If there's one thing you can say about Ubisoft's marketing campaign for Watch Dogs, it's that they're trying to get the word out in really unique ways. As the release date draws near they've decided to demonstrate the power of real-life hackers, commissioning a series of videos that are guaranteed to wow you while simultaneously creeping you out a bit.
Watch Dogs Leaked, Available For Sale In Brazil
First they released the above video that's basically demonstrates the game turned into real life, showing off some amazing parkour stunts as performers run and leap across the streets and rooftops of Chicago. It's amazing by itself, the kind of performance that you'd want to share with friends just because it's so impressive. That's Ubisoft's genius here- they're targeting people who wouldn't necessarily be interested a gameplay trailer and getting them excited about a videogame.
They went for the same tact in this next prank video. Here they convinced people going into a cell phone store that they were given a special app that allowed them to take over the infrastructure of the city. It's a pretty impressive app- it can turn off lights no matter where you point the phone, including street lights. It even opens cars doors, can disrupt traffic lights and make ATMs spit out money. Of course things don't go well and the police get involved before the poor people are informed that they were being pranked. 10 million people have seen this video already.
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If these weren't brilliant enough, Ubisoft has commissioned a three-part documentary from MOTHERBOARD called "Phreaked Out" which examines how likely it is that hackers can do what Aiden Pearce does in Watch Dogs. The first episode is a retrospective of a day in August 2006 when two Los Angeles traffic engineers, Kartik Patel and Gabriel Murillo, remotely accessed the city's traffic control system and messed with the light sequences at four main intersections of the city, as part of a labor union protest.
This simple action createad a gridlock that lasted for days. It's terrifying to see how vulnerable we are to this kind of attack.
Expect the next two parts of this documentary to hit soon, and focus on other notorious hacks throughout history.
So kudos for Ubisoft for getting the word out about their exciting new game in new and fascinating ways. Watch Dogs will hit next Tuesday, May 27 for Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4, PS3 and PC.
