Watch Dogs has power to become "longstanding brand"

Watch Dogs could become Ubisoft's next power series, joining the likes of multimillion-seller franchises like Assassin's Creed and Far Cry, but for now, Ubisoft is only worried about getting the first game out the door.

"Very clearly, the priority today is to release the game, and make it a success," Ubisoft CFO Alain Martinez said during an earnings call yesterday. "Of course we believe it has the power and the potential to become a longstanding brand for Ubisoft."

Martinez's comments came in response to an analyst who asked how frequently Ubisoft would release new Watch Dogs games if the publisher does indeed decide to make it a series. "At this stage we don't have any announcements to make to say whether it's going to be one, two, or three years. I think at first we have to care about making it a success," he said.

Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed series, which has sold 76 million copies worldwide to date, has been released on a yearly basis since 2009.

Watch Dogs launches May 27 for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC, with a Wii U version to follow. The game took five-and-a-half years to develop, but a potential sequel wouldn't take nearly that long, according to creative director Jonathan Morin.

Ubisoft has major hopes for Watch Dogs. Just yesterday, the publisher announced record-breaking preorder numbers for the game, and CEO Yves Guillemot even claimed that it's on pace to become the most successful new IP in video game history.