Ubi Soft announced that Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3, the next installment of the best-selling Rainbow Six series of games, is a console exclusive for the Xbox video game system from Microsoft in 2003.
Rainbow Six 3 is a whole new game for Xbox, based on the universe Ubi Soft brought to gamers with Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six. The title - the first Rainbow Six game for a next-gen console - will release in time for the Christmas 2003 market exclusively on Xbox.
Xbox is the lead development platform for the game, which has been designed to take full advantage of the advanced capabilities of the system. Rainbow Six 3 will feature dynamic lighting and soft body physics as well as support for 5.1 Dolby surround sound. The game will also utilize key online elements for both multiplayer action and downloadable content offered by Xbox Live, the first comprehensive, online game service fully dedicated to fast-action broadband gaming experiences. For the most intense immersion, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3 will feature a brand new voice recognition system via the Xbox Live Communicator headset, allowing gamers to directly and in a very intuitive way give orders to their teammates during intense offline firefights.
The Rainbow Six franchise is known for its action-packed game play and heart-stopping realism, and Rainbow Six 3 will continue the tradition. Developed by Ubi Soft's Montreal studio, in close collaboration with Red Storm Entertainment, the game will utilize graphics technology provided by the next-generation Unreal engine to power 14 new single-player missions, 9 new multiplayer maps and more than 30 weapons.
We are excited about our new partnership with Microsoft, says Yves Guillemot, President and CEO of Ubi Soft Entertainment. The same kind of exclusive agreement was a tremendous success for Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell, which ended up being the top-selling Xbox game in 2002. With the Xbox's proven gaming potential and the recent addition of the Xbox Live service, we expect even greater things for Rainbow Six 3 !
We're pleased that Ubi Soft has chosen Xbox as the lead development platform for Rainbow Six 3, said Michel Cassius, Senior Director, Xbox Platform and Marketing. Using graphics technology that makes the most of what Xbox has to offer, plus Xbox Live support, means Rainbow Six 3 will be an amazing gaming experience. After the success of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell, it's great to welcome another fantastic Tom Clancy title to the growing Xbox portfolio of exclusive triple-A titles.