I know I'm a little late to the Splinter Cell: Conviction party, but for some reason I never tried the game until this year. After reviewing the Windows Phone version for my other job, I decided to give the Xbox 360 game a chance. I enjoyed the stripped-down version, and its big brother even has both split-screen and online co-op for 2 players. How could I go wrong?

When looking at game design, a few things are necessary in order for co-op to work properly. Most of these things gamers don’t think about on a day to day basis - and it’s not covered in our Co-Op Terminology guide. It’s the core principles for getting players to work together, which Ubisoft designer Patrick Redding disclosed at GDC. He talks about moments where he is very satisfied with during the co-op test phase, and things that every developer (should) think about during co-op development.

There's a handful of  deals this week for co-op gamers, especially if you are a fan of Tom Clancy games - which have always been a fan favorite.  There's even a spiffy deal on the Games for Windows marketplace if you're looking to snag the upcoming Bulletstorm.

It’s a the dirty term to PC gamers everywhere: DRM (Digital Rights Management). Ubisoft has so far been the industry leader in limiting, locking, and generally DRMing your games to the point many gamers will steer clear of the publisher at all costs. It’s a new year now, and one of Ubisoft’s resolutions for 2011 is to “relax the DRM” they add to their games. Not perfect, but it’s a start.

Every successful national or global operation abides by a set of documents; these are sometimes called control forms (as in the United States CFR system). Everything is documented, all the way down to each request for a box of pencils. After playing a full co-op mission of Splinter Cell: Conviction together, Mike and Jim wondered what a mission file full of control forms would look like, as penned by operatives Archer and Kestrel.

What follows is an accurate picture of what our Nation’s top operatives REALLY think.

A few months ago we came across an interesting article that shed some light on Sam Fisher's peculiar shooting stance in Splinter Cell: Conviction. Today we’ll take a look at traditional poses and see how the new one holds up as a credible way for our favorite rogue operative to dispatch bad guys.

Splinter Cell Conviction's first set of co-op DLC is out now and it's called Insurgency.  The DLC adds four new maps for the game's Deniable Ops modes which can be played solo or the preferred method of co-op.  These maps range from San Francisco, to a New Orleans cemetery, a Portland Prison and a hidden research complex in Salt Lake City.

Ubisoft has announced the first pack of premium DLC for Splinter Cell Conviction.  The pack is called Insurgency, and will be available on the Xbox 360 and PC on May 27th.  With the pack you'll have access to brand new missions in the Deniable Ops mode on four new maps.  The locales range from the docks of San Francisco to a New Orleans cemetery, a prison in Portland to a hidden research complex in Salt Lake City.  These missions are all playable in two player co-op.

Good news for fans of Splinter Cell Conviction, community manager Li Kuo has stated that some "killer DLC is almost done" and that the game's co-op mode is a huge hit.  Could this means that new cooperative modes are in the making for the game?  Perhaps it'll add in the previously rumored 4 player co-op modes.  Hopefully we'll know more soon.

There have been rumors floating around that Splinter Cell Conviction is coming to the PS3. Apparently these rumors are groundless - at least for the time being. Ubisoft posted the following message on their Twitter: 

Isn't viral marketing awesome? You can pay someone to get themselves into trouble with the local police, all for the media attention that it will bring to your product. In New Zealand, a stupid PR (public relations) idea for Splinter Cell: Conviction became an international news item: according to reports, a man in bandages began randomly pointing a fake gun at people in the Viaduct Basin of Auckland. I'm pretty sure these people aren't going to run down to the store for their copy of the game anytime soon.

Sam Fisher - the Splinter Cell - is back yet again, this time looking from the outside in. Shady government characters, betrayal, corruption...it's all here. Can the latest Tom Clancy affair slip in undetected and steal our attention?

Normally, a high-profile game is hyped to the point of lunacy...especially when downloadable content and special features are being prepared being the scenes. In a surprising move, Ubisoft has managed to sneak in weekly free content for Splinter Cell: Conviction.

Splinter Cell Conviction is out this week, and with it comes loads of co-op play.  Seriously, Ubisoft jam packed this game with a co-op campaign and a handful of replayable challenge style co-op missions.  So while everyone is complaining the game is only 5 hours long, they seem to be neglecting the meat of the package.

Splinter Cell Conviction is sneaking onto stores shelves this week, and while the game has the return of Sam Fisher in single player, it also boasts robust co-op multiplayer options. To celebrate the launch we'll be having a co-op night on Tax Day in America, April 15th. Read on to join up!