A multiplayer beta for forthcoming tactical shooter Ghost Recon: Future Soldier runs from 19th April until 2nd May on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, publisher Ubisoft has announced.

The trial will let up to 12 players choose from three classes - rifleman, engineer or scout - and access two different game modes.

Conflict sees players battling it out to complete various objectives around the game map, while Saboteur asks you to locate a bomb and then detonate it at your opponent's HQ. Both modes are playable on two maps: Pipeline and Mill.

Conflict will be available from 19th April, while Saboteur unlocks on 26th April.

Anyone who owns an Xbox 360 copy of Splinter Cell: Conviction gets access to the beta. If that's not you, you'll need to pre-order Future Soldier for a key.

Publisher Ubisoft has also announced Ghost Recon Network, a companion service that lets you tracks stats and connect with other player via smartphone, tablet or a web browser.

The app will let you customise weapon load-outs on the go, access your player performance details, challenge friends, check up on their progress, manage your squad and unlock various in-game extras. See the screens below for a closer look.

It will launch in tandem with the game on 25th May, though anyone in on the beta will get early access to a few of its features.

The PC version of the game follows a few weeks later on 15th June.

The PC version of forthcoming tactical shooter Ghost Recon: Future Soldier launches on 15th June, publisher Ubisoft has announced.

It's optimised for DirectX 11, features an online widget for improved multiplayer and party functionality, and boasts fully customisable keyboard controls.

As for DRM, you'll need to log on to the internet for a one-time uPlay product registration when you first boot the game up. No connection is needed thereafter unless you're after online multiplayer.

Finally, Ubisoft has also released the game's system requirements:

Minimum hardware requirements:

• Supported Operating Systems: Windows XP (with Service Pack 3)/Windows Vista (with Service Pack 2)/ Windows 7 (with Service pack 1), both 32 bit & 64 bit versions

• Processor: Intel Pentium D 3.0 Ghz or AMD Athlon64 X2 4400+ 2.2Ghz
RAM: 1GB Windows XP / 2GB Windows Vista or Windows 7

• Video card: 256 MB DirectX-compliant, Shader 4.0-enabled video card
• DirectX: DirectX 9.0c

• DVD-ROM drive: DVD-ROM speed 4x, dual-layer drive
• Sound card: DirectX 9.0c - compliant sound card

• HDD space: 25 GB

Recommended configuration:

• CPU: Intel Core2 Quad Q9450/ AMD Phenom II X4 940 or higher

• RAM: 2 GB Windows XP / 3 GB Windows Vista & 7

• Graphics Card: 1024 MB DirectX-compliant, Shader 4.0-enabled video card based on nVidia GeForce GTX 460 or AMD/ATi HD 5850 or better

The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions arrive three weeks earlier on 25th May.

For more on the game, see Eurogamer's recent Ghost Recon: Future Soldier preview.

Once upon a time gaming required a single disc, or cartridge, or, going back further, a cassette tape, and a gamer.

Now, the biggest game companies in the world are dreaming up ways for you to play their biggest franchises wherever you are, on whatever device you might have to hand. These disparate experiences, on a mobile, on a PC, on a home console, are different, but they connect to each other, fuelling each other and the progress you make in one, all encompassing, resource gathering profile.

One of the companies at the forefront of this sea change in the way we play games is Ubisoft, which, with the upcoming release of Ghost Recon Online on the PC (and, later this year, on Wii U), hopes to tap into the modern way we play on a much deeper level.

To coincide with the launch of the free to play shooter, Ubisoft will release a companion experience, as it calls it, called Ghost Recon Commander, on Facebook and mobile. This game connects and contributes to the core Ghost Recon Online experience.

This, Ubisoft's digital boss Chris Early tells Eurogamer, is the latest fruit of the French company's analysis of core gamer "day parts" - that is, how and when they game throughout the day.

Ubisoft's "experiement", as Early puts it, with this was Assassin's Creed Brotherhood companion Facebook game Project Legacy, which let players unlock items in the console game.

"The Project Legacy is an example of how you can, only at lunch, but whatever, play a Facebook game that's going to give you some benefits to your gameplay in the evening," Early explains.

Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter and Halo: Reach lead designer Christian Allen has taken to Kickstarter to fund his resurrection of old-school, hardcore tactical shooters.

He's after $200,000, and he's got until 1st April to make it. So far he's had 151 backers who've pledged a combined $7448.

"For years, fans of tactical shooters have been crying out for someone to make a quality, hardcore, close-quarters combat tactical shooter," wrote Allen on his Kickstarter page.

Christian Allen with, appropriately, guns.

"But in contrast to these requests, game publishers eschew realism and tactics in exchange for ease of use and 'cinematic' flavour.

