Watch_Dogs (PC/PS4/XB1/PS3/360/WiiU)

[shidobu]

doesnt matter; master race

mai nigga

[Correction]

cool, don't have to update the wii u chalkboard yet.

[Souj]

At this point the game is very close to done. It would be foolish to already put this much time and money into it then cancel it for one platform.

There have been games that have been nearly 100% complete and still get never come out.

[Qalbert]

there have been games that came out and then got cancelled
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013...after-release/

[Tyrath]

How many of those games have been AAA titles? I don't see this much money being put into Watchdogs for it to not come out.

[Correction]

How many of those games have been AAA titles? I don't see this much money being put into Watchdogs for it to not come out.

At least one.

[fantasticdan]

Do those annual sports games really have 'AAA' budgets? I figured they were pretty cheap to churn out, with how much they recycle between titles.

[Correction]

Do those annual sports games really have 'AAA' budgets? I figured they were pretty cheap to churn out, with how much they recycle between titles.

The licenses don't come cheap, not for the teams, not for the NBA, not for the players likenesses.

[Qalbert]

hmmm...
http://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=85...e=statusSearch
http://www.igameresponsibly.com/2014...ogs-trademark/

We know that Watch Dogs has seen an extensive release delay already, but this really comes out of left field. It seems Ubisoft holds six different US trademarks for Watch Dogs, some of them for game software, and others for merchandising purposes. According to the patent office, the publisher has filed an express abandonment for the primary application that holds precedence to game software and electronic programs.

You can see the entirety from the US patent office here. We’ve reached out to Ubisoft for further clarification. If this is true, the development of Watch Dogs could be in jeopardy.

[Correction]

They're renaming it to Candy Dog Saga to fuck with King.com

[Qalbert]

http://www.polygon.com/2014/2/3/5374...ogs-trademarks

Ubisoft filed to abandon the Watch Dogs trademark, according to the trademark's listing on the United States Patent and Trademark Office website, but that doesn't mean that the game is dead.

Polygon spoke with Jed Wakefield, intellectual property litigation specialist at firm Fenwick and West, who said the application for abandonment doesn't necessarily mean a game cancellation or that Ubisoft will discontinuing using "Watch Dogs." Wakefield said it's possible the way the game will be presented has changed, which would necessitate the need to cancel and reapply for the name with a modified description of use.

"It doesn't look like an intentional abandonment of the mark altogether," Wakefield said, noting the five remaining trademarks were all extended recently. "There could be other practical reasons that they are letting that particular application go. They could be coming up with a different description and will reapply using that description.

"Sometimes people withdraw trademark applications as part of a resolution of a dispute of someone else using a trademark," he added. "It could be other people who own trademarks involving the term 'Watch Dogs' or other kinds of software might have reached out and expressed concerns. Or it could mean the way they're actually releasing the game would mean they couldn't come up with specimens of use that would meet the description in that particular application."

Ubisoft has filed six trademarks for Watch Dogs, none of which use the underscore for the stylized version of the title, "Watch_Dogs." These trademarks cover video games and online games as well as clothing and "entertainment services," including television programs, toys and video game instruction manuals. The abandonment application was filed on Feb. 1 for the trademark covering "game software and electronic game programs," stating that the applicant, Ubisoft, "filed an express abandonment." The application was signed by Ubisoft chairman and CEO Yves Guillemot. Ubisoft previously filed for extension of the trademark on Dec. 3, 2013, and it was granted on Jan. 28, 2014.

In addition to software, the trademark in question — created in June 2012 — also mentioned "software games recorded on CD-ROM and digital video discs for computers; software games recorded on CD-ROMs, digital video discs and cartridges for console and individual, portable gaming systems; software games that are downloadable from a remote computer site and electronic game software for mobile phones, personal digital assistants and handheld computers." Wakefield said Ubisoft could also be canceling this application because the publisher is planning to rely on the other five — one of which is expressly used for "entertainment services namely providing an on-line computer game for others over global and local area computer networks and providing information on-line relating to computer games, video games and computer and video games related products."

