Ubisoft Talks Watch Dogs 2 Preorders, Teases Next Assassin's Creed

During an earnings call today, Ubisoft management discussed Watch Dogs 2's preorders and teased the next Assassin's Creed game.

On the subject of Watch Dogs 2's preorders, CEO Yves Guillemot said they are lower than the company wanted."The preorders are not as high as we thought they could be but we feel like the experience is a fantastic experience so we feel it can do extremely well," he said.

Watch Dogs 2 comes out on November 15 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, before arriving for PC on November 29.

CFO Alain Martinez added that preorders are not always indicative of game sales. Later in the call, he talked about Ubisoft's efforts to support games with new content updates that address fan feedback can help a game succeed long after its release. He remarked that Rainbow Six Siege's launch sales were "OK," but the fan reaction to the game improved in response to its subsequent updates. Additionally, The Division's high-profile 1.4 update has had a positive impact on the game, management said.

"What we are trying to say are preorders are indeed very important, quality is very important, but also the attention that you put on the game over the long term is also very very key," Martinez explained. "This is why we're doing exactly that on The Division. We believe that for the good of the brand, the fact that we are proving to our customers that we continue improving and listening to them to come with a perfect experience, is what will be the most valuable for the success of that game, and its future expansion, and also for the future of the next game."

Also during the call, an analyst asked if Ubisoft could provide an update on the next Assassin's Creed game. Guillemot said, "We can't say much about that yet--we are working hard on this game and it will be launched when ready." Martinez then chimed in, "It's a great game. I've seen it. It's looking good."

Breaking with tradition, Ubisoft will not release a new mainline Assassin's Creed game in 2016, though The Ezio Trilogy comes out later this month. The next core Assassin's Creed game is rumored to be set in Egypt and launch in 2017. However, Ubisoft has said it won't put the game out until it's ready.

Ubisoft editorial VP Tommy Francois said this year that both Assassin's Creed and Far Cry games are in development and aren't committed to releasing in 2017.

"We believe Alpha for these games needs to be one year before release," he explained. "We're trying to achieve that. That's super f***ing blunt, I don't even know if I'm allowed to say this. This is the goal we're going for: Alpha one year before, more quality, more polish. So if this means biting the [bullet] and not having an Assassin's game or a Far Cry [in 2017], f*** it."

For more on Ubisoft's earnings report today, check out our story on their business outlook: How's Ubisoft Doing? Here Are the Key Takeaways From Latest Earnings Report.