Flying over the scenery in Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X will be closer to reality than most, with the announcement that Ubisoft has teamed up with GeoEye to incorporate high-resolution images taken from its Earth-imaging IKONOS satellite.

Working closely H.A.W.X will integrate realistic satellite images for every location in the game, including Rio de Janeiro, Cape Canaveral, and the Middle East.

"High-resolution satellite imaging is moving from the black world of intelligence to the white world of commerce and Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X will bring that reality to gamers," said Mark Brender, vice president, corporate communications and marketing at GeoEye. "With video game graphics becoming more realistic, the use of high-quality photographic ground textures in H.A.W.X adds true photo-realism to the air combat experience."

The H.A.W.X team has also worked with the U.S. Geological Survey and the Center for Earth Resources Observations and Science (USGS/EROS) to create a topographical 'underpinning' for the satellite imagery, which promises to create a very realistic representation of the Earth.

"We are extremely grateful to GeoEye for their collaboration with Ubisoft and pleased with the level of quality and service we've received," said Travis Getz, authenticity coordinator for the H.A.W.X development team. "GeoEye's amazing imagery, combined with the intense aerial combat experience in H.A.W.X, makes this a perfect partnership for everyone -- especially gamers."