Ubisoft Talks About Watch Dogs Delay

[Siren]

When Watch Dogs was delayed around the time GTA V released, many thought that Ubisoft was worried that their sales of Watch Dog would tank due to the popularity of the GTA series and also considering that Ubisoft created Watch Dogs in part to compete with games like GTA and Saint's Row. However, Ubisoft's Communications Manager Gary Steinman answered that question in a recent blog post on Ubi Blog and also answered other questions about the game in the comment section of his post where he revealed that the delay was not about the release of GTA V, but about the quality of the game.

"We respect GTAV quite a bit. It’s an incredible game. But this decision doesn’t have anything to do with any other game. The Watch Dogs team started work a few years ago with the vision to build the first truly next-gen new IP, which is a huge undertaking.

We won’t compromise on the quality and the experience of Watch Dogs, even if it means our initial timeline proved too ambitious. Ubisoft’s long-term goal is to be the best developer of next-gen games, and this starts with Watch Dogs. That’s always been the goal, and it remains the goal to this day."

Steinman further reiterated that the game has been in development for "nearly half of a decade" and that all they want to do is deliver a "exceptional" game.

"Watch Dogs already has an incredible depth and scope. We won’t compromise on the quality and the experience of Watch Dogs, even if it means our initial timeline proved too ambitious. We want to be the winner on next-gen, which means we need to make bold decisions and create games that will deliver unrivaled innovations. This is why the team is taking extra time to realize their ambitions for the game.”

“We know it feels like a last-minute decision, but we promise it was not a decision made lightly… We tested the game until the very last minute in order to make the most informed decision. It’s now clear that we need to allow for this extra time to fully realize our ambition, polish the game and really do it justice. This is why the team is taking extra time to realize their ambitions for the game.”

“The focus here is on delivering the best possible game and being a leader on the next-gen, rather than releasing the game prematurely. We know there will be some great games at launch (including Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag!), and in the window between launch and release. The team has been working really hard to deliver a really ambitious game within the original timeframe. We tested the game until the very last minute in order to make the most informed decision. It’s now clear that we need to allow for this extra time to fully realize our ambition, polish the game and really do it justice. We have high expectations for the next gen, and we want to deliver a game a truly exceptional and memorable game.”

“The game has actually been in development now for nearly half a decade. The whole team is doing an amazing job, and remains committed to the project. Their intention is still to deliver a truly exceptional and memorable game. The game has incredible depth and scope, and we think players will appreciate that even more thanks to the additional time we’re taking to fully realize our ambition and polish the game.”

Watch Dogs which was originally suppose to be release on November 19th was pushed back to Spring 2014 with no definitive date given.

via Ubi Blog

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[PeeKnuckle]

I'm very much looking forward to Watch Dogs. I'll wait patiently for it to be the best it can be.

[Siren]

People can cry "foul" all they want about why this was delayed.  I would much rather play a game that is complete, then one that still needs work due to a premature release.

[Dateranoth]

Yep. Give me a completed and well functioning game later.  I can wait.