Ubisoft’s next-generation open-world game Watch Dogs has been delayed to spring 2014. The game was previously scheduled to launch in November for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PC, and Wii U.
“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,” Ubisoft said in a statement. “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,” the developer added. “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.”
Sony previously announced a special Watch Dogs PS4 bundle for the United Kingdom. With the game now delayed into 2014, an Ubisoft representative told GameSpot, “Our partnership with Sony remains strong and we will have more details to share about the specific benefits of this partnership for PlayStation customers at a later date.”
Regarding North America, the Ubisoft representative told GameSpot, “If you have pre-ordered a Watch Dogs bundle in North America please contact your retailer for your options.”
Ubisoft also delayed racing game The Crew today, pushing that title to sometime in the company’s upcoming financial year. This means the earliest the game could be released is April 1, 2014.
“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,” Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said in a statement. “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.”
As a result of the two game delays, Ubisoft has lowered overall company sales targets for the year. The publisher is now expecting between €995 million and €1,045 million in sales for the year, compared to prior targets of sales between €1,420 million and €1,450 million.
