Snowblind was Deus Ex Clan Wars on GameSpot has the revelation that Snowblind, the first-person action game in the works at Crystal Dynamics that was subtly unveiled at this year's E3 (story) actually began its virtual life as the project known as Deus Ex: Clan Wars. Here's word on the project's origins, and why it changed course:

As it turns out, the similarities between Snowblind and Deus Ex are no coincidence. Sources close to the game's development confirmed today that the game began as Deus Ex: Clan Wars, the tactical "Deus Ex 'Action' game" mentioned in an Eidos financial report in April. "It did begin as Clan Wars," they said, "but it began to take a direction of its own."

Snowblind's "direction" falls somewhere between LucasArts' Mercenaries and Io Interactive's Freedom Fighters. Its setting is a massive civil war inside a collapsed Asian communist country (China, in this case), and will feature large levels that provide for free-roaming and fast-paced action. In the game's single-player campaign, players will lead a squad of AI-controlled NPC commandos which they must protect and heal in return for their service in combat. The game will also feature drivable vehicles, including several mech-esque contraptions.