1 can be found in the attached release notes document.

Ubisoft advises all PC players to download Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood patch 1.1 on one of the following URLs:

URL list to be provided.

Ubisoft also informs console players that the Xbox 360® and PlayStation® 3 versions of the Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood patch 1.1 are underway and will be released in the upcoming days.

For more information on Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood please visit http://www.callofjuarez.com

For more information about Ubisoft please visit www.ubi.com.

About the User Content Creation Package

Please note that the User Content Creation Package is brought to you by Techland, not by Ubisoft. Should you have any inquiry regarding this software, please visit http://forums.ubi.com/eve/forums/a/frm/f/3901002687 where Techland is providing support.

About Ubisoft

Ubisoft is a leading producer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment products worldwide and has grown considerably through a strong and diversified line-up of products and partnerships. Ubisoft has teams in 28 countries and distributes games in more than 55 countries around the globe. It is committed to delivering high-quality, cutting-edge video game titles to consumers. For the 2007-08 fiscal year, Ubisoft generated sales of 928 million euros. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com.

© 2009 Techland. All Rights Reserved. Published and distributed by Ubisoft Entertainment under license from Techland. Call of Juarez is a trademark of Techland and is used under license. Ubisoft, Ubi.com, and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or other countries. “PlayStation”, “PLAYSTATION” and “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft. Software platform logo (TM and ©) EMA 2006.

“The first game we released two weeks after Modern Warfare, and we still sold 9 million copies,” said Ass Creed 2 creative director Patrice Desilets (speaking to VG247 ) “People, when they want their first-person shooter fix, they buy Modern Warfare. If you want you a swords, running on rooftops, big open city fix, this is it.” It’s good to see some confidence in a game from someone other than Activision (I can never resist an opportunity to bring that up) or Microsoft.

In other AC2 news, the special new community website Live By The Creed is encouraging fans to “Write your own version of ‘The Assassin’s Creed.’ Tell us what it means to be an Assassin, what you stand for, and why you have chosen this path. Create a 1-2 minute video reciting your Creed.” So, if you’re a contract killer and like to wax poetic about guidelines you’ve set yourself, by all means go for it. I’m just waiting for the inevitable rap on the subject.

Thanks to VG247 for the first story and Joystiq for the heads-up on the second.

Ubisoft announced Academy of Champions: Soccer at E3 this year and now we are starting to see some more footage from this title.  The video that we received today shows off some of the special moves that can the player can learn and perform while playing in Academy of Champions.

Pele is signed on for this title, adding some star player power for the title, along with Mia Hamm, who plays your coach in Academy of Champions.  The game itself looks to have a similar feel to a Harry Potter and the wizard school.  The game looks to have a focus for a younger audience, but if it is about soccer, and has Pele and Mia Hamm involved, I am there.

Ubisoft has released a new video for their upcoming action thriller, Splinter Cell: Conviction.  This trailer seems to give a little more backstory, and has Sam Fisher narrating the entire trailer, voice by the gravelly Michael Ironside.

The action seems fast, and the new stealth mechanics, as well as what appear to be bullet time sequences are just adding to what has already been widely regarded as a must get title in Fall of 2009.