It isn’t uncommon for games to undergo drastic changes during the course of development. Often, the scope of a project, its mechanics, or any other detail needs to be changed due to challenges in the production pipeline. It seems that Ubisoft’s firstWatch Dogsgame itself underwent major changes, as it was originally meant to be a newDrivergame.
According to a new report from VG247, Ubisoft’s Jonathan Morin, ofFar Cry 2fameat the time, had conceived an idea for a newDrivergame whileDriver: San Franciscowas in development. However, the poor sales ofDriver: San Franciscohelped fuel a shift in development, allowing what would becomeWatch Dogsto be pitched to Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot as “his ownGTA"rather than another entry in a commercially failing series.
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The transformation was similar to another famous story from Ubisoft, where aPrince of Persiagame was overhauled into the firstAssassin’s Creedgame, according to one of VG247’s sources. However, many of the core concepts had been heavily featured in the scrappedDrivergame anyways, includingWatch Dogs’famous hackingand parkour mechanics. This sort of transformation – taking an established IP and turning it into something new – is one of the most common ways to get a new franchise out the door, the source says.
As VG247 points out, the DNA ofDrivercan still easily be found in the final version ofWatch Dogs,from its driving mechanics to mission structure. TheDriverseries has taken a lot of different forms over the years, at times letting players out of their vehicles, and at other times forcing them to stick behind the wheels.Watch Dogsis a clear evolution of the series, even if the name has been changed into a new IP entirely.
Watch Dogswas criticized at launch due to graphical downgrades between its E3 gameplay demos and final version, though it has become an establishedUbisoft franchisein the time since, with two more entries releasing since it debuted. TheDriverfranchise hasn’t seen a proper entry since 2011’sDriver: San Francisco,though a speedboat game was released for the franchise in 2015.
It’s possible thattheDrivergamescome back at some point, potentially in the form of a remake or a reboot. However, the poor sales ofSan Francisco,coupled with the shared DNA of theWatch Dogsgames, makes that seem a bit less likely, unfortunately.
Watch Dogsis available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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