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Watch Dogs no longer listed as 1080p, 60fps on PS4
Sony's Watch Dogs product page no longer lists 1080p or 60fps as part of the game's selling points. This weekend, the PlayStation site listed Watch Dogs for PS4 as follows: "Hack everything as you make your way through Chicago's underground as you experience Watch Dogs in a way that only PS4 can provide, at 60 Frames Per Second in 1080p." Now, the final prepositional phrase of that description is gone. There's no word on why the specs were extinguished, especially since the wider internet already caught wind of them. Maybe Sony's site was hacked by a savvy Chicagoan techno-wizard with a baseball cap and a smartphone. Maybe. Ubisoft hasn't provided any other targets for Watch Dogs' resolution and framerate on PS4 (or Xbox One). Watch Dogs is due out on May 27 for PC, Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360 and PS3. [Image: Ubisoft]
Sony listing touts Watch Dogs at 60fps, 1080p on PS4
While Ubisoft has yet to confirm technical details of its open-world vigilante simulator Watch Dogs, a Sony summary of the game on PlayStation.com claims the game will run at 1080p and 60 frames per second on the PS4. The full text reads: "The world of Watch_Dogs comes alive on PS4 with the best graphics on any console and exclusive missions found only on PlayStation. Hack everything as you make your way through Chicago's underground as you experience Watch_Dogs in a way that only PS4 can provide, at 60 Frames Per Second in 1080p." Watch Dogs recently faced harsh criticism when a recent gameplay trailer failed to live up to the visuals set forth by the game during its E3 2012 debut. [Image: Ubisoft]
Joystiq Weekly: Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, Child Of Light, Xbox Originals and more
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. We'll be able to get a social-oriented sci-fi fix in Destiny later this year, complete with flashy superpowers and an arsenal of weaponry that further convinces us of how awesome the future will be. And with Mass Effect undoubtedly coming along and the whole Star Wars thing, it feels like a pretty great time to be a sci-fi fan. Whether you want to watch a saga play out or guide its progression, you'll probably have some great choices consuming your life in the near future. Of course, it's possible that the collective sci-fi genre bores you, which is why we brought you this fresh edition of the Joystiq Weekly. Yes, there's a slew of Destiny-flavored video content, but there's also a glimpse of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, reviews for Child of Light and Mario Golf: World Tour, and an exploration of Microsoft's original content plans for Xbox. You can read up on these stories and more after the break!
Ubisoft now 'fully focused' on Watch Dogs Wii U
The Wii U version of Watch Dogs is getting attention now that the other platforms are done, which hopefully means it'll make its listed fall launch. The Nintendo console's version was delayed earlier this year to focus resources to where they could have the "broadest possible benefit," according to Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot. "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," said Watch Dogs creative director Jonathan Morin to Redbull Games. The game will launch on other platforms May 27.
Watch Dogs season pass detailed, includes new single-player campaign
Ubisoft outlines its DLC plans for Watch Dogs in the newly launched trailer above, revealing that Season Pass buyers will receive access to a variety of additional single-player content. Watch Dogs' Season Pass includes a new mini-campaign starring supporting character T-Bone, along with three additional missions and five costumes for use in the game's core single-player campaign. The Season Pass also bundles the "Conspiracy!" Digital Trip mode and the exclusive "Untouchables" pack, which includes a 1920s-style gangster costume and Tommy gun. All DLC packs will be available for Season Pass owners one week prior to their public release. Watch Dogs' Season Pass is priced at $19.99. [Video: Ubisoft]
Nine minutes of futuristic cell phone use in Watch Dogs multiplayer
In a nine-minute walkthrough of Watch Dogs' multiplayer component, Animation Director Colin Graham takes us through streets filled with people staring at their phones. It's the future. Watch Dogs is due out on May 27 for PC, Xbox One, PS4, PS3 and Xbox 360.
