The 100% more grizzled adventures of super spy/hobo Sam Fisher will continue this calendar year, according to Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot, as the publisher has dated Splinter Cell: Conviction for a pre-Christmas release.

Ubisoft confirmed that the Xbox 360-exclusive "active stealth" game will give gamers another taste of tactical action, Tom Clancy style, before the year is up. Originally planned for a Christmas 2007 release, the Ubisoft Montreal-developed title was pushed to 2009. But Sam Fisher will choke a bitch this year and spend some quality time in various state-funded parks, if Yves has his way.

The developer apparently has used that down time to "evolve" the gameplay, offering a "visual direction [that] is simply much better" than what we'd seen of Splinter Cell: Conviction at Ubidays 07. We look forward to spending some time with Mr. Fisher and his beard and simply cannot wait to toss some furniture around like a real-life spy!

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