The Wii U version of Watch Dogs has without a doubt been the most beleaguered of the bunch, but that isn’t stopping Ubisoft from shifting gears to make Nintendo’s edition the best it can possibly be. I’m not sure they’d say anything differently even if they detested the Wii U version, but hey; there’s no use being paranoid.
In an interview with Red Bull (I know, that confused me too), creative director Jonathan Morin spoke about the Wii U edition and how it’s being handled.
Right now [the Wii U version is] currently being done, but I’m not directly involved. We wanted to finish all the platforms that we are currently shipping. We needed those guys to get [the shipping versions] finished, and the good news now is that they’re all fully focused on the Wii U version, making sure it gets the attention it deserves to make it the best version it can be.
Though it’s not yet known when the Wii U version will be released, it’s certainly encouraging that the team isn’t simply squeezing it out next to the other editions. As a Wii U owner, I’m oft compelled to buy multiplatform games for the system, but only if they offer something substantially different. So far, it seems there’s a good chance of that.
Morin delved into other topics as well, such as why Chicago is a perfect fit for the game, in terms of both gameplay and believability within Watch Dogs‘ world.
Chicago has a very complex history. Chicago-style politics, as they say. It’s all part of the reason why we chose the city–it’s a city that has a checkered past. It’s an exciting city, but man, there’s a lot of corruption, there’s so much crime going on. For the world we’re playing around with, with all the lies and betrayal, it just fits. The power that comes with secrets, that’s a big thing for Watch Dogs. So if any city was going to take on a system like CtOS, Chicago would be a perfect place.
Interestingly, when asked if Watch Dogs‘ plot and thematic content were intended as commentary on the current state of privacy and NSA surveillance in the US, he said not at all. The development of Watch Dogs began before the general public even knew who Edward Snowden was. Despite this, Morin did say he hopes the game can play into conversations on the topic in a meaningful way.
Watch Dogs is slated for a May 27th release on PS3, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and PC, so if you haven’t already committed to the Wii U version, you can start getting excited whenever you’re ready. If you will be waiting it out on Nintendo’s console, well, maybe just keep your expectations in check for now. Better to be pleasantly surprised than disappointed.