"[tactical shooter fans] don't care about a blockbuster cinematic experience; they can already get that from COD or Uncharted. They want a focused, challenging experience that leaves them satisfied in conquering it."

Christian Allen, founder, Serellan

"This campaign aims to see if my theory that real tactical shooters aren't dead, and that enough people want one to justify the cost of development."

Allen has started a new company called Serellan, and formed a small, experienced team.

"We are focusing our initial development on a hardcore CQB tactical shooter," he shared.

"This game will get back to the core of what is loved about the tac-shooter, featuring realistic weapon modelling, outfitting and commanding your squad, objective-based, non-linear missions set in real-world locations around the world, single player, co-op, and multiplayer.

The funding will help Allen prove to investors that the appetite for such a game exists.

"My approach is to look to the fans and what they have been asking about for so many years," Allen explained in a separate interview with Hookshot Inc. "They don't care about a blockbuster cinematic experience; they can already get that from COD or Uncharted. They want a focused, challenging experience that leaves them satisfied in conquering it.

Here's a whole basket of Pledge.

"Pitching that to a publisher, though, is like pitching a new flight sim. They think the genre is dead, like point and click adventure games supposedly are - Double Fine showed them the error of their ways."

"This game will get back to the core of what is loved about the tac-shooter, featuring realistic weapon modelling, outfitting and commanding your squad, objective-based, non-linear missions set in real-world locations around the world, single player, co-op, and multiplayer."

Christian Allen

Tim Schafer's Double Fine studio received overwhelming Kickstarter support for an old school point and click adventure project. Double Fine sought $400,000, but has received - with eight days to go - a staggering $2.4 million from 69,507 backers.

Christian Allen and Serellan will reward Kickstarter funders in different ways. There are three tiers of involvement: Silver, Gold and Platinum. Pledging $50 or more gets you into the Silver tier, where you'll be able to vote game content. Pledging $100 or more gets you into the Gold tier, allowing you to submit content for the game. And pledging $1000 or more gets you into the Platinum tier, where you'll participate in "creative meetings, visit the studio, and much more".

The rewards continue to scale up to donations of $10,000 or more, and they all stack, meaning that at $10,000 you receive every tier of rewards.

Pledging top whack - $10,000 or more - gets you a custom Baretta gun by Christian Allen himself. You can opt for a BBgun replica if the laws of your country/state don't allow this. $7500 or more has Christian Allen fly to your home town to organise a LAN party; $5000 or more involves a trip to the studio and to a shooting range; and $2500 has your face and name put on a team member in the game.

UPDATE: Ubisoft's unverified list of 2012 release dates is "inaccurate", the publisher has told Eurogamer.

"We're thrilled and kind of amused to see this line-up news," a Ubisoft statement handed to Eurogamer begins.

"It shows that players are anxious to hear about Ubisoft's upcoming releases. This reported line-up is inaccurate. We guarantee you that you'll hear directly from us soon about the amazing variety of games Ubisoft has slated for fiscal year 2012-13."

ORIGINAL STORY: Ubisoft will release Assassin's Creed 3 and Splinter Cell: Retribution this year, according to an unverified release schedule posted by Gameranx.

Eurogamer has been trying to contact Ubisoft all morning, but has been unable to verify the document with the publisher.

But it sounds about right.

Ubisoft has teased that 2012 will bring a "major" new game in the Assassin's Creed franchise. Eurogamer since discovered that this game will conclude the story of protagonist Desmond Miles before the series' doomsday date arrives in real life. That doomsday date is 2012, so we'll need the concluding instalment this year.

PC, PlayStation 3, Wii U and Xbox 360 versions of Assassin's Creed 3 are apparently on the way. Nintendo mentioned an Assassin's Creed Wii U game when the console was unveiled at E3 last summer.

This is the first time we've heard the name Splinter Cell: Retribution, but we knew a new Splinter Cell game was in development at Ubisoft Toronto, and has been for several years. That project's being lead by ex-Assassin's Creed frontwoman, Jade Raymond. Retribution's down to appear on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.

A Prince of Persia game for Wii and 3DS is also mentioned. Could it be a new game, or is it the downloadable Prince of Persia port that was released for WiiWare and the 3DS Virtual Console last month?

A game called Just Dance Final Party is listed for Wii, PlayStation Move and Xbox 360 as well. And what a dramatic name - do we take this to mean Final Party will be the last Just Dance game from Ubisoft?

We doubt it.

We've reproduced the full (and as yet unconfirmed) Ubisoft slate below. Curiously, there's no mention of Rayman Origins, which is scheduled to launch on PlayStation Vita next week.