Don't just Watch Dogs, read about them in an upcoming eBook
When Ubisoft's highly-anticipated hacker adventure Watch Dogs debuts on May 27, it will be accompanied by a newly-announced eBook dubbed "Watch Dogs //n/Dark Clouds." As that grammatically baffling title suggests, the book centers on the sort of near-future cyberpunk intrigue that fuels the plot in Watch Dogs. Storyline details are scant, but we do know that the novel follows ex-military operative Mick Wolfe as he becomes embroiled in the dangerous world of Chicago's underground hacker elite. It's currently unknown if Aiden Pierce, protagonist of the Watch Dogs video game, will feature in the novel, but given the promotional aims of this eBook, it seems likely that Mr. Pierce will show up somewhere in the text. Sci-fi and fantasy author John Shirley has been tapped to pen the eBook. No stranger to genre adaptations, Shirley's previous efforts include novels based on Borderlands 2, BioShock and id Software's DOOM. "Working on Watch Dogs was enormously interesting to me because its world offers the convergence of cyberpunk and the edgy tech reality of our times; it all plays out with action and energy against the inner city backdrop that I thrive in," Shirley said. "Working with Thomas Geffroyd and Kevin Shortt at Ubisoft to develop the book was a rocking experience - Ubisoft is right out there on the frontier of videogame development. I couldn't ask for more inspiration." [Image: Ubisoft]
Watch Dogs Nvidia trailer offers a close look at pretty environments
The Steam listing for Watch Dogs told us what we'll need to make the game function properly on PC, but Ubisoft's recent trailer offers a glimpse of Nvidia's visual effects, which we'll see firsthand on May 27. Check out the damp, shadowy, breezy scenery from the Windy City above. [Image: Ubisoft]
Uplay store lists Watch Dogs Wii U for this fall
Wii U owners will eventually join the crowd of hack-savvy players roaming the streets of Watch Dogs, but they won't be there when the game launches on May 27 for other platforms. A Uplay store listing suggests that Wii U owners will have to wait until fall of this year to start handling personal data from the world's citizens, which is plenty of time for future targets to change their passwords from "password" to "password123." Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot explained in February that the Wii U version's delay is meant to "focus the team's resources where they could have the broadest possible benefit for both our customers and Ubisoft." [Image: Ubisoft]
Watch Dogs season pass features campaign missions, new playable character
Ubisoft's Watch Dogs has a season pass listed on GameStop's site for $20. According to the description, the season pass will save hacktivists 30 percent from buying each of the items a la carte. The season pass includes a "unique Single Player campaign" with a new playable character, along with more missions and weapons. PC players can check out the recently announced specs here. The game will download and corrupt the status quo retail on May 27.
Watch Dogs Steam pre-orders live, recommended specs detailed
Who watches the Watch Dogs? You can, right now, when you pre-purchase the game on Steam. Those who put down their money in advance of Watch Dogs' May 27 release date will receive the Blume Agent Pack, which comes with the Blume Agent Outfit and Blume Weapon Effect, which reduces the recoil of weapons. You can also upgrade to the Deluxe Digital Edition and receive more bonus content, including extra missions, costumes and gameplay tweaks. Curious to know if your modern-day computing machine can handle the near-future hacker tech of Aiden Pearce? The game's Steam page recommends an Intel Core i7-3770 processor running at 3.5 GHz or AMD FX-8350 X8 processor running at 4 GHz, 8 GB of RAM, an Nvidia Geforce GTX 560 ti or AMD Radeon HD 7850 graphics card, and 25 GB of available hard drive space. You can check out the Blume Agent Outfit above, or click through for an image of what comes in the Deluxe edition. [Image: Ubisoft]
Don't be on the lookout for a Watch Dogs demo
Over the past few days, Watch Dogs creative director Jonathan Morin has been deluged by anxious fans asking about a potential demo for the open-world adventure - a demo that, Morin claims, is not in development. "Dude relax, I receive too much tweets," Morin replied to one Twitter user who had repeatedly badgered the developer for an answer. "[There is] no demo planned before release. Sorry for the wait, doing my best," he added. The next day, Morin was asked to explain this lack of a Watch Dogs demo. "Doing Demos take time, the focus is on the game," he tweeted. "You will see more footage before release. Be patient & thanks for your passion." Watch Dogs is slated for release on May 27. It will debut on the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. A Wii U version of Watch Dogs is also in development, but we haven't heard anything on when that version will be released since Ubisoft delayed the game in February. [Image: Ubisoft]
New Watch Dogs trailer: The wizard in a windy city
Ubisoft's new trailer for Watch Dogs, an open-world action game in which smartphones and surveillance technology are tools for the player, focuses on the city of Chicago. A "hyper-connected" society is a playground for an opportunistic hacker – or, if you prefer, a sneaky wizard in a trench coat.
