Ubisoft Explains Why Watch Dogs Was Delayed On The Wii U

Ubisoft has explained why Watch Dogs was recently delayed on the Wii U! Although this was a short response, it's better than nothing! This article contains what was said.

[AKR]

Translation:

"The Wii U version doesn't mean that much to us. It's a pity release, that we anticipate will flop anyway. For that reason; we're focusing on the other versions first and foremost and will consider finishing up the Wii U version later."

My take on it:

It's this same, dumb mentality of putting Nintendo gamers last that turn off buyers. If it's a flop; that's on Ubi's head first.

[Muffins1223]

Why would they waste resources on something their going to loose money on?It cost them money to delay the release on other version just to build a version for the shitty wiiu. Their going to loose money on porting it so its not like i would be rushing out to develop it for wiiu either. Honestly the good version will be on pc and next gen consoles anyway so why on earth would you be mad if this gets delayed for wiiu, the version of it will suck to begin with.

[AKR]

The Wii U version could be beastly if Ubi does it correctly. Even if it may not look as good as the PS4, X1 and PC versions; Ubi already said it would look somewhere in between those versions and the PS3/360 versions. They said the same with ACIV: Black Flag; which turned out to look phenomenal on Wii U.

The only reason it would suck if Ubi WANTS it too. Many have already talked about how cool it would be to use the Gamepad, which is a perfect fit for such a game. Like Splintercell Blacklist, Deus EX, LEGO City: Undercover, Batman: Arkham City and ZombiU have used it prior.

The game isn't necessarily going to sell bad if Ubi treats it the same way they treat the other versions. Create a solid port, ADVERTISE IT, and endorse it. Give people a reason to buy the game on the U.

There is a user-base of 5 million. Why can't at least 1 million buy the game? That would be pretty good.

Sonic Transformed and Rayman Legends are two examples of good multi-plat titles that sold well on the system; because the devs really tried to promote it and entice buyers.

Personally; Watch_Dogs isn't my cup of tea. While it looks cool - it's not the type of game I'm into. BUT - I also don't like foolishness; which Ubi delaying the game (didn't Rayman teach them anything?), and giving a poor-excuse for doing so - very much equates to foolishness.

[OtakuDJK1NG-Rory]

then why spend money on it in the first place.

It publishers fault they waste money.

[Akuma07]

Saying that Ubi want the game to bomb is just stupid. Really really stupid. They would just cancel it if it wasn't a priority to them.

Stop being stupid.

[dantesparda]

@AKR

Umm, what are you talking about? ACIV was slightly worst on Wii U than on PS3/360

Dont believe me, here read this:
"Those hoping for the Wii U version to slip somewhere in between the PS3/360 and PS4/XO experience are in for a disappointment though. Ubisoft has created a two-tier product and the Nintendo version is very definitely pegged at the lower level. Native 720p resolution is standard here, and the same in-house post-process anti-aliasing solution is also in effect, delivering similar results to Xbox 360 and PS3. In fact, the only points of difference revolve around slightly reduced texture filtering in some scenes, and a cooler overall colour balance that doesn't quite covey the warm glow of the tropical sun quite as well as the other platforms. Both of these things are small nitpicks though, not harming the overall presentation in any meaningful way"

http://www.eurogamer.net/ar...

Oh boy here comes the fanboys who cant deal with reality so disagree with facts out of spite

[vishmarx]

they probably struck a deal with nintendo to make games for the wii u for 2 years or something.
why else would they try to eliminate every reasonable chance of someone getting the wii u version.
the wii u is flopping hard and i dont see why any dev that isnt nintendo would really make an effort to do things. they should be grate ubi is still making games for it.
wii u versions have sold abyssimally and things dont look any better now

[UltraNova]

By releasing Watchdogs on the Wii U they wont lose money but they wont make any either..

Think about it for minute..of the 5 million people who bought the console how many of them are the target audience for mature and time consuming games like Watchdogs? 100,000...200,000?

Yeah..frankly not too many for a AAA publisher to give a shit. In contrast to the =>4 million combined for the ps4 and xone.

Its a shame really but its Nintendo's hard head
that is to blame.

