Ubisoft went "explosive" with Blacklist at E3 to get noticed
Ubisoft's Patrick Redding has said the reason the developers went with an all-out action debut for Splinter Cell: Blacklist was so the game wouldn't get lost "in the backdrop," of other offerings during E3 2012.
Speaking with VG247 during E3, Redding, who is the game's director, said Ubisoft also wanted to showcase various abilities inherent in Sam Fisher, which constitute more than just stealth.
"I think the important thing to remember about E3 is you're always out to make a splash, to make your mark, to make sure everybody sees you in the backdrop of the other games which are out there," he said. "So we kind of needed to go with something that was a little bit different and explosive, and maybe even a little controversial in terms of the franchise.
"We went with something which showcased exteriors, showcased daylight, something that showcased concealment instead of outright stealth, and showcased a wide range of Sam's abilities including some things which were fairly aggressive.
"That was something we set out to do, because frankly, we needed to start that dialogue by reaching out to those who maybe have never played Splinter Cell and needed to at least notice us."
Fans of the series may have been a bit confused when watching the demo and trailer, but Redding said Ubisoft plans to address this very issue "in the coming months."
"We know that we're going to have to have the conversation with more established fans and fans who stealth play," he admitted, "and we definitely have a lot to talk about with them on that exact subject and we'll be doing just that in the coming months."
Splinter Cell: Blacklist was shown during Microsoft's E3 2012 Press Conference, after rumors of the game appeared the week before. The demo shown during the event featured an evolved form of mark and execute from Splinter Cell: Conviction, along with some Kinect functionality.
The game will release in spring 2013 on PC, PS3, Xbox 360, and possibly Wii U.
Our full video interview with Patrick Redding will be posted a bit later, so keep your eyes peeled.