Splinter Cell Conviction generated a ton of positive buzz at E3 2009. The demonstration for the game proved that Ubisoft was capable of turning the stealth genre on its head and making it far less aggravating by equipping players with the tools and abilities to truly navigate a hostile environment. Plus, Fisher executed a dude in a dingy bathroom -- nothing is better than that.

Below the fold is a taste of what we saw at the event. It’s the first -- and likely not the last -- developer diary for Conviction. Dubbed “Redefining Splinter Cell,” the diary deals with how Ubisoft decided to pull Fisher out of the stealth slump by using a core concept called “prepare, execute, and vanish.”

PEV isn’t abstract. Ubisoft has rigged the game to where you can choose how to play out each scenario. Even if you screw up being the stealthy, all you have to do is take care of the immediate threat and return to the shadow. It’s pretty cool.

By the way, this video took us over two hours to download and an hour to upload. Ubisoft sent this thing out in a stunning one-gigabyte .ZIP file. The hosting for it bombed right before we finished downloading, so we had start it all over again. Talk about annoying. We demand a Conviction cloth map or designer tee shirt in return for our vigilance.