Watch Dogs
This article is about the video game. For other uses, see Watchdog (disambiguation).
| Watch Dogs | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Ubisoft Montreal |
| Publisher(s) | Ubisoft |
| Director(s) | Jonathan Morin[2] |
| Producer(s) | Dominic Guay[2] |
| Designer(s) | Danny Belanger[2] |
| Programmer(s) | Sebastian Viard[3] |
| Writer(s) | Kevin Shortt[4] |
| Composer(s) | Brian Reitzell Peter Connelly[5] |
| Engine | Disrupt[6] Havok Physics[7] |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows PlayStation 3 PlayStation 4 Wii U Xbox 360 Xbox One |
| Release date(s) |
|
| Genre(s) | Action-adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
| Distribution | Optical disc, download |
Watch Dogs (stylized as WATCH_DOGS) is an upcoming open world action-adventure video game developed by Ubisoft Montrealand published by Ubisoft. It is due for release worldwide on 27 May 2014[8] for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4,[10]Xbox 360, and Xbox One consoles.[11] The Wii U version of the game has been put on hold while the other versions are being worked on,[12] and is planned to release in the fourth quarter of 2014.[9]
The game is set within a fictionalized, hyper-connected version of Chicago, Illinois, which is managed through a centralised system called ctOS, developed by the fictional Blume Corporation. The single-player story is told through Aiden Pearce, a highly skilled grey hat hacker who can hack into the ctOS, granting him access to various electronic systems, either to obtain and control information or to interact with these systems to his advantage.
The game received over a combined 173 pre-release awards and nominations for both its displays at E3 2012 and 2013, including three awards and four nominations from the Game Critics Awards.
Contents
[hide]Gameplay[edit]
Watch Dogs is an open world action-adventure video game in which players control a vigilante named Aiden Pearce (voiced by Noam Jenkins),[13] who can hack into various electronic devices tied to the city's central operating system (CtOS), allowing various methods for the player to solve numerous objectives.[14] Examples include hacking into people's phones to retrieve bank data and steal funds, triggering malfunctions in equipment to distract other characters and hacking into traffic lights to cause collisions. Players can also receive information on civilians via augmented reality feeds, providing the player with information on demographics, health, and potential behavior. All of the hacking mechanic is done directly from Pearce's smartphone. He carries around a phone that is equipped with multiple applications, namely the profiler and the crime prevention system, but also applications that interact more directly with the environment around Pearce - interfering with mobile communications, traffic lights, etc. Objectives showcased in presentations include finding specific targets to kill, evading the police and following potential victims in order to stop their would-be killers. Combat utilizes a combination of stealth components and parkour, along with the mechanics of a cover-based third-person shooter.[15]
Hacking[edit]
The core game mechanic in Watch Dogs is hacking.[16] Aiden Pearce, the game's protagonist, is armed with a smartphone loaded with applications capable of hacking a major part of Chicago's infrastructure, such as traffic lights, bridges, steam pipes, fuse boxes, road blockers, etc. This phone is reportedly capable of over 100 total hacks.[17] Hacking is one of the most heavily marketed features of the game, and is central to both gameplay and plot.
Through his profiler application, Aiden Pearce is able to access chunks of information on every citizen of Chicago he meets at any given time. His smartphone is connected to the CtOS populace database, meaning he can learn people's age and occupation as well as small personal facts about them. Pearce is also capable of reading randomly generated text messages and of overhearing phone calls between two NPC's. These will sometimes lead him to new, unscripted missions. This gameplay feature was designed to make the world of Watch Dogs feel more alive and real, giving depth to the city of Chicago and its people. Additionally, Pearce's smartphone is constantly connected to the CtOS crime prevention system, a fictional tool originally designed for use by the Chicago Police Department. It notifies him when a crime is likely to occur in his vicinity, giving the player a chance to intervene and stop the crime. This contributes to Pearce's vigilante persona.
Because of the fact that Watch Dogs' interpretation of Chicago is governed entirely by the Central Operating System (CtOS), Aiden Pearce has the power to remotely access and interact with things present in his environment - examples of this are traffic lights, steam pipes, blockers, and even the city's lights. He can use these in combat situations to eliminate opponents, create diversions or create cover. He can also use them as a stealth tool to sneak by guards.
