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Is Watch Dogs 2 Making a Huge Mistake?

Is Watch Dogs 2 Making a Huge Mistake?

Watch Dogs 2 is coming on November 15! It’s fantastic news, and we’re going to get to play a game that will hopefully both expand and improve upon the original release. Except not everyone will be enjoying it at once. Ubisoft has announced a Watch Dogs 2 PC delay. Nothing too substantial, as it’s only been put off by two weeks to November 29, but it’s still a regrettable occurrence, especially since everyone else will be playing. Should we really be upset or concerned by this, however?

Let’s think about the release date, first. The PC port is only going to arrive two weeks later. It isn’t like it’s coming a month after the fact. Hell, Watch Dogs 2 will still be on consoles and PCs in November even. That’s encouraging news, and it will even give those of us going for the computer version an advantage. We’ll be able to know exactly how good or bad the game is. We’ll be able to hear informed insights from both critics and players. Sure, we might also hear spoilers, but open-world games such as this are really more about the experience.

It isn’t like this is a delay where we aren’t hearing exactly why things aren’t going to plan. Ubisoft has kept us in the loop. When it announced this brief delay, it offered a general explanation as to why it was happening. The game isn’t coming out two weeks after the console versions just because Ubisoft can do that. It’s to make sure that PC-specific features and details, like the uncapped framerate, ultra textures, and Extra Details 4K resolution options are working properly and providing a satisfactory experience. It wants things to be right and is willing to act accordingly. Which could mean fewer day one issues and patches later on. Those are good things.

Especially after what happened with the Watch Dogs PC port. Do you remember what happened when it appeared? Let’s refresh our memories. The PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC versions all appeared on May 27, 2014. There were rampant issues with the Windows edition. The mouse sensitivity and smoothness were unbearably slow. It was a stuttering, screen tearing mess, some of it due to texture quality, and it was difficult for people to reach the target 60fps. It was an inexcusable mess. Worse, it took months to fix Watch Dogs’ s PC issues. A comprehensive patch that finally fixed most of the issues, not all, didn’t arrive until July 29, 2014.

Is Watch Dogs 2 Making a Huge Mistake?

Think about the reason Ubisoft offered for the Watch Dogs 2 delay again, after thinking back to Watch Dogs’ past. Texture issues were part of the problem with the game. There were performance optimization issues, especially regarding the ultra texture settings. What did Ubisoft say it would spend that extra time leading up to Watch Dogs 2’ s new November 29 launch day? It would work on ultra textures and framerate. Those are two of the biggest problems from the previous game’s launch, and Ubisoft is (hopefully) learning from its past mistakes so history doesn’t repeat itself.

Way back in 2013, Ubisoft said it wanted to have a better relationship with PC gamers. That means delivering better quality products at launch. While a delay may not seem like a good way to make part of the fanbase happy, it’s the sort of thing that might be more beneficial in the long run. Better that Watch Dogs 2 is two weeks late to the PC market, then releasing alongside its console brethren while in need of a patch that might be weeks or months away.

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