14 DAY TRIAL // The Massive Entertainment team currently working on The Division says that it has been encouraged to re-double its efforts to create a quality experience after publisher Ubisoft announced that it was delaying Watch Dogs to improve its overall quality.
David Polfeldt, the managing director working on the new title at the studio, says that the decision was a good one and shows other teams that the owners of the intellectual property are ready to take the financial and public relations hit that’s associated with the delay of a high-profile title.
He tells CVG that, “for us in the development, that's an important message that ultimately the management will back up the goals that we have, which is the game has to be great.”
He adds that, “That's ultimately the end goal and then it's a million times better if it's on time but if there is a choice between time and quality, then quality will win.”
It’s unclear whether the statements coming from Polfeldt mean that there’s a big chance that The Division itself will be delayed in the coming months.
The game is at the moment set to be launched before the end of 2014 and should be offered on the Xbox One from Microsoft, the PlayStation 4 from Sony, current-gen consoles and on the PC.
Core development is handled by Massive, but they are being helped by Reflections, which is also associated with The Crew, and by Red Storm, which has traditionally been linked to Tom Clancy themed titles.
The game will take place in a future version of the United States that has been affected by a fast spreading virus, which has forced the government to deploy a range of emergency services, including members of The Division, specifically trained to deal with situations like this.
The game will allow players to customize their characters and then work as a team with friends in order to stop the chaos and restore order to an urban environment.
The entire experience is designed to be social while also using the Snowdrop engine to create beautiful spaces for gamers to explore on their own or as part of a team.
Until The Division gets an official release date, the big coming launch for Ubisoft is Watch Dogs, which will be delivered on May 27 on the PlayStation 4, the Xbox One, current-gen consoles and the PC, with a Wii U port coming later during the year.