[mcstorm]

Well that could be my mind made up to grab the xbox one version. I was looking forward to this game on the WiiU along with Project Cars as this seemed 2 developers who were supporting the WiiU fully but looks like this is one game less. Its a shame as this game could of sold well on the WiiU but one thing about WiiU owners is they don't go out in there masses and support half assed ports.

[SilentNegotiator]

Nintendo fanboys love to take Nintendo's side in the Chicken or the Egg situation that is poor third party support on Nintendo home consoles, but Nintendo is far from innocent in starting that cycle:

Gamecube (less disc space in time of exploding game data, less buttons in time when games were getting more complicated), Wii (non-traditional setup and aim at casuals), and Wii U (less power in time when developers have been VERY vocal about consoles not being strong enough) all ignore the major development issues of their times. Nintendo is largely at fault for creating this cycle by not being third party friendly.

[ChickeyCantor]

"Why would they waste resources on something their going to loose money on?"

Then why develop it for the wiiu in the first place?

Why is there a fallacy going on that gamedevelopers develop a game with the end goal that it won't sell.

It's the most backward thinking ever.

[UltraNova]

@ChickeyCantor

Because the deal to make the game on the Wii U was surely made before the console's launch, when nobody wouldn't even imagine an outcome like this after the success of the Wii. (Based on the fact that the originally planed release date of the game was 6 months ago which falls within the 2-3 year new AAA game development cycle)

[Muffins1223]

Oh holy shit you can use it as a second screen,i get it you and all the other Nintendo gamers like this stupid gimmick.If it was soo good then Sony and Microsoft would be implementing it with smart glass and the ps vita...but oh wait no one cares about it but the people who wanna make the wiiu not look like shit do.Imagine me bragging about the dualshock 4 touch pad and how its a "game changer" or even using the vita as a second screen....that's how stupid it sounds to me.

OMG LOL "The game isn't necessarily going to sell bad"-"create a solid port, ADVERTISE IT, and endorse it"

But then you say "Personally; Watch_Dogs isn't my cup of tea. While it looks cool - it's not the type of game I'm into"

Maybe that's why they don't think Nintendo gamers will buy it?You literately just disproved what you said the reasons for it not selling when the real reasons are Nintendo gamers just don't like modern or allot of mature games.Not saying their are some good Nintendo games as i own a 3DS myself and that Nintendo gamers are all little kids but i have a good feeling most of the people who own a wiiu are kids that got it from their grandma who know nothing about the console and decided to give the kid it.

http://www.vgchartz.com/gam...

http://www.vgchartz.com/gam...

Yea Rayman legends and Sonic sold amazing and its sad if those are the best you can find that sold the most,im laughing my ass off right now with your term of "sold well"And yes the 360 version outsold it

You guys always come up with lamest excuses for why multi platform games look like crap on it compared to pc and ps4.ITs the hardware dude.....you simply can not play true next gen games on the wiiu graphically with Nintendo's hardware state and if you deny this your straight up fanboy .First party games only look good because they choose a cartoony style so its easy to run. Honestly if super smash bros was coming out on on ps4/xbox one/pc it would look so much better and the online servers wouldent suck dick.

IF the games also sells bad from bad port why did dues ex human do bad on it?Infact is every game a bad port for it?Because they all sold horrible.And ps4 multiplatform games broke record in sales compared to wiiu numbers and that was on launch day.Maybe the gamers for ps4 are actually not 13 year olds who go out and buy games for the system?Just a guess. Or maybe everyone just wants to play the games on their ps4 and pc and not on the wiiu?

Ive borrowed a wiiu and played it allot for wind waker and the console itself is okay and touchscreen is nice at times but its not something that makes me go "OMG THIS IS A MUST HAVE FEATURE" It never felt required for the game compared to the other console where you could get the exact same feature just less conveniently. Although their could be some cool ideas with it,their could also be the exact same cool ideas that are playable on smart glass or ps vita so its not like anything sony couldn't do. Thats the truth wither you want to hear it or not.

