When Ubisoft announced back in October that Watch Dogs would be delayed, it was a giant disappointment, especially for people frazzled over what would happen with their next-gen console bundles. At the time, the official reason the developer gave for the delay was over quality, that the staff "needed to take the extra time to polish and fine tune every detail so we can deliver a truly memorable and exceptional experience." Not exactly forthwith, but now, Ubisoft has come forward to clarify the reasons why it chose to delay both Watch Dogs and South Park: The Stick of Truth.
Speaking to IGN, Ubisoft North America President Laurent Detoc provided a more detailed explanation of the logic behind decision.
"I'll tell you, at Gamescom, everybody was looking each other in the eye thinking we would be there at launch," Detoc said. "There were already some lingering doubts, but we were plowing through it. There were more than a thousand people touching that game. Then eventually, a month later, we said, 'this is not gonna fly.' Then it takes a few more weeks to decide how we're going to package that news for everyone. It's not just about delaying for the sake of delaying it. No matter how hard we try, we also put out games that are not good quality, unfortunately. It's not because we go out and say, 'great, let's make a piece of junk and put it out there.' It's really painful to us. But some games, you just can't make them that much better because of how they've been progressing. Part of the decision to delay Watch Dogs is also that. We know it's not where we want it to be."
South Park: The Stick of Truth was a more interesting case, a rarity if you will. Ubisoft is known for working internally, but the company landed Truth after THQ went belly up last winter. By that time, it was just about ready to go. However...
"Then we had a couple of meetings with the guys from South Park, and we realized that this was not at all where they wanted to go," Detoc explained. "Then we said, 'do we want to have a fight with these guys and ship the game without their support?' Be the guy who did the bad South Park game? Or do we bite the bullet and say, 'fine, give it another six months and see if we can get there?' In the end we had to give it another nine or 10 months. That's more than we thought. But we really reshuffled the cards dramatically with this one. It was trickier, because it was a third party - both Obsidian and South Park Digital Studios are third parties - in addition to what we're typically dealing with. So this one was more complicated."
As perfect as it would've been for the game's release to coincide with the closer of that three-part Game of Thrones styled skirmish arc, Stick of Truth was slapped with a delay, much to the dismay of fans. But for a good reason, one that is easily understood. As Detoc explains, "There's a long term and short term mentality that comes into play here. Ubisoft is very much focused on the long term. That's why quality is important. It's why I talk about brands the way I did earlier. It's why we built all these studios," he continued. "We have this motto inside the company: we want games to enrich people's lives. Starting from there, you give a lot of creative freedom to anybody and everybody who wants to do some game that can go along with that."
"There's a lot of history that goes into these games. We're not just sending a guy with a sword after another guy with a sword. I don't like to use the word much, because I think some people disagree, but there's a real art that goes into making these products. Do we give too much freedom for our own good? Maybe. But I think that so long as we continue to be in business and make enough money, it's a good thing."
As Detoc notes, delays are never, ever celebrated, by the developer, publisher, or fans. But that doesn't mean they're necessarily a bad thing. One of the benefits is that it does allow for more time on a project, so that nothing is rushed, and everything meets standards. In the case of Watch Dogs, Detoc feels the delay will ultimately work in the game's favor, enough so that it could be one of the truly impressive, and first stand out title for the next-gen consoles.
"I actually believe that Watch Dogs could have ended up being the best-rated game on next gen if it came out at launch. We wanted it to be even higher," Detoc said.. "The whole package is there already. But without sending them too many flowers, the guys at Rockstar have showed us again that if you make a 96-percent game, people will come. Watch Dogs, I can only hope we get to that level. There's an attachment to the brand, in the case of GTA, that makes people really want to give it that 100-percent review. We'll be missing that on Watch Dogs until we go further, potentially. That's what we're after."
Of course, it's a double-edged sword, because if you delay a game to make it better, that's exactly what the gamers will expect. Whether or not it delivers, we'll just have to wait and see.
Watch Dogs' open world of Chicago is home to a security network that would make Orwell piss his pants, responsible for keeping everyone and everything jacked in for the purpose of keeping tabs. At the same time, it allows players as Aiden to meddle with all manner of the city's infrastructure as they see fit - ATM's, traffic lights, security cameras, raise bridges, public transportation, access various networks, etc. The game releases this spring for PC, PlayStation 3 and 4, Wii U, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. An exact release date has not yet been given, but the game is expected some time in 2014.
Written and voiced by series-creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker, The Stick of Truth is said to provide the "definitive South Park experience." The game will sees players take up the role of the "New Kid," who teams up with South Park locals to save the world. "Succeed, and you shall be South Park's savior, cementing your social status in South Park Elementary. Fail, and you will forever be known... as a loser." The game is slated to arrive on for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC in North America in early March.
