Watch Dogs Breaks Pre Sale Record

The new hit console game, Watch Dogs, is already a huge success. The game is still in pre-order status and is not expected to be released until May 27th. The Ubisoft success follows a character using his smartphone to hack into and control the city of Chicago. The company’s next-generation approach to Watch Dogs, along with many other unique and alluring factors have put the game on record as having the most pre-sale copies sold for a next-generation video game.

GameStop, the retailer experiencing the extreme excitement generated by Watch Dogs, has officially stated that the game is breaking its pre-sale records. Ubisoft, the company behind the creation of Watch Dogs has declared that the game has not quite earned its top pre-sale spot, though it is, so far, sitting in second place. The early success of this game has prompted 3,500 U.S. GameStop locations to open their doors on the night of the 26th to allow ample time for fans to pick up their pre-ordered copy. Ubisoft originally planned on releasing Watch Dogs earlier than the spring of 2014, but decided to delay release in order to perfect the game. The delay proved to be a good decision.

Watch Dogs’ premise is based on its main character, Aiden Pearce, who is attempting to hack into the main operating system of Chicago–the Central Operating System (ctOS). The corrupt system is controlled by the government of Chicago and contains all of the important information within the city, including resident information.

Pearce is a former thug turned skilled hacker who is determined to protect his family from corruption and his past. The ctOS appears to be a beneficial system at first glance. It is a video monitoring system which links the entire city, from transportation to infrastructure. Through this monitors traffic, however, flow violence and much more. This allows for constant eyes everywhere, which in turn allows the city to adequately protect citizens and ensure that everything is working at maximum capacity in terms of efficiency.

This setting is incredibly intriguing for many gamers, and is a large reason why Watch Dogs has broken pre-sale records. The player has a chance to discover a real city with severe corruption problems. The user is given free reign and an intriguing character armed with the ability to manipulate an entire technological system from a single smartphone. Pearce is a vigilante, though not the kind that people are used to encountering, and is running from a dark past. He  is extremely capable of manipulating technology, and seemingly does so in order to save his loved ones and the city he inhabits.

Because the game is yet to be released, reviews are sparse. The first person, however, to publicly review the game–Conan O’Brien–has touted that the game will blow gamers’ minds and is bound to be a massive success. He focuses his review on the incredible roam and power given to Pearce, as well as the unique ability within the game to hack into all technology, even personal homes and other phones.

Due to the current success of Watch Dogs, it is likely the game will make waves in the next-generation gaming world. The game’s hook is unique and extremely involved, with intense game play that will draw players in and never let them go. Judging from pre-sale success, Watch Dogs will continue to break records as it makes its way to gamers’ personal consoles.

Opinion by Courtney Heitter

Sources:
GameSpot
Escapist Magazine
UBI Blog
Watch Dogs