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

Way to mark yourself as a contrary Nintendo hater, full of hypocrisy and a desire to troll everyone that likes what you don't.
Heck, you even go out of your way to assume that there's no 13 year olds playing on the PS4, as if age is some sort of status symbol.
You must not go on CoD or BF much.

Seriously, just take your hate and GTFO. You've done nothing but embarrass yourself with this ridiculous anti-Nintendo tripe.

You went full Pachter.
You shouldn't have done that.

[Muffins1223]

Oh im a nintendo hater even though i said nintendo had good games and i have a 3DS.Its just if i say the wiiu is bad im suddenly a Nintendo hater?None of the decades i spent playing Nintendo count to you dipshit? Just because i called people who like the wiiu out and its true what i said how its a stupid gimmick,i guarantee you that stupid ipad controller wont be here next gen.

[Nevers0ft]

Heeeeeeey Nostradamus. You seem to know an awful lot and feel quite passionate for a console you don't own and have no interest in. How much time did you spend on your friends Wii U to be able to so accurately count the polygons on screen and the amount of post-processing being used? What is the server infrastructure Nintendo are using for their upcoming online stuff?

Some of your other comments are valid. The Wii U isn't as powerful as a PS4 but your level of disdain for anybody who isn't you (like the 14 year olds you want to oppress) just makes you sound like an embittered drama queen.

[Justindark]

your the biggest fan boy i ever seen lol. cartoon like? lol are you aware that most games are cartoon like? god of war for instance may have sorta a real like design but none the less it does not look real but more like for say the bat man cartoons or x men. uncharted as well reminds me of venture brothers. so in a sense they all are cartoon like look at gears? if by cartoon you mean colors then yeah maybe. nintendo uses colors. and anything sony couldn't do? like charge 250 plus 500 for the wii u exp for 300? hmm nice one. nintendos online works fine i get so much less lag playing mario kart then any ps3 game online only bad server was smash which is being fixed? grow up boy

[Justindark]

ipad controller? u mean like the ps move and the eye toy being used? ehhh ehhh?

[Riderz1337]

The game would have flopped either way. Doesn't matter when it would have gotten released.

Just be thankful you're even getting some third party support from Ubisoft.

[R00bot]

I am grateful, cheers Ubisoft. Still buying this despite the delay(s), hopefully they won't delay future Wii U games if this does well.

[quaneylfc]

What is it with the talk of "putting gamers last" the exaggeration that goes into that is staggering.

Especially to a console that is less aimed at families this time round. all that says to me is that people want shiny shiny next gen games that are pure style over substance.

[ShinMaster]

Dude, games like Call of Duty didn't even sell.

Part of the problem is the Wii U not selling. Where are the fans?

[saber00005]

Kinda high peasantry there buddy. Don't blame Ubisoft for deciding to delay for Wii U. If it's anyone who you should be mad at, it's Nintendo. The sales for the WD on the Wii U is EXTREMELY low. They made a very reasonable decision.

[CrowbaitBob]

"Personally; Watch_Dogs isn't my cup of tea. While it looks cool - it's not the type of game I'm into."

I believe this aptly describes Nintendo's target demographic and explains why the WiiU version isn't top priority.

For all their innovations over the years Nintendo has become a very narrowly focused company. It doesn't help that there are still die hard fanatics carrying the dated "graphics don't matter" line, as if there's absolutely zero potential gameplay benefit to be gained from superior tech.

There's simply no denying that every single game on the original Wii would have been better on more advanced hardware, with a competent online infrastructure, and a handful of other features that have been available on PS3 and 360 for the past 7 years.

Attempting to make all of that happen now, in a console that barely eeks out a technical edge over last gen tech is lazy and disrespectful to Nintedo's faithful. And yet there are still fanatics willing to pretend that none of this WiiU failure is Nintendo's fault.

[AKR]

I don't play heavily violent video games in general; regardless of what platform they're on.

I'm into racing games, and platformers, with a few strategy games thrown into the mix.

[jelani435]

Thanks for all your responses guys :D Make sure to join the discussion on the actual post. There are some pretty interesting ideas there :)

[Timesplitter14]

try not to self-promote too much

[jelani435]

Dang -_- welp, I tried to make it slick. Guess you guys saw right through it :p

[jay2]

Said to for ages.......... WATCH_DOG'S NEEDS TO GO NEXT GEN ONLY! Ubi could have done the novemeber 13 release date, at least it'll be out before July.

