<s>
Watch	B-Application
Dogs	I-Application
(	O
stylized	O
as	O
WATCH_DOGS	O
)	O
is	O
a	O
2014	O
action-adventure	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Ubisoft	O
Montreal	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Ubisoft	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
first	O
installment	O
in	O
the	O
Watch	B-Application
Dogs	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Set	O
within	O
a	O
fictionalized	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
Chicago	O
area	O
in	O
2013	O
,	O
the	O
single-player	O
story	O
follows	O
grey	O
hat	O
hacker	O
and	O
vigilante	O
Aiden	B-Application
Pearce	I-Application
's	O
quest	O
for	O
revenge	O
after	O
the	O
killing	O
of	O
his	O
niece	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
its	O
announcement	O
in	O
June	O
2012	O
,	O
Watch	B-Application
Dogs	I-Application
was	O
widely	O
anticipated	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
,	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
,	O
and	O
Wii	B-Device
U	I-Device
in	O
2014	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Watch	B-Application
Dogs	I-Application
was	O
a	O
commercial	O
success	O
,	O
breaking	O
the	O
record	O
for	O
the	O
biggest	O
first-day	O
sales	O
of	O
a	O
Ubisoft	O
game	O
and	O
becoming	O
the	O
biggest	O
launch	O
of	O
a	O
new	O
intellectual	O
property	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
Kingdom	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
sequel	O
,	O
Watch	B-Application
Dogs	I-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
November	O
2016	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
third	O
game	O
,	O
Watch	B-Application
Dogs	I-Application
:	I-Application
Legion	I-Application
,	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
October	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Watch	B-Application
Dogs	I-Application
is	O
an	O
action-adventure	O
game	O
,	O
played	O
from	O
a	O
third-person	O
view	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
controls	O
hacker	O
Aiden	B-Application
Pearce	I-Application
,	O
who	O
uses	O
his	O
smartphone	B-Application
to	O
control	O
trains	O
and	O
traffic	O
lights	O
,	O
infiltrate	O
security	O
systems	O
,	O
jam	O
cellphones	O
,	O
access	O
pedestrians	O
 '	O
private	O
information	O
,	O
and	O
empty	O
their	O
bank	O
accounts	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Aiden	O
can	O
scale	O
vertical	O
surfaces	O
,	O
hack	O
forklifts	B-Operating_System
and	O
aerial	O
work	O
platforms	O
to	O
reach	O
places	O
otherwise	O
unreachable	O
,	O
and	O
can	O
crouch	O
behind	O
walls	O
to	O
hide	O
from	O
enemies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
has	O
an	O
array	O
of	O
vehicles	O
with	O
which	O
to	O
navigate	O
the	O
setting	O
,	O
including	O
motorcycles	O
,	O
muscle	O
cars	O
,	O
off-road	O
vehicles	O
,	O
SUVs	B-Algorithm
,	O
luxury	O
vehicles	O
,	O
sports	O
cars	O
,	O
and	O
speedboats	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
the	O
player	O
steals	O
a	O
car	O
,	O
its	O
driver	B-Application
can	O
summon	O
the	O
police	O
;	O
if	O
the	O
player	O
has	O
a	O
good	O
reputation	O
,	O
the	O
driver	B-Application
may	O
acquiesce	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Free-roaming	O
with	O
multiple	O
players	O
and	O
decryption	O
mode	O
,	O
where	O
two	O
teams	O
of	O
four	O
are	O
tasked	O
with	O
acquiring	O
and	O
holding	O
data	O
,	O
were	O
excluded	O
from	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
and	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
versions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
conducting	O
an	O
electronic	O
heist	O
at	O
the	O
high-end	O
Merlaut	O
Hotel	O
,	O
hacker	O
Aiden	B-Application
Pearce	I-Application
and	O
his	O
mentor	O
and	O
partner	O
,	O