Multiplayer[edit]
The game features an asynchronous multiplayer element. The "multiplayer" experience is a one-on-one interaction between two human characters in which one player secretly joins the single player experience of another player.[18] The first player (which entered the other player's world) is tasked with finding the second player (who is initially unaware that another human is in their game session - no notification is given to the second player). Once the first player finds the second player, the objective is updated. The first player's new objective involves installing a back-door virus into the second player's smartphone, then hiding while the virus siphons a portion of the data the second player has collected. The first player must stay within a certain radius of the second player for the download to progress. Ubisoft has also announced several other multiplayer game modes, one of which including an 8 player multiplayer free roam.
Once the download is initiated, the second player is alerted that they have been hacked and that data is being stolen from their smartphone. Once the second player has been alerted of the intrusion their objective is to locate the first player who is stealing their data, and either kill the first player or cause them to flee to such a distance that the download is halted (a certain minimum distance must be maintained for the download to progress). Any stolen information increases the first player's power once they return to their own single-player session.
It was recently confirmed that an online free roam mode will be featured in the game.[19] Other multiplayer modes include CtOS Mobile Challenge, Online Hacking, Decryption, and a racing mode.[20]
Plot[edit]
The storyline of Watch Dogs game is built around the concept of information warfare, data being interconnected, and the world's increasing use of technology—questioning who exactly runs the computers they depend on. The game is set in an alternate reality version of Chicago, Illinois, which is one of many cities to feature a supercomputer known as a "ctOS" (Central Operating System).[21] The system controls every piece of technology in the city, and contains information on all of the city's residents and activities which can be used for various purposes.[22] In the game's universe, the Northeast blackout of 2003 was found to be caused by a hacker, prompting the development of the ctOS.[23] The game will put the player in control of Aiden Pearce, a highly skilled hacker and former thug. Due to a "violent family tragedy", Aiden seeks to bring his own form of justice to the culprits through the ctOS.[21][24] The creative director of Watch Dogs stated that the main story will be 35–40 hours long.
Development[edit]
Ubisoft Montreal began development work on Watch Dogs in 2009.[25] Ubisoft Montreal's creative director Jonathan Morin noted that Watch Dogs is designed to "go beyond the limits of today's open world games", referencing both its use of information as a plot point, and allowing players to control the entire city through its hacking mechanics.
The game was officially unveiled during Ubisoft's press conference at E3 2012. Although a copy of the trailer was accidentally posted early by Ubisoft's YouTube channel, it was quickly removed shortly before its official debut.[26][27] Ubisoft has since confirmed that the game will be released for Microsoft Windows and that PC is the lead platform for the game, Nvidia's TXAA will also be supported.[15][24][28]
On 15 February 2013, an upcoming promotional image of the game was sent to Kotaku by a GameStop employee, along with more story details. Photos of the flyer suggested thatWatch Dogs would arrive in Christmas 2013 for "all home consoles".[29] The "all home consoles" quote and potential launch window, alongside the press quotes which call the game a "truly next-gen adventure", created debate whether it was a hint at a PlayStation 4, Xbox One or Wii U release.[30][31][32] On 19 February, retailers including Amazon, GameStop, and Best Buy listed a Wii U version for pre-order.[33] During the Sony press conference on 20 February 2013, Watch Dogs was confirmed to be released on thePlayStation 4. Another demo of the game was also shown at the press conference.[10] Following the evening, the Wii U version was officially confirmed in a Ubisoft press release.[34]
Watch Dogs uses a new engine called Disrupt, built at Ubisoft Montreal specifically for Watch Dogs.[3] Ubisoft prioritized development of the PC and next-gen versions of Watch Dogs.[35] Senior producer Dominic Guay stated that the Wii U's GamePad is considered a "natural" fit for Watch Dogs.[36] Ubisoft's executive director for EMEA territories Alain Coore stated that Ubisoft wants Watch Dogs to compete with "open-style" games such as the Grand Theft Auto series.[37] The game's creators worked with Russian anti-virus firmKaspersky Lab to make hacking more realistic.[38][39] Originally planned for release on 19 November 2013 and as a launch title for Sony's PlayStation 4 and Microsoft's Xbox One, Ubisoft announced that Watch Dogs was delayed along with The Crew until after Ubisoft's next fiscal year, which begins 1 April 2014,[40] with the developers addressing the delay via UbiBlog.[41]
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