[Errefus]

Well seems like the Wii u version might be that version like "Need For Speed" Will look great and play great but wont sell a lot because it will be late to party...

[R00bot]

Honestly, if this is the trend for the Wii U, I aint even mad. NFS MW was great on the Wii U.

[Beastforlifenoob]

Oh i see you mean where

- assassins creed 4 runs at 20-25 fps at 720p?

- Or maybe GTA V? Wait whoops...

- OR maybe COD ghosts which runs at same res as ps360?

- Wait maybe its just that you consistently blame the developers, externalizing nintendo's problem, that is one VERY COMMON theme among psychopaths (medically speaking)

- Or maybe its the loss of long term thought and simply stating "The WII U will be fine" again another medical symptom of psycopaths.

- Manipulative expressions which is common amongst 100% of fanboys BUT PARTICULARLY PC FANBOYS.

- Definitve version of all your favourite games such as GTA V, Assassins creed 4, Killzone shadowfall, battlefield, last of us, elder scrolls, fallout, god of war, infamous, hitman, Gran turismo, Dead rising, Uncharted, Wait did I add a few that didnt come to the wii U? well better end that list.

- Another strong sign of psychopathy is denial and lack of realistic/rational thinking EXTREMELY COMMON AMONGST WII U FANBOYS

[Quetzll]

You hilariously negated everything you've said in that post in the final 5 words.

[R00bot]

Are you seriously saying that Nintendo fans are psychopaths? Really?

[fonger08]

You've obviously missed the meaning of psychopath with your little rant there. Your posts on the other hand go hand with the multiple personality disorder commonly referred to as a psychopath as when you respond to a post NOT referring to anything Nintendo you make sense, but when referring to any Nintendo... well, your exhibit A above speaks for itself. Secondly if you could please give me an example of Nintendo owner clamoring for God of War, Infamous, or GT (which are first party titles by the way), please post, cause last time I checked, and according to you, Nintendo buyers only want Mario and Zelda games... so I'm confused as to your point?

[Chrischi1988]

@Beastforlifenoob:
Dude, seriously, your post is exactly, what is wrong with gamers and gaming today.

Sorry, but you are, what people hate about gamers nowadays, please get a life or at least good mental health. What Wii U gamers have to take on this site is not funny anymore.

"Oh, he lives in denial" bla bla bla, really now, we just want to enjoy our console and you guys act like we are in some sect and have some kind of wrong believe or religion, like our lifes depend on it. This is really sad, no its not sad anymore, it is actually so sad, that it is hilarious again... And what is even worse is, that some people actually support that kind of behaviour. Some people should think about their priorities in life...

It is almost impossible to have a normal and intellectual conversation about the problems of a system or game, because of dumb haters like you. Hater like you think that is funny, but it is just plain stupid, nothing else.

[Justindark]

i think your the one with the mental issues. ppl like u are how racist ppl were born. it started like this. i dont want any of those game you enjoy your 4 to 6 hour uncharted while i play my 120 hour xeno blade ;) in fact beatint five wii games is like beating 25 ps3/360 games.

[MaxwellBuddha]

It sounds like they don't have enough manpower to finish all versions of the game for simultaneous release. I imagine they want to avoid a Battlefield 4-esque fiasco with Watch_Dogs since it's a new IP. You know what they say about first impressions...

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

I've said it before and I'll say it again; this game won't be getting my buy anymore.
I gave Rayman a buy in the hopes that going against the grain would get some sort of better effort on their part with future efforts, despite knowing that I had been burned by Ubi with the ditching of exclusivity and the delay on top of that.

Heck, I even took it a step further and nabbed Assassin's Creed 4 on Wii U on top of that.

I did my part for Ubi, and despite the delay, they did deliver a game worth keeping, but I still felt burned by the delay and the breach of exclusivity when the system was hurting badly for a good exclusive to attract interest.

And now they're just flipping me the bird despite my show of good faith.