Watch Dogs boasts four extra missions on Sony consoles
Continuing a trend begun by Assassin's Creed 4, Ubisoft has announced exclusive content earmarked specifically for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 incarnations of its upcoming technofetishistic adventure, Watch Dogs. According to Ubisoft, the Sony-bound versions of the game will feature four missions not found in their Xbox counterparts. Completing these missions will award players a unique outfit, a special Hacking Boost and a "deeper knowledge of DedSec, a key and powerful faction in the Watch Dogs universe." Ubisoft estimates the missions will roughly translate to an hour of play time. This additional content will be available to PlayStation owners free of charge and is slated to launch alongside Watch Dogs on May 27. [Image: Ubisoft]
Watch Dogs PC specs announced, R18+ reclassification in Australia
Two doggie-snack sized bits of Watch Dogs news to report, starting with Ubisoft Montreal releasing the minimum specifications required to run the hacker game on PC. To become a Watch Dog you need a 28.8 BPS modem, an active-matrix display with a million psychedelic colors... oh wait, wrong specs. What you'll really need at minimum is an IntelCore 2 Quad Q8400 2.66Hz processor, or an AMDPhenom II X4 940 3.0 GHz. That's with 6GB of RAM, a 1024 VRAM Direct X11-capable graphics card, a Direct X9 sound card, and 25GB of disk space. There's no info yet on recommended specs, but we're sure Ubisoft will make that available closer to the game's release date of May 27. The second piece of news comes from Australia, where the often-prominent classification board has upgraded - if that's the right word - the game's rating from MA15 to R18+. Watch Dogs received the MA15 rating ahead of its originally planned release late last year, but it was re-submitted to the ACB following the delay and whatever's been added was enough to nudge it into the R18+ category. Comparing the two ratings, the ACB deemed there to be more impact from violence, drug use, and sex in the new version. It's probably still not as wild as Zero Cool, though. [Image: Ubisoft]
Rumor: Watch Dogs closed beta spotted on Xbox One store
Two Reddit users posted separate photos of a Watch Dogs closed beta listed on the Xbox One Games Store yesterday, suggesting Ubisoft might be giving players an early hack at the game. The listing's not on the storefront currently, so if it was there, it's been swiftly baleeted. We've reached out to Ubisoft for comment. As MP1st suggests, this could well be an internal beta that accidentally went external: Even if the photos are accurate, Ubisoft hasn't made any announcements about an impending beta, and the game is due to hit Xbox One, PS4, PS3, Xbox 360, and PC on May 27. That said, it wouldn't be the first super-close-to-launch beta of the year. Although Ubisoft Montral has been cultivating Watch Dogs for half a decade, the studio took the risk of delaying the game last year; it was originally due as a PS4 and Xbox One launch title. In our recent preview, Xav de Matos said, "Watch Dogs is an unbelievably slick world with unique elements and if its distractions can fit seamlessly into the narrative without feeling shoehorned in for the sake of 'another thing to do,' it may have been a risk worth taking." [Image: Reddit user AbletoFail]
Optional multiplayer prevents games from being overrun by Watch Dogs
A stealthy technological tug-of-war sounds nice and all but how are you supposed to get anything done in Watch Dogs when your friends are constantly dropping by to jack your bank account? Don't worry: The multiplayer action can be turned off any time. "All the online activities are just part of the menu," said Danny Belanger, Watch Dogs' game designer, during a Friday event on Twitch, as reported by Polygon. "They're a choice. But if someone is not into that... they can totally turn it off." Ubisoft takes a distinctly Dark Souls-style approach to multiplayer in Watch Dogs. While you're playing as Aiden Pearce, doling out vigilante justice on