Microsoft and Crytek discussed the possibility of the Crysis 2 developer going first-party just after the launch of Far Cry.

At the time, Crytek was about to create Crysis for PC. Microsoft corporate vice-president Phil Spencer told OXM it was decided the Xbox 360 manufacturer had enough shooters in a similar genre, so let the idea slide.

"The first time we met with [Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli] and the team was around seven or eight years ago, and we started talking about what it'd mean for them to become first-party," Spencer said.

"And it was a process of what do you guys want to do, what's unique for us, and they were just going to do Crysis, and they'd just come out of Far Cry, and we said we've probably got enough military future shooters, so go do that."

Crytek is currently hard at work on Xbox 360 exclusive, Kinect-fuelled first-person brawler Ryse.

"Then they came up with this idea around Ryse, and now they've really fallen in love with Kinect, and it's a perfect marriage for us," Spencer continued.

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Evidence of Far Cry 3 mounts, and rumour suggests Ubisoft may reveal the new game at E3 next month.

Internet bloodhound Superannuation sniffed numerous mentions of the project online.

Stuntman Lee Villeneuve's CV cites past work on Far Cry 3, and stuntman Stephane Julien also mentions working on Far Cry 3.

One Ubisoft programmer notes on LinkedIn that he's beavering away on an "Undisclosed First Person Shooter" for PS3 and Xbox 360 that has "exotic gameplay", "scripted events" and "cinematics". Colleague Miguel Angel Sepulveda, an animation and AI engineer at Ubisoft, calls his current project as an "Unannounced Action AAA" game for PS3 and Xbox 360.

Ubisoft 3D animator Marc Echave goes one further, noting Far Cry 3 among other confirmed and released Ubisoft projects.

All of this after a Ubisoft writer confirmed Far Cry 3 and online shops accidentally put Collector's Editions of the game up for sale.

Coincidence?

"We are not commenting on speculations and rumours," Ubisoft told Eurogamer this afternoon.

Crysis developer Crytek created the Far Cry series. The original Far Cry - a real head-turner at the time (2004) - earned 8/10 on Eurogamer. Xbox game Far Cry Instincts took the tropical survival bent a step further and earned another 8/10. An Xbox 360 conversion of that same game earned 7/10.

Far Cry 2 (2008) was a different kettle of fish, owing to it being an internally developed Ubisoft game. Gone was the tropical environment, replaced instead by harsh Africa-inspired bush and malaria. Far Cry 2 was huge, attractive and refreshingly mature. Christian Donlan dug out an 8/10 for Far Cry 2 on Eurogamer.

He wrote: "Far Cry 2 is unforgettable rather than perfect, then; brilliant, frustrating, sombre and comical, it offers freedom within extremely curtailed limits, and strives to treat its players like adults."

Video: Far Cry 2 on PS3 and Xbox 360.