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    'Watch Dogs' delayed to spring 2014

    'Watch Dogs' delayed to spring 2014

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    Watch Dogs
    Watch Dogs

    If you're itching to hack into a dystopian future Chicago's connected machines and abuse your power over the PRISM-like surveillance state, you'll have to wait a few more months than originally planned. Ubisoft has announced that the hotly anticipated video game Watch Dogs will be delayed until spring of next year. Originally, the game was due to come out November 19th for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii U, with a release on next-generation systems after that. It was a key launch title for the next-gen consoles in particular, to the point where Sony and Microsoft sold pre-order bundles for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 with the game included. Now, the high-tech Grand Theft Auto-like game could arrive well after those next-gen consoles.

    "We know a lot of you are probably wondering: Why now?" the company's blog reads. "We struggled with whether we would delay the game. But from the beginning, we have adopted the attitude that we will not compromise on quality. As we got closer to release, as all the pieces of the puzzle were falling into place in our last push before completion, it became clear to us that we needed to take the extra time to polish and fine tune each detail so we can deliver a truly memorable and exceptional experience."

    Watch Dogs isn't the only game that Ubisoft is struggling with, though. The company is also delaying racing game The Crew until after March of next year.

    "Our long-term goal is to win the next generation."

    "Our long-term goal is to win the next generation. The tough decisions we are taking today to fully realize the major potential of our new creations have an impact on our short-term performance," said Ubisoft co-founder and CEO Yves Guillemot, in a financial statement accompanying the news. "We are convinced that, longer term, they will prove to be the right decisions both in terms of satisfaction for our fans and in terms of value creation for our shareholders. We are building franchises that will become perennial pillars of Ubisoft’s financial performance."

    As to the fate of those Xbox One and PlayStation 4 bundles, that's still unclear. When Kotaku asked Ubisoft to comment on the situation, the company offered this exceptionally vague statement: "Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo understand the importance of releasing games of the very highest quality for their consoles. Our partnership with Sony remains strong and we will have more details to share about the specific benefits of this partnership for PlayStation customers at a later date."

    Update: According to Polygon, both Amazon and GameStop are promising that those who ordered Xbox One and PlayStation 4 bundled with Watch Dogs won't lose their place in line. They can opt to get their console as originally planned, and have the game shipped seperately when it's available, or (in the case of GameStop) pick a different bundle instead.