the streets of Chicago, another player can sneak into the game. It's your job to hunt the intruder down in the anonymous masses and hack their phone before they do they same to you. Watch Dogs is already layered with distractions. During a recent preview event, Joystiq found that the sheer number of side missions and mini-games in the anticipated PlayStation 4 and Xbox One title obscured the drama in the main storyline. Maintaing that "vigilante obsessed with atonement" atmosphere is hard when you're always pausing to collect golden coins. If real people were constantly dropping into your game it would be even harder, so it's smart of Ubisoft to make these multiplayer components optional for players of varying tastes. [Images: Ubisoft]
Joystiq Weekly: Batman: Arkham Knight, our South Park review and more
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. Rocksteady revealed its return to the Batman series this week with Batman: Arkham Knight, and we've dug out capes and Batarangs from our Halloween stash to get properly excited. Last year's Batman: Arkham Origins and Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate were the first pieces of the series that weren't developed by Rocksteady. We enjoyed Arkham Origins well enough, but we're ready to move on from its bugs and glitches, especially since not all of them will be fixed with a patch. Arkham Knight is set to be the final game in the Arkham series, and we're eager to see what Rocksteady will do for the finale once it releases in October. There's plenty to read while we wait however, including news of Amy Hennig's departure from Naughty Dog, a preview of Watch Dogs and a review of South Park: The Stick of Truth. We've rounded up those stories and more for you in this week's edition of the Joystiq Weekly. [Image: Warner Bros.]
Watch Dogs hacks into PS3, PS4 bundles, at least in Europe
When Ubisoft's technofetishistic action game Watch Dogs debuts on May 27 it will be available in the usual standalone varieties, but those without a console to play it on will also be able to pick up the game as part of a PlayStation 3 or PlayStation 4 bundle. The European PlayStation.blog announced the existence of these bundles earlier today. It fails to clarify exactly what will be included in these packages, though the entry does highlight the addition of "60 minutes of exclusive gameplay" to those versions of Watch Dogs appearing on Sony's consoles. Also missing from the report is any word on how much these bundles will cost and whether they're exclusive to European territories or will be released in other parts of the world. So far there's no mention of Watch Dog bundles on the American PlayStation.blog, and our attempts to reach Sony for clarification have been fruitless. We'll update this story when and if we find further information. [Image: Sony]
Watch Dogs preview: Distractions in dystopia
Aiden Pearce is a complicated guy. Tormented by his past and his actions as a skilled hacker, the Watch Dogs protagonist has lost family and his identity to a world that hides its secrets behind firewalls. But he does this by using the systems he questions as his own destructive weapon, given the opportunity to wreak havoc on the lives of people in ways the establishment perhaps never would. He can steal people's money or use their secrets against them for information or access, all under the guise of combatting a security system that threatens the world's privacy. Though the security state setting of Watch Dogs is dystopian, it does not venture into the dour imagery found in the pages of a Phillip K. Dick story. Its world is contemporary, taking place in an alt-history Chicago that looks similar to its real world counterpart and holds the title of America's first "Smart City, "one controlled by a powerful monitoring system infrastructure. For players this offers a gateway of access, transforming simple button presses into a world of possibilities and making infiltration and information-gathering the most important element in Ubisoft's newest open world.
