The recent delay of Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs came as a surprise, and disappointment to many. While the studio cited needing more time to improve quality as the reason, Wedbush Securities’ Michael Pachter thinks otherwise.
“We believe that management was also concerned about the strong competition for wallet share Watch Dogs faced at the holidays from Grand Theft Auto V, Battlefield 4, and a new Call of Duty, among others,” wrote Pachter.
“Grand Theft Auto V is only adding to industry uncertainty, as while it is bringing many previously-disconnected gamers back to the market, it also has achieved record-breaking sales that have tapped a certain percentage of gamer holiday spending months ahead of time. ”
“Given next-gen uncertainty and this very strong slate of competitors, we believe the two aforementioned delays were the right decision. By releasing Watch Dogs in Q1:15, Ubisoft has given its developers the opportunity to fully maximize the game’s sales potential in FY:15 and build a lasting franchise that the company could use to offset any future weakness for its established key franchises (displayed most recently by the disappointing Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Blacklist).”
Though Ubisoft will tell you otherwise, Pachter’s reasoning makes perfect sense. When you think about it, as upsetting as it is that we won’t get Watch Dogs next month, it was a smart move on the push the game back. With so many huge, well established franchises releasing new titles in the coming months, a new IP like Watch Dogs may have been overlooked, which would be a shame seeing as it really does look like a fantastic gaming experience.
Releasing it in the Spring will give it more room to breathe and without as much competition, there will be more of a spotlight focused on it, allowing for it to receive more attention from gamers.
Tell us, how do you feel about the Watch Dogs delay? Let us know in the comments section below.