Well, joke's on you, Ubi; eventual or not, I'm no longer purchasing this game.
On ANY system.
My wallet's closed to your future games, as well, until you rescind this sort of screwed up behavior.
As far as I'm concerned, you can ride EA's coat-tails right back into whatever hole you crawled out of.
Right along-side all of the other big third party devs who are either not developing games the right way for the system, or not even attempting it at all.

PS4 gamers wouldn't put up with this crap.
XBone gamers wouldn't put up with this crap.
PS360 gamers[which I am also one of, btw.*pats my PS3 affectionately*] certainly wouldn't put up with this crap.
And I'm not going to put up with it, either, as a Wii U owner.

They've got no one to blame but themselves for the game flopping on the Wii U at this point, when it does come out and the game, no matter how well the game pad is used, flops harder than a poorly-trained Magicarp.
They had their chance.

Rayman Legends sold best on the Wii U up till recently, when the PS3 surpassed it due to everyone on the Wii U moving on to Mario 3D World, and that should have been evidence enough that their presence was appreciated on the Wii U, and that we wanted better effort from them going forward.
I guess that lesson didn't sink in, because now they're pulling the delay crap AGAIN.
I guess the game selling best only allowed them to think they could continue to pull this kind of thing with multiplats on Nintendo systems.
And if they'd do it to Nintendo systems when they're in a sales slump, think of what they'll do the next time it's a different system taking flack...
That's right, same BS as now.

I'm done.
Until/unless they change, they can kiss my patronage good-bye.
I know I'm just one wallet and that it won't make a difference individually, but just you watch; if they continue to try pulling this crap, it WILL turn around and bite them where the sun don't shine eventually, on a much larger scale.
Enjoy the ride while it lasts, Ubi.
Because if you don't change, things might not end well for you.

[DonDon]

Ubisoft doesn't care if the collective handful (literally) of Wii U gamers boycott it. They'll likely only make a limited amount of copies since it won't selll well at all on the wii u (due to it's embarrassingly bad sales--ps4 has caught up to it in sales in only 2 months. Sad).

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

5+ million gamers is not a "literal" handful of any sort. It's much more than that.

Its sales are bad, but that's not something that cannot be solved, and as for the PS4, it's still riding launch hype right now. Most systems slow down after their fourth month, and I doubt it'll be any different with the PS4, especially at $400+.

[CrowbaitBob]

@wonderfulmonkeyman

Prediction: The PS4 will have plenty of first and third party support for its entire life cycle which will continue to drive sales well after any launch hype is exhausted.

[Chrischi1988]

Who cares for sonys first party?

I think it is a shame, that Ubi does this and I think, it is unfair, that gamers of other plattforms actually think this is good. Why are people so eager about others not getting to play a game, why does that make them happy? I can basically only think of one thing or a being, that behaves that way and that are selfish children, nothing else, really. Or does anyone have an explanation for people being asses about that?

And it is true, PS4 will probably sell best, but to think that it wont change, after launch hype is over^^ come on, of course salesnumbers will decline, that doesnt mean it wont be super successful or anything.

[MsmackyM]

Good post, I'll be passing on Ubisoft games as well. Until game publishers start giving the Wii U the same support and treatment as other consoles, I won't waste my money on their product on any console.

I mainly bought my PS4 for some Sony exclusives and some interesting multiplats that wouldn't make it on the Wii U, but it's starting to look like I'll be purchasing fewer 3rd party titles. If I do choose to buy them, I'll buy them used or get them free on Playstation Plus.

[N4g_null]

When I finally get a ps4 for god of war I won't be buying any more ubi games either. They have great ideas some times yet they just can't pull them off. Like most big publishers they just forget to make a game. Bring on the indies!

[CrowbaitBob]

Wow, imagine if you directed your anti-Ubi logic in Nintendo's direction. You know, the company that refuses to allow any of their beloved franchises to experience life on competent hardware.

I definitely would have bought a WiiU if it had come out even as late as 2010. Right now consumers at large are interested in new tech, not a last gen console with moderately better specs. Third party developers have historically supported consoles that consumers are interested in.