• Brothers in Arms: Furious 4 (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows)
• Far Cry 3 (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows)
• I Am Alive (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
• Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Microsoft Windows)
• Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Online (Microsoft Windows, Wii U)
• Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Retribution (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows)
• Prince of Persia (Wii, 3DS)
• Assassin's Creed 3 (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U, Microsoft Windows)
• Just Dance Final Party (Wii, Xbox 360, Playstation Move)

Online modes for the majority of Ubisoft games will be impacted next week when the company moves its gaming servers.

PC and Mac gamers will find several games completely unavailable online and offline.

Ubisoft will start transitioning its online services from next Tuesday, 7th February.

PC games scheduled to go dark include Tom Clancy's HAWX 2, Might & Magic: Heroes 6 and The Settlers 7.

Mac gamers will lose access to Assassin's Creed, Splinter Cell Conviction and The Settlers.

Uplay on PC will fall offline completely, although other PC games not mentioned above will remain playable offline if already connected at least once.

Top titles Assassin's Creed: Revelations and Driver: Francisco will remain playable online throughout the server move across PC and all console platforms.

Just Dance 3 on Xbox 360 and The Settlers Online on PC will also be unaffected.

All other Ubisoft games will have their online modes "impacted" during the maintenance, the company has warned.

Ubisoft did not mention how long the work would last.

Ghost Recon: Future Soldier ain't quite what it used to be. When it first broke cover - and when we last took a serious look at it - Ubisoft's tactical shooter series had evolved into something far removed from the games of old, having become an action-heavy third-person shooter starring a soldier who was, in Ubisoft's own words, "an F-16 on legs". It had turned into Gears of Recon, and it proved an unpopular shift in direction for a series once known for its tactical smarts.

"We'd just finished Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2, but that was just an iteration of the first Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter," creative director Jean-Marc Geffroy says of Future Soldier's first pass. "The team wanted to renew the game - they wanted to stay faithful, but they wanted to renew as well. And sometimes, when you're like that maybe you go too far in one direction."

Remember the over-powered exoskeleton, the class system and the player tethering discussed at the game's reveal? Forget about it - all of it - as today's version of Future Soldier is a world away from the one first shown in 2010.

"The team was thinking about changing the game, and at the same moment we were working with consultants," says Geffroy on the decision to switch tracks with Future Soldier. "It was interesting - at this time, we needed another view from someone who could tell us that maybe it's a great game, but from a military perspective, it's just s**t.

"It was at this moment where we thought that we're too sci-fi - we had some good input from Special Forces who told us what really is their job. It was the right moment to change. We didn't change the engine, we didn't change a lot of stuff - but we changed the design, the visuals and the mission system."

Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, the latest entry in Ubisoft's tactical shooter series has been delayed until 24th May.

The game had originally been announced for a March release on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, though the development team has decided it needs a little more time.

"We're pretty much there. We just want to take that extra couple of months to make sure your experience is perfect," explained the game's development director Adrien Lacey via a YouTube announcement today.

Lacey also seized the moment to confirm that a PC version of the game is in the works - despite word to the contrary late last year - and a multiplayer beta will go live on consoles prior to launch.

For more on the follow up to 2007's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2 take a look at the trailer below.

Rayman Origins, Lumines, Michael Jackson: The Experience, Asphalt and Dungeon Hunter Alliance will all be available from the Vita's 22nd February launch, publisher Ubisoft has announced.

A new release schedule sent out today includes one other Vita game - an undefined Assassin's Creed title marked for "calendar 2012".

Elsewhere on the publisher's revised slate, the 3DS version of Rayman Origins is down for 16th March, while PC and console versions of Ghost Recon: Future Soldier arrive some time the same month.

Oh, and something called Funky Barn blesses the 3DS with its presence in June.

Stanislas Mettra, the I Am Alive creative director who made controversial remarks about PC gaming this week, has attempted to retract/explain/downplay his outburst.

What Stanislas Mettra originally said: PC gamers were "bitching" about I Am Alive not being on PC. He then questioned whether PC gamers really wanted I Am Alive on PC, or were just "making noise" because they felt hard done by. Mettra went on to say a PC port, which may take a team of 12 people three months to make, was "not worth it" if only 50,000 people bought it.

In a subsequent email to IncGamers, Mettra wrote how he would "really love" to see I Am Alive on PC, and that his comment 'the game won't happen on PC' was "probably and English language miscommunication" (English isn't his native tongue).

"What I meant," Mettra explained, "is that the PC version did not happen yet. But we are still working to see the feasibility of it, which is not necessarily simple. I gave some examples to illustrate the problematic [sic], but obviously it is not in my hands and not my part to talk about this.