Topic: Watch Dogs Wii U version, 2014 "a possibility"

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"Yeah it's still alive," he said. "We still haven't defined a ship date for it, though. So it's on hold, to a certain extent for shipping."

He added that a 2014 ship date for that version of the game is still a "possibility."

"We don't have a specific ship date for it yet so it's considered within the year," he said. "So we're going to look at that and we're going to let people know as soon as we figure out an exact date for it."

One of the reasons the Wii U version of the game isn't hitting the same release date as every other platform is because it's the only version not being developed in concert by the team in Montreal.

"We have our studio in Bucharest working on it, and we wanted that team to have the time to explore the GamePad and be able to have fun with it and see how far they could push it," he said. "It's also an interesting platform, because it has its own strength, which we want to take advantage of, and we didn't want to delay all the other platforms for that one. So we're going to take the time we need to make sure the game is good (technically) when we ship it and that it also, game design-wise, makes good use of the specifics of the Wii U."

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Guay still believes the Wii U is a good fit for Watch Dogs and its playstyle, in particular because of the GamePad.

"I mean, for our game, when we play with everything being connected, we need to make smart use of it," Guay said. "And also, the Wii U came along at some point in our production, so it planned through for it, and now to a certain extent we wanted to be ambitious with it, be able to go full-on and make full use of the platform. That's why we're taking more time, but it's being worked on so that's good."

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The game development's shift to Ubisoft Romania in Bucharest was driven in part by a question of capability, Guay said. He added that that specific team is extremely strong technically and that there was a lot of technical work that had to go into getting the engine that drives Watch Dogs to work on the Wii U.

"It wasn't running on Wii U initially," he said. "They were the perfect team to do it. Our Bucharest studio is super strong, super strong engineers and I was impressed by how quickly they got to get the game running on the console. And they were so autonomous in doing it. Obviously we're communicating and we're working together, but they were so quick and smart in doing it, it still made sense for them to keep ownership. Obviously they're using the same game content, so they're not building other game content. It's the same game content that we'll adapt for the needs of the specific needs of Wii U. But at the core, same game, but they made all the technical adjustments for it."

http://www.polygon.com/2014/3/6/5473924/watch-dogs-wii-u-rele...

The other Skus of the game are slated for May 27th.

Ubisoft's handling of this game has been a joke to the point I belive its been canclled and they're just buying time as not to negativily impact sales of the other SKU. Even the quote sounds like it was badly manged in a way that it sounds like the Wii U version wasn't even started being worked on until the middle of last year.

Saying that 2014 is a possibility is a joke and I wish that they'd be up front with us.

We should know later this month about Unisofts overall direction with the next AC game is announced.

Well, I am only going to buy this game for Wii U so I am willing to wait. The NintendoLife article made me way more excited for the WIi U versions than the others as they won't have any GamePad functionality. I hope that any DLC release for Watch_Dogs between May 27th and Wii U version release date will come free to Wii U. (like our payment for waiting lol) but wouldn't mind if that didn't happen. Still going to get the game

I'm getting this game for my Wii U.

Not sure if you noticed but you double posted.

I'm pissed because this Game will have big ad campaign, probably midnight launches - all the bells and whistles...And the Wii U version will quietly slip in the back, late to the class and no one will notice.

But yeah - go ahead Ubisoft, prepare your excuses of why it won't sell well on Wii U.
A lot of people own another console other than Wii U, so if they had to decide what to get it on, now they are forced to choose. PS4 bundle - wonder how many of them they will sell. Would a Wii U bundle do the same favours? It's such a bollocks move by Ubi.

I'm still got my Wii U version pre-ordered. If I decide not to get it on Wii U I prob won't bother buying it at all. It's always nice to play something when it's new, everyone all hyped about it, so I could be dissuaded.

Actually Imagine a world like this...

"You walk in to your local GAME (or Gamestop if your US hehe) Getting hyped up for a midnight launch...Posters everywhere, you see a people mingling round.
Set up next to the playable PS4 demo booths you see stacks of These http://s.pro-gmedia.com/videogamer/media/images/pub/large/wat...

...At this point you look to you right and see people crowding round someone playing Watch Dogs on Wii U, using the gamepad for some cool hacking madness, people are genuinely intrigued by how cool this game is, and right next to this Wii U demo booth, a pyramid, formed of these:

Alas, we live in a world where the Wii U is never involved in equal footing. And something how I described above sounds too good to be true, a world where the same platform is given to nintendo as Sony or Microsoft, where people can actually feel like they are being invited to partake in the Wii U's glorious light eminating from the gamepad, instead of trying to persuade you to not engage with it - like an unwanted house pet or something...I stopped feeling angry now - just a little defeated really

It is what it is.

It is delayed because Nintendo instructed them to make the gamepad optional. Everyone should know that by now. They are doing a porr job hiding that fact.

I too have this pre-ordered on Wii U and will wait for the Wii U version. I expect it to be superior to PS3 and 360 and PS4 and Xbone have no games so why would I bother to own either of those systems at this point.

There's 2 threads still...

Anyway, I just find it interesting that the Wii U version was supposed to come out back in November, along with all the other versions, but somehow the delay made an even bigger delay for Wii U.

except that goes against everything that is being said. The article says how Ubisoft wants to make sure they use the GamePad as much as possible (without taking anything away from the experience) and Nintendo has stated they are going to be pushing the GamePad more...

The only reason I can see for the Wii U version being delayed is that they must have made a lot of changes to the other versions and the Bucharest studio has to wait until they are completed before implementing them into their game.

Sources or GTFO, please.

it was sarcasm(I hope, I REALLLLLLLY hope) if they had changed plans to make the gamepad optional they would just have a map slapped in the gamepad screen and release along with the other versions(not saying this won't happen but if it happens Ubisoft will lose all the reputation they have left in Nintendo systems) it's easier to remove exclusive features to add more(common) control methods, after all

I'm willing to buy this still on Wii U, but only if it makes good use of the GamePad. 2014 being a possibility doesn't really inspire confidence, maybe 2015 is another possibility, Ubisoft sure knows how to make their games a commercial flop on Wii U. They screwed themselves with the Rayman Legends release and now this. Watch_Dogs was never going to be a big seller on Wii U, but I expected some 250,000 units sold if everything went well. Now, I'm not sure it will make past 50,000. It might end up being a superb version, but too little, too late.

Ugh wanting this game less and less every day...

@open

Ubiaoft tried with a ZombiU bundle but Ninte do didn't do anything to push it at all.

This was never going to sell anywhere near 250,000 and they knew that when they saw the Assassins Creed IV numbers. At that point, they pulled everyone off the Wii U version and got them working on the others. Why use all that resource on something that is going to sell bad anyway? Of course this will hurt the Wii U versions sales, but they were going to be insignificant anyway.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-03-06-why-watch-dogs-w...

The one casualty in all of this is the game's Wii U version. Nintendo's low install base makes work on its struggling home console an easy choice for re-prioritising.

"It's been paused," Morin states of the Wii U build, which means delayed.

"There were some very talented programmers working on it and, when we started to point at the things we needed to fix, we needed those guys and their experience. It was a logical choice to say - let's get those people, let's pause the Wii U thing, let's make sure the experience is where we wanted to be.

Once other versions are done, "then Wii U can get back into place," he concludes.

Well I bought it and it was awesome, and I'd definitely buy Watch Dogs with Game Pad features, even if it comes out in 2015

Sigh, at least I have MadMen Football from AE Games to look forward to in 2014.

yeah this killer title will be GOAT for sure.