Ubisoft Carves Out Release Date For 'Splinter Cell: Conviction'

For a game whose launch date has been tumbling back on the calendar since 2007, it may take more than a blunt metaphor to instill confidence that "Splinter Cell: Conviction" will ship on April 13th, 2010, but Ubisoft put the word out yesterday. Now, that's the date they're going to try to hit.

Polished stones with the the new release date stamped on them arrived in the mail from Ubisoft, according to IGN. That won't quite squeeze "Conviction" into the first quarter where Ubisoft pushed the game last fall -- and it's a significant delay from the February 23rd spot it once occupied -- but this time the date is set in stone, so it may be for real.

That means all of those new multiplayer and co-op modes could be ready to play before schools let out for the summer, and we can all hopefully look forward to more than a trailer being available sometime soon.

"Conviction" comes with an epic post-announcement development history, so it's got a high bar to hit when it lands in stores. As long as the developers know they've got something to prove to everyone to justify the postponements, this should be one of the big ones to watch for April.

Do you think "Conviction" will be worth the wait? What other delayed games do you want to see get final arrival dates? Share your reactions in the comment section below.

Tags splinter cell, splinter cell: conviction, ubisoft, ubisoft montreal