Watch Dogs always seemed a bit like a near-future Assassin’s Creed, didn’t it? With the third person stealth gameplay and covered-up main character, alongside the hacking mechanics, it isn’t a huge leap from one style of game to the other, despite the change setting.
And the settings always moving around in time in the Assassin’s Creed franchise, anyway. The recent title was a seafaring adventure set in the early 18th century, but it also features modern elements as all of the games have.
Now, this might seem like a bit of a jump, but could Watch Dogs be joining the Assassin’s creed? The developers have already suggested that they’ll feature the same universe – though they don’t want to “ruin the surprise” of that. And now Ubisoft have abandoned the trademark, it makes a bit more sense for them to join up.
Given that Assassin’s Creed is a yearly franchise, they could be following in CoD’s footsteps with staggered franchises, such as Modern Warfare, Black Ops and the recent Ghosts. That would make sense, giving the teams time to make great products rather than repeating the mistakes they made with Assassin’s Creed III.
So, Assassin’s Creed V or Assassin’s Creed: Watch Dogs? How about that? Given that the addition to the name alone would make it easily the highest selling action adventure game of the year, it makes sense financially too.
Remember that they’re joining with Sony and planning to make a movie based on the game, and that would perhaps cause conflict with the Assassin’s Creed movie.
Or maybe it’s just because they’re sticking with that stupid underscore in Watch_Dogs instead. The game will release for PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC later this year, though a Wii U release seems to have disappeared recently.
Update: It looks like they have gone for the annoying underscore version of the name.
@griffmeister69 @gooner4life_uk I can assure you that Watch_Dogs is still being polished as we speak. cc. @Ubisoft
— Ubisoft Montréal (@UbisoftMTL) February 3, 2014
Source: US Trademarks, via NeoGAF
elpablo79
I know it’s only a name, but I’m not sure I’m keen if they moved it more towards Assassin’s creed, especially if more than just name. I’d like it to have its own identity
MrYd
I thought (almost) everyone hated the modern day bits of the Assassin’s Creed games?
Turning it into that seems only slightly more likely than an AC game consisting entirely of that horrible tower defense section from whichever one it was. Or making one that only involves tedious ship based combat.
It’s not going to happen, is it?
TheShepanator
The modern day bits of the game were rubbish in AC because Ubisoft refused to depart from the same gameplay as the rest of the game; no guns and no driving.
You’d of thought the security team of a top secret science facility where they extract people’s memories would have guns and not batons.
Starman
As long as Desmond isn’t involved I’m ok with it.
Spence1115
Watch Doge…
(this comment is already old…)
gazzagb
I’d prefer it to be a separate IP, but perhaps this was their plan all along – to build hype for the game while not damaging other games like AC3 or 4.
Either way the game still looks incredible so I doubt a name change will affect much.
boeboe
For the love of ZEUS. ugh
lambchop
For gods sake, can these companies not remember that every big franchise was once a new IP. Take some bloody chances please!…..
stormy
Ugh. That’s bad. Really bad. I hope that’s wrong. The straw pool here suggests its a bad idea lol.
stormy
Poll*
Kennykazey
Perhaps they’ve realised Watch Dogs sounds like a Nintendogs type of game, where you Watch. Dogs.
Shouldn’t it be “Watchdogs” in the first place? Splitting words is a no no.
stormy
Its actually Watch_Dogs though isnt it?
https://twitter.com/UbisoftMTL/status/430425347570798593