Ubisoft Montreal’s Patrick Guay came up on the official Ubiblog to explain why Watch Dogs was delayed from November 2013 to May 2014. Guay’s explanation is sure to ruffle feathers, but for what it’s worth he makes their case here.
If you remember, they had said then that the game’s delay was so that it could receive more polish, and here Guay explains what they mean. In this context, polish refers to that midpoint where you are finished but need to adjust things a bit. It encompasses different aspects of the game, such as UI elements, inputs, and also experience testing.
Guay gave two very specific examples of problem areas that needed polish. For example, they realized they had places events and items in parts of the map that fans were unlikely to visit or find on their own. They then had to move these events and items around so that they would be easier to find.
Example two was an idea they had early on, thought they did not have the scope for, and then decided to add in at the final hour. Looking at how Aiden could hack into communications systems, they decided to add in a high-pitch, high-volume sound push into a hacked headset. This is perfect to disrupt enemies before they could start shooting or throwing grenades.
In fact, Ubisoft Montreal decided to add in many ideas like this. When they initially announced the November release date, they knew they could ship it then and there. However, Ubi Montreal had the intent to make the game as good as it could possibly be, and with management support, decided to add these details in.
I know this will be lost to some of you, but in fact, this is the same situation Platinum Games’ Hideki Kamiya faced developing Wonderful 101 for the Wii U. The game could have been shipped sooner, but Kamiya felt the game lacked that special oomph until he conceived of Multi Unite Morphs. The game is all the more better for it, but as a result it missed the chance to release at a crucial time for the Wii U. To be blunt, this could be the reason the game ended up facing low sales.
Watch Dogs may be facing the same situation, and in spite of the best efforts of Ubi and the gaming media to rekindle interest, its momentum may have already come and gone. We certainly hope this isn’t the case, but obviously, we will be there to find out. Watch Dogs is releasing May 27 to Windows, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Playstation 3, and Playstation 4, and will come to Wii U at a later date.