Damien	O
Brenks	O
,	O
trigger	O
a	O
silent	O
alarm	O
set	O
by	O
another	O
hacker	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
the	O
help	O
of	O
Clara	O
Lille	O
,	O
a	O
member	O
of	O
the	O
hacking	O
syndicate	O
DedSec	B-Application
that	O
is	O
trying	O
to	O
expose	O
Blume	O
's	O
corruption	O
,	O
Aiden	O
tracks	O
down	O
the	O
harasser	O
,	O
revealed	O
to	O
be	O
Damien	O
,	O
who	O
wanted	O
to	O
get	O
Aiden	O
's	O
attention	O
so	O
that	O
he	O
will	O
help	O
him	O
find	O
the	O
other	O
hacker	O
from	O
the	O
Merlaut	O
job	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
killing	O
Quinn	O
by	O
hacking	O
his	O
pacemaker	B-Device
,	O
Aiden	O
is	O
informed	O
by	O
Damien	O
that	O
Quinn	O
sent	O
hitmen	O
after	O
Clara	O
for	O
being	O
a	O
liability	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2014	O
,	O
a	O
year	O
after	O
the	O
main	O
events	O
of	O
Watch	B-Application
Dogs	I-Application
,	O
Kenney	O
decides	O
to	O
leave	O
Chicago	O
after	O
performing	O
what	O
he	O
thinks	O
is	O
his	O
last	O
hacking	O
job	O
:	O
removing	O
more	O
data	O
about	O
him	O
from	O
the	O
Blume	O
servers	O
and	O
planting	O
a	O
fake	O
trail	O
to	O
lead	O
Blume	O
away	O
from	O
him	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Beginning	O
in	O
2009	O
with	O
ten	O
people	O
and	O
expanding	O
to	O
over	O
a	O
thousand	O
,	O
Watch	B-Application
Dogs	I-Application
was	O
developed	O
over	O
five	O
years	O
(	O
from	O
prototype	O
to	O
finished	O
game	O
)	O
on	O
a	O
budget	O
of	O
about	O
$68million	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Watch	B-Application
Dogs	I-Application
runs	O
on	O
the	O
game	O
engine	O
Disrupt	B-Application
,	O
which	O
developer	O
Ubisoft	O
Montreal	O
created	O
for	O
it	O
(	O
although	O
it	O
was	O
originally	O
intended	O
for	O
another	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
Driver	B-Application
franchise	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
producer	O
Dominic	O
Guay	O
,	O
Disrupt	B-Application
has	O
three	O
pillars	O
:	O
simulation	O
of	O
the	O
environment	O
and	O
its	O
contents	O
,	O
how	O
the	O
environment	O
can	O
be	O
affected	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
connectivity	O
of	O
a	O
seamless	O
online	O
experience	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Director	O
Jonathan	O
Morin	O
said	O
that	O
the	B-Operating_System
PlayStation	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
technology	O
allowed	O
for	O
better	O
wind	O
and	O
water	O
simulations	O
and	O
artificial	B-Application
intelligence	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
developers	O
noted	O
that	O
character	O
movements	O
in	O
games	O
like	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
were	O
the	O
same	O
in	O
every	O
situation	O
,	O
and	O
attempted	O
to	O
rectify	O
this	O
in	O
Watch	B-Application
Dogs	I-Application
to	O
contextualize	O
protagonist	O
Aiden	B-Application
Pearce	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
create	O
hacking	O
factions	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
(	O
like	O
DedSec	B-Application
)	O
,	O
the	O
developer	O
was	O
influenced	O
by	O
the	O
hacktivist	O
group	O
Anonymous	O
,	O
state-sponsored	O
hackers	O
,	O
and	O
tales	O
of	O
corporate	O
espionage	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
and	O
Saints	B-Application
Row	I-Application
were	O
studied	O
to	O
develop	O
complex	O
controls	O
,	O
so	O
the	O
core	O
hacking	O
mechanic	O
was	O
reduced	O
to	O
a	O
single	O
button	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
delayed	O
,	O
ideas	O
long	O
set	O
aside	O
(	O
like	O
the	O
hacking	O
of	O
a	O
headset	B-Device
)	O
could	O
be	O
implemented	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reitzell	O
began	O
composing	O
by	O
reading	O
the	O