"From a big picture standpoint, sometimes a description of goods in an application becomes unsupportable as your product evolves and you realize that your technology or your product have outstripped the words you used to describe the goods and services," Wakefield added. "I wouldn't read into it that the company is not planning on using the mark, nor would I read into it that they're not releasing the game because of it."

Last month, reports began circling of GameStop stores in Italy and the U.S. canceling pre-orders for Watch Dogs on Wii U. Ubisoft confirmed with Polygon at the time that the Wii U version had not been canceled, but Nintendo's third quarter financial report published on Jan. 30 did not list Watch Dogs as a Wii U title coming this fiscal year. Ubisoft again confirmed that the game was slated to launch in the first quarter of Ubisoft and Nintendo's fiscal year 2014-2015, which begins in April.

Polygon has reached out to Ubisoft to clarify what this trademark abandonment means and will share more details as we have them.

Update: A new filing submitted today with the United States Patent and Trademark Office is petitioning the director of the office to prevent the abandonment, saying the original request was fraudulent.

"On February 1, 2014, Ubisoft Entertainment received an email from [email protected] notifying Ubisoft Entertainment that a Request for Express Abandonment had been filed in connection with Application Serial No. 85642398," according to the filing. "The Request for Express Abandonment purports to be signed by the Chief Executive Officer of Ubisoft Entertainment, Yves Guillemot.

"Mr. Guillemot, however, did not sign the Request for Express Abandonment, nor did Ubisoft Entertainment file the Request for Express Abandonment. The Request for Express Abandonment is fraudulent and was not filed by Ubisoft Entertainment or its representative."

The petition is requesting that the director of the Patent and Trademark Office revive Ubisoft's trademark for Watch Dogs "promptly."

[Correction]

Haha, punked

And it looked like the Wii U version isn't canceled. Nintendo is saved.

[Insanecyclone]

I want the Wii U version anyways.

[Ratatapa]

So much drama for a game

[Serra]

Hackers! It's all publicity for this game!

[Uzor]

Its probably Abstergo Industries in cahoots with ctOS to prevent the entire world learning of the giant conspiracy.

[Qalbert]

Haha, punked

And it looked like the Wii U version isn't canceled. Nintendo is saved.

and now Polygon has retracted that saying they sourced it wrong, Gamestop said it wasn't canceled Ubi still says "no comment".
sigh

[Correction]

and now Polygon has retracted that saying they sourced it wrong, Gamestop said it wasn't canceled Ubi still says "no comment".
sigh

Secretly this is an ARG by Ubisoft to astroturf a 'save Watch_Dogs Wii U' campaign so fanboys will sign petitions, buy consoles and help pump up the contribution of Wii U SKUs to their total sales over 1% for a change.

[octopus]

Trademark reinstated:

http://www.polygon.com/2014/2/5/5383...mpt-to-drop-it

[Qalbert]

according to GAF

Ubisoft has pinned Watch Dogs to a first quarter 2014 release. The news comes from the company’s third quarter earnings announcement.

“Fiscal 2014-15 will see an exceptional games line-up, with the release of five major titles including Just Dance, The Crew and Watch Dogs, which is scheduled for release in the first fiscal quarter,” CEO Yves Guillemot writes. The publisher hasn't spoken again about which platforms on which the game will appear.

From Ubisoft's conference call:

It was just confirmed that the Wii U version is to be released after the PS4/XB1/PS3/360/PC versions at a later date.

this is secondhand info obviously so grain of salt
update:

In a statement provided to VideoGamer.com following the announcement, a Ubisoft spokesperson said:

"We made the difficult decision to further delay the release of Watch Dogs on Wii U to focus the team's resources where they could have the broadest possible benefit for both our customers and Ubisoft".