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A gaming year is often summed up by crowded, high-profile release windows, typically in November as Holiday shopping and Black Friday insanity sweep stores in multiple territories. While this week isn't quite on that scale, it does see the rather brilliant Mario Kart 8 on Wii U go up against Watch Dogs on, well, everything else. There was once a time when Ubisoft's sandbox hack-a-thon was also coming to Wii U alongside other platforms, but it's now simply due on Nintendo's system at some point in 2014, making this a bit of a face-off for those with both Nintendo's latest system and another console fighting over attention.

In some senses it's a scenario that best reflects the current status and objectives of Nintendo with Wii U, whether entirely intentional or otherwise. On the one hand we have a much-hyped multi-platform, mature title — which has gathered solid review scores so far — and from the big N we have the latest in one of its most successful and well-loved franchises. Mario Kart 8, of course, has the added pressure of boosting hardware sales, as Nintendo's HD system shoots for a much needed increase in its user-base ahead of other major exclusives on the way later this year. Watch Dogs, strangely, had some of that pressure last year when it was planned in bundles for the PS4, as an example, with some then disappointed when it was delayed. How much that delay has harmed the Ubisoft title is yet to be seen, while it'll also be curious to see whether it performs best on PS4, Xbox One, PS3 or Xbox 360.

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Two opposites collide then, though Watch Dogs may have an extra chart advantage — along with its five platforms when including PC — as it's arrived three days ahead of MK8, giving it more time to make an impact in weekly charts (such as those in the UK) and monthly equivalents, as the U.S. NPD results will show in mid-June. With both factors considered we'd expect Watch Dogs to win the all-format sales battle, though it'll be fascinating to see what kind of performance Mario Kart 8 can muster against what's become — this week at least — a marketing onslaught from Ubisoft; the publisher has even taken away the underscore of Watch_Dogs, a minor detail that could trip people up for a while yet.

What about you, though? How are you spending your hard-earned cash this week? Are you getting both of these blockbusters, one of them, neither? Perhaps you're even waiting for Watch Dogs on Wii U? Hit up the polls and comments below to let us know.

Which of these games are you buying this week? (785 votes)

  1. I'll be buying both10%
  2. Just Mario Kart 881%
  3. Just Watch Dogs1%
  4. I haven't decided yet1%
  5. Neither of them6%

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Which of these games has you most hyped? (753 votes)

  1. Mario Kart 8, all the way84%
  2. I'm more excited about Watch Dogs5%
  3. Ooh, impossible to compare my hype levels for them7%
  4. I'm not bothered about either of them4%

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Which Watch Dogs version will you buy? (769 votes)

  1. I'm going to wait for the Wii U version48%
  2. PS48%
  3. PS31%
  4. Xbox One2%
  5. Xbox 360  0.4%
  6. PC4%
  7. I'm not sure yet10%
  8. None of them27%

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