script	O
,	O
concluding	O
that	O
krautrock	O
would	O
suit	O
Watch	B-Application
Dogs	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ubisoft	O
announced	O
Watch	B-Application
Dogs	I-Application
at	O
its	O
June	O
4	O
,	O
2012	O
E3	O
press	O
conference	O
,	O
confirming	O
it	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
,	O
and	O
Wii	B-Device
U	I-Device
were	O
announced	O
in	O
early	O
2013	O
as	O
additional	O
platforms	O
for	O
Watch	B-Application
Dogs	I-Application
,	O
which	O
was	O
scheduled	O
for	O
release	O
later	O
that	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
final	O
release	O
date	O
was	O
set	O
for	O
May	O
27	O
,	O
2014	O
,	O
before	O
its	O
release	O
for	O
the	O
Wii	B-Device
U	I-Device
on	O
November	O
18	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
,	O
November	O
20	O
in	O
Australia	O
and	O
New	O
Zealand	O
,	O
and	O
November	O
21	O
in	O
Europe	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
free	O
mobile	O
app	B-Application
was	O
released	O
for	O
iOS	B-Application
and	O
Android	B-Application
devices	O
,	O
with	O
Watch	B-Application
Dogs	I-Application
players	O
connecting	O
with	O
console	O
or	O
PC	O
users	O
for	O
two	O
racing	O
modes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
eBook	O
,	O
//n/Dark	O
Clouds	O
by	O
John	O
Shirley	O
as	O
a	O
continuation	O
of	O
Watch	B-Application
Dogs	I-Application
,	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
conjunction	O
with	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Watch	B-Application
Dogs	I-Application
was	O
marketed	O
with	O
a	O
live-action	O
sequence	O
directed	O
by	O
Devin	O
Graham	O
and	O
a	O
three-part	O
documentary	O
series	O
by	O
Motherboard	O
,	O
Phreaked	O
Out	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
set	O
one	O
year	O
after	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Watch	B-Application
Dogs	I-Application
and	O
follows	O
the	O
exploits	O
of	O
Raymond	O
Kenney	O
after	O
Aiden	B-Application
Pearce	I-Application
left	O
Chicago	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Watch	B-Application
Dogs	I-Application
reveal	O
at	O
E3	O
2012	O
generated	O
favorable	O
reception	O
from	O
critics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
following	O
year	O
,	O
Ubisoft	O
was	O
accused	O
of	O
graphical	O
downgrading	B-Application
after	O
a	O
NeoGAF	O
forum	O
post	O
compared	O
its	O
2012	O
visuals	O
to	O
2014	O
video	O
footage	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Ubisoft	O
researcher	O
Thomas	O
Geffroyd	O
,	O
studies	O
and	O
quantitative	O
analysis	O
indicated	O
that	O
about	O
sixty	O
percent	O
of	O
gamers	O
changed	O
their	O
view	O
of	O
technology	O
after	O
playing	O
Watch	B-Application
Dogs	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
VanOrd	O
said	O
that	O
the	O
story	O
only	O
flourished	O
when	O
it	O
left	O
behind	O
the	O
"	O
revenge-story	O
cliches	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
he	O
felt	O
more	O
attached	O
to	O
supporting	O
characters	O
than	O
to	O
Aiden	B-Application
Pearce	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
GamesRadar	O
,	O
Andy	O
Hartup	O
said	O
he	O
enjoyed	O
the	O
set	O
pieces	O
and	O
individual	O
missions	O
:	O
"	O
You	O
'll	O
enjoy	O
Watch	B-Application
Dogs	I-Application
narrative	O
in	O
piecemeal	O
,	O
rather	O
than	O
as	O
a	O
whole	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Whitehead	O
criticized	O
the	O
hacking	O
for	O
resorting	O
to	O
"	O
tired	O
old	O
PipeMania-style	O
"	O
puzzles	O
and	O
saw	O
the	O
story	O
and	O
main	O
character	O
as	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
weakest	O
aspects	O
,	O
saying	O
that	O
the	O
script	O
avoided	O
the	O
moral	O
dilemmas	O
offered	O
by	O
its	O
set-up	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hartup	O
