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Nov.3,2023
Another IP abandoned by Ubisoft? No release date in sight for a new installment in the "Watch Dogs" series! Ubisoft recently announced its financial performance for the fiscal year ending on March 31, 2023. The financial report shows that Ubisoft's total revenue for the fiscal year was 1.81 billion euros, representing a 15% decrease compared to the previous year. Net bookings amounted to 1.74 billion euros, reflecting an 18% decrease. The net loss reached 495 million euros, a significant contrast to the 80 million euros profit recorded in the previous year. Ubisoft's sales for the fourth quarter were 311 million euros, down 15% compared to the same period in the previous year. The financial report clearly indicates that Ubisoft's fourth-quarter revenue decline was more significant than expected, particularly the net bookings, which appeared to perform even worse than Ubisoft's revised forecasts. In fact, Ubisoft had already conducted an online investor meeting in January, during which the current CEO, Yves Guillemot, informed shareholders that the company would incur a loss of approximately 537 million USD for the entire fiscal year ending in March 2023. This loss is roughly equivalent to Ubisoft's net profits for the past five years. To address this massive financial deficit, Ubisoft had to continue delaying "Skull & Bones," a game still in the testing phase, and also cancel three undisclosed new projects to cut costs. However, these measures did not improve the company's situation, leading to a significant drop in the company's stock price. In May, dozens of employees were laid off, and even the troubled "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake" faced the possibility of being abandoned. From the results, "Prince of Persia" might not be the first IP to be abandoned, as Ubisoft's treatment of the "Watch Dogs" franchise has been questionable. On May 27, which marked the 9th anniversary of the "Watch Dogs" series, it was puzzling that only the underperforming Indian studio tweeted a commemoration, while Ubisoft's official accounts and the Montreal and Toronto studios, where the games are developed, remained silent. The Indian studio's poor reputation is well-known, as "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake" was transferred to the Montreal studio due to the lack of progress. It is difficult to understand why this underachieving studio was allowed to post a tweet commemorating "Watch Dogs." This is not the first time that Ubisoft has overlooked the "Watch Dogs" IP. In 2022, during the 25th-anniversary celebration of the Montreal studio, the banners displayed lacked any mention of "Watch Dogs." Although the banners included popular AAA titles such as "Far Cry 6," "Assassin's Creed Valhalla," and "Rainbow Six," it was evident that the banner on the right was identical to the one on the left. By the 2nd anniversary of "Watch Dogs: Legion" on October 29 of the same year, the Toronto studio, responsible for developing the game, tweeted a celebration message. However, the tweet received a flood of criticism from players, which is understandable given that "Watch Dogs: Legion" had faced criticism for its lackluster story, formulaic gameplay, and unresolved bugs. The addition of DLC content did little to address these issues. The original "Watch Dogs" game, released in 2014, garnered a warm reception. Its dark and oppressive atmosphere, combined with the hacker theme, was well-received, and the silent protagonist, Aiden Pearce, became another iconic character for Ubisoft. While the original "Watch Dogs" faced criticism for downgraded graphics, repetitive side missions, and poor driving mechanics, it introduced players to a new "hacker" genre of games. The original "Watch Dogs" achieved over 10 million in sales within a year, breaking Ubisoft's highest record for an original IP. Unfortunately, Ubisoft did not capitalize on the strengths of the original "Watch Dogs." The sequel, "Watch Dogs 2," made significant changes to the setting and plot. The series' story shifted from personal revenge to a higher-stakes national cause, resulting in a game that many players found to be a chaotic departure. The substantially changed "Watch Dogs 2" did not resolve the issue of repetitive side missions and was criticized for feeling "all over the place." Eventually, the game only reached 3 million in sales, less than one-third of the original's figures. By "Watch Dogs: Legion," the game had drifted even further from its original concept, featuring a lack of engaging story and character development and relying heavily on various high-tech weapons and drones for combat. The game's content was lackluster, and the presence of unresolved bugs in the game, even to this day, led to it becoming another canned project. The "Watch Dogs" series' key personnel have departed in recent years. Jonathan Morin, creative director for the first and second games, left Ubisoft and joined NetEase. Clint Hocking, creative director for "Watch Dogs: Legion," was reassigned to other projects. These two individuals were considered real talents, and it's hard to imagine what the future of the "Watch Dogs" series will look like. Abandoning this IP may be part of Ubisoft's development strategy change. Apart from "Assassin's Creed: Infinity" and "Avatar," there are several unfinished projects, including "Beyond Good & Evil 2," "Skull & Bones," "Splinter Cell: Remake," and more. Hopefully, "Watch Dogs" is just temporarily on Ubisoft's "inactive" list and will not be permanently abandoned.
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Levi Bates
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Nov.22,2023
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Apr.7,2024
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Oct.24,2024
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