In a conference call earlier today, Ubisoft revealed plans to release downloadable content for three of their holiday releases. Assassin's Creed II, Splinter Cell: Conviction, and Avatar are all posed to receive content after release, expanding the shelf life and dripping every dime out of the lucrative properties. However, compared to most of Ubisoft's titles, these three seem to be the least likely to receive paid content.

Assassin's Creed seems the weirdest, since developers usually stray away from continuing stories in DLC and, well, Assassin's Creed is all about story. The same goes for Splinter Cell, but there's a good chance the multiplayer featured in Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory might make a return, meaning it would be possible to release downloadable map packs. Even then, the multiplayer has never been a highlight, so asking gamers to spend money on what was usually seen as a secondary feature seems a bit off.

Then again, it's also incredibly strange that James Cameron's Avatar would get DLC. Movie tie-ins aren't ever held in high reguard in the industry, and usually have an extremely limited shelf life. This might also be a commentary on how seriously the developers are taking this project when compared to, well, most movie licenses.

It's a bit off, but as long as the games aren't shorted anything it isn't bad news. We'll ask for more details at E3, and keep you posted on any developments. In the meantime... save your money.