In memory of the late great Tom Clancy, who recently passed away on October 25th of this year, I have compiled a list of 8 essential features that have made Clancys branded games the household name they are today. His games have sold in the tens of millions all around the globe and are still some of the most anticipated titles each and every year. The world already knew of him as a prolific author and several of his books had been made in to Hollywood blockbusters. So it wasnt a giant leap of the imagination to think that this would translate in to video game gold as well. Starting from his own company, Red Storm Entertainment in 1996 (which was eventually bought by Ubisoft for $45 million in 2000), Tom Clancy diversified his already highly-regarded brand into the sphere of video games. The first notable release was Rainbow Six in 1998 - the first real tactical first person shooter on the market and stood out against all its other run-and-gun predecessors. Before long the Tom Clancy brand became a symbol for games that rewarded patience, planning and precision. The next series from Clancy was Ghost Recon in 2001 and finally Splinter Cell emerged on the scene in 2002 and has been the franchises biggest selling and most award winning series. Combined, the series have sold nearly 80 million copies worldwide and are still as popular as they were when they first appeared. Hopefully this list will bring fond memories of Clancy gaming. Its not exhaustive and by no means absolute. So feel free to share your thoughts.