Those who have been eagerly awaiting an exciting new entry in Ubisoft's Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon series of tactical shooters... well, here's something, at least. The publisher announced today that 2011 will mark the release of Ghost Recon Online, a free-to-download PC shooter in development at Ubisoft Singapore.

Which precise iteration of Ghost Recon this game might be rooted in is currently unknown, though based on the first-released screenshots (which you can find in gallery format at the bottom of this story), the game seems to work within the same kind of near-future warfare that recent Advanced Warfighter versions operated within. Or maybe I'm just being seduced by the futuristic neon blue of that one guy's helmet, and it just takes place in Afghanistan or something. Again, we don't really know yet.

The online part is like a browser button. Get it?

What we do know is that the game will, like other "freemium" titles out there--yes, that's a thing--feature a microtransaction-oriented pay structure. Players will be able to download and play the game for free, and purchase a host of upgrades and premium items that will, at least theoretically, improve their in-game abilities and help customize the experience.

The title is scheduled to release in the second half of this year, with an online beta going live this summer. You can go to the Ghost Recon Online website to get additional details on the beta, or just sit here and kvetch in the comments about how this totally isn't Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, and how much it sucks that you have to wait until next year for that game to come out. Either is a completely acceptable strategy.