Push back attributed to need for polish and fine tuning
Don’t tell Aiden…
Ubisoft has announced that its hacking-focused open-world game Watch Dogs and its racing title The Crew have been delayed to the 2014-2o15 fiscal period.
In a post on its blog, a Ubisoft communications manager Gary Steinman explained the reason for Watch Dogs delay. He said, “Our ambition from the start with Watch Dogs has been to deliver something that embodies what we wanted to see in the next-generation of gaming. It is with this in mind that we’ve made the tough decision to delay the release until spring 2014.
“We know a lot of you are probably wondering: Why now? We struggled with whether we would delay the game. But from the beginning, we have adopted the attitude that we will not compromise on quality.
“As we got closer to release, as all the pieces of the puzzle were falling into place in our last push before completion, it became clear to us that we needed to take the extra time to polish and fine tune each detail so we can deliver a truly memorable and exceptional experience.”
Watch Dogs had originally been set for release for November 22 for 360, PS3, PC as well as a launch title for both PS4 and the Xbox One.
The Crew, which had been set for release in the first quarter of 2014, was delayed to the second quarter.
Speaking about the delays, Ubisoft chief executive Yves Guillemot said, “Our long term goal is to win the next generation. The tough decisions we are taking today to fully realize the major potential of our new creations have an impact on our short-term performance. We are convinced that, longer term, they will prove to be the right decisions both in terms of satisfaction for our fans and in terms of value creation for our shareholders.
“We are building franchises that will become perennial pillars of Ubisoft’s financial performance. In a context of growing successes for mega-blockbusters, the additional time given to the development of our titles will allow them to fulfill their huge ambitions and thus offer players even more exceptional experiences,” he added.
Follow Marcus on Twitter: @M_M_DH