criticized	O
the	O
main	O
character	O
,	O
calling	O
him	O
"	O
a	O
bit	O
of	O
a	O
dullard	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
faulted	O
the	O
story	O
for	O
its	O
reliance	O
on	O
"	O
unimaginative	O
stereotypes	B-Language
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gies	O
wrote	O
,	O
"	O
After	O
a	O
promising	O
(	O
albeit	O
well-trod	O
)	O
start	O
,	O
Watch	B-Application
Dogs	I-Application
plot	O
struggles	O
to	O
remain	O
coherent	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
likened	O
the	O
characters	O
to	O
caricatures	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Tom	O
Watson	O
wrote	O
in	O
New	O
Statesman	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
"	O
has	O
so	O
many	O
complex	O
side	O
missions	O
and	O
obligatory	O
tasks	O
that	O
it	O
becomes	O
dull	O
;	O
it	O
's	O
humourlessly	O
derivative	O
of	O
the	O
open	O
world	O
of	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
V	I-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Watch	B-Application
Dogs	I-Application
was	O
Ubisoft	O
's	O
most	O
pre-ordered	O
new	O
intellectual	O
property	O
(	O
IP	O
)	O
,	O
their	O
second-highest	O
pre-ordered	O
title	O
,	O
the	O
most	O
pre-ordered	O
game	O
of	O
the	O
year	O
(	O
more	O
than	O
800,000	O
copies	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
most	O
pre-ordered	O
game	O
for	O
the	O
eighth	B-Application
generation	I-Application
of	I-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
consoles	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
day	O
it	O
was	O
released	O
,	O
Watch	B-Application
Dogs	I-Application
sold	O
the	O
most	O
copies	O
of	O
any	O
Ubisoft	O
title	O
in	O
a	O
24-hour	O
period	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
the	O
bestselling	O
new	O
IP	O
ever	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
Kingdom	O
in	O
its	O
first	O
week	O
(	O
beating	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
III	I-Application
record	O
by	O
more	O
than	O
17	O
percent	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
the	O
seventeenth-largest	O
game	O
launch	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
in	O
the	O
UK	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Most	O
sales	O
were	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
whose	O
hardware	O
sales	O
increased	O
by	O
94	O
percent	O
because	O
of	O
Watch	B-Application
Dogs	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Watch	B-Application
Dogs	I-Application
sold	O
63,000	O
copies	O
of	O
the	B-Operating_System
PlayStation	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
version	O
and	O
31,000	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
in	O
its	O
Japanese	O
debut	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
the	O
biggest	O
video-game	O
launch	O
of	O
the	O
year	O
in	O
Britain	O
until	O
Destiny	B-Application
was	O
released	O
in	O
September	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
third-bestselling	O
game	O
during	O
the	O
second	O
week	O
of	O
that	O
month	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nine	O
million	O
copies	O
had	O
been	O
shipped	O
worldwide	O
in	O
October	O
,	O
two-thirds	O
of	O
which	O
were	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Ubisoft	O
's	O
sales	O
figures	O
,	O
Watch	B-Application
Dogs	I-Application
had	O
sold	O
ten	O
million	O
copies	O
by	O
the	O
fiscal	O
quarter	O
ending	O
December	O
31	O
,	O
2014	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
sequel	O
,	O
Watch	B-Application
Dogs	I-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
November	O
2016	O
,	O
followed	O
by	O
Watch	B-Application
Dogs	I-Application
:	I-Application
Legion	I-Application
in	O
October	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
