Tom Clancy’s untimely death yesterday is an unfortunate reminder of how influential he truly was to video games. Without him, the tactical FPS genre would likely not be what it is today.
In 1996, the best selling espionage thriller author, most well known for The Hunt for Red October and Clear and Present Danger, co-founded Red Storm Entertainment. Red Storm would go on to develop two of the most recognizable FPS series in gaming – Ghost Recon and Rainbow Six.
The success of games bearing Tom Clancy’s name were so fruitful that longtime publishing partner Ubisoft bought exclusive rights to his name in 2008 for an undisclosed amount.
Tom Clancy’s name was strong; his credibility and brand helped push Ubisoft into uncharted waters of success. Over the course of their partnership, Ubisoft released 11 Ghost Recon’s, 14 Rainbow Six’s, and seven Splinter Cell’s.
A consolatory statement on Ubisoft’s blog page reads as follows:
We are saddened to learn of Tom Clancy’s passing and our condolences go out to his family. Tom Clancy was an extraordinary author with a gift for creating detailed, engrossing fictional stories that captivated audiences around the world.
The teams at Ubisoft, especially at the Red Storm studio, are incredibly grateful to have collaborated with and learned from him, and we are humbled by the opportunity to carry on part of his legacy through our properties that bear his name.
The cause of Mr. Clancy’s death has not been disclosed. Ubisoft’s next game bearing Tom Clancy’s name will be The Division, due in 2014 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.