It's not Ubisoft's fault that Nintendo's top brass are too focused on gimmicks to adequately judge consumer interests. And don't fool yourself, as much potential as the tablet may have, Nintendo has proven that it's nothing but a gimmick by their own refusal to use it for anything compelling.

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

First, the hardware is more than competent. Its easy to develop for, just ask shin'en.(also, it is the very definition of idiotic to expect first party games like Nintendo's to sell on systems where the fans regularly make fun of said franchises, let alone for nintendo to entertain the idea of abandoning them to their rivals when one single system doesn't sell as expected. If you're really a fan of the games, you'll support the home they are meant to be played on.)
Second, tech specs do NOT define generations. Sequence does.
Third, it is entirely Ubi's responsibility to manager their own games, and how they are presented, on the console. If they screw up badly and their game doesn't catch attention, or worse, loses it due to their bad business decisions, that's on them.
And fourth, the tablet is not a gimmick. Its a benefit to the console that has not, by Nintendo's own admission, been given enough focus.
Its also the cheapest and most latency-free off-tv option on the market, and it does so without sacrificing any of the buttons that core gamers expect on their controllers.

[Geobros]

This explanation means nothing right? I am trying to decode their sentence and i realize that they said nothing.....lol!!!

[Gamer78]

I will buy this on wii u as I am supporting the system and I have enjoyed the other games Ubi has for the system. I just hope that they wont delay for 7 months again. I will fond other games to play if that is the case and they will lose my money.

[GadgetGooch]

Ubisoft explains???? This was news ten hours ago on a previous article.......

[Kevlar009]

There are just as many WiiU owners as PS4 or X1 owners, Ubisoft is as spineless as Activision or EA. What makes it worse for me is I actually trusted them to have integrity when it comes to making games for WiiU, but 99% of my respect for them is now lost. It almost makes me not want to buy games from them on WiiU, but there is still a glimmer of hope they will give WiiU the game it deserves, at the quality it deserves.

The WiiU had potential but everyone including Nintendo fkd it up. These are dark days indeed

[sprinterboy]

I am sure the wii u controller will have some cool features with watchdog's but at the end of the day gamers will choose the graphics improvements of the Xbone/ps4 imo, only gamers with wii u and maybe a 360/ps3 at home will choose wii u version and unfortunately that will mean low sales for wii u version imo. Shame the wii u is struggling as I feel all 3 have a place this gen. Never owned a Nintendo since n64 they just don't cater for me anymore, maybe I just grew up and have different taste now as when I was 10 yrs old I would have loved some of the wii u games

[Pyro2000x]

Remote Play says Hi & STFU

[Dravidian]

Doesnt remote play only copy what's on the screen?

[videgamenext1]

Its canceled on wiiu they want to say delayef then let it die silently

[MasterCornholio]

The same thing happened with Colonial Marines on the Wii U.

[videgamenext1]

That was an entire different case though. People actually want the Wiiu version of watch dogs. Aliens Cm wasnt recieved well at all so they dropped it because it shouldve not come out at all. If ubi drops watch dogs for wiiu it will hurt their fans and tons will be enraged. They need to show nintendo gamers better respect. Rayman legends wouldve done a million times better on wiiu had it launched in feb instead of september. Im going to wait for watch dogs on wiiu but will be pissed if it is dropped. Im guessing they want to wait till after at least mario kart 8 drops that will problably move 6 million wiius alone this year. No telling what smash bros will do.

[tigertron]

To be fair on Ubisoft, they probably started development for this game when the Wii U just came out before it was considered a flop and things have changed. Making third party-multi plat games for the Wii U just won't be very profitable, so from a business perspective I understand why UbiSoft has chosen to focus on the PS4/XB1/PS3/360/PC instead because they have a much larger install base.

[PrinceOfAllSaiyans]

I feel so bad for Nintendo fans. Keep your heads up guys. Hopefully y'all won't have to wait that much longer to enjoy this game. :)

[thegent]

What heartless people in this thread.

[Reeze]

If they delay it too long, I will lose interest. That's what happened with Rayman.

[mysteryraz11]

damn the wii u was such a bad idea nintendo should just scrap it