Poor Aiden is confused as anyone at this point.
As we reported a couple days ago, clever modders have discovered a series of hidden files in the PC version of Watch Dogs that turn on a variety of fancy graphics effects that essentially make the game look like it did when it was first unveiled in 2012.
Had Watch Dogs been intentionally hobbled for some dark, shadowy reason? Certainly seems that way, but in a statement released today Ubisoft claims it’s simply not the case! Here’s their explanation…
“We test and optimize our games for each platform on which they’re released, striving for the best possible quality. The PC version does indeed contain some old, unused render settings that were deactivated for a variety of reasons, including possible impacts on visual fidelity, stability, performance and overall gameplay quality. Modders are usually creative and passionate players, and while we appreciate their enthusiasm, the mod in question (which uses those old settings) subjectively enhances the game’s visual fidelity in certain situations but also can have various negative impacts. Those could range from performance issues, to difficulty in reading the environment in order to appreciate the gameplay, to potentially making the game less enjoyable or even unstable.”
So, they were just protecting us from performance issues! Except, according to the vast majority of people who have tried the “2012 graphics” mod, it doesn’t hurt performance at all. Some have even reported improved performance. Also, if Ubisoft was just concerned with performance, why not let folks with super high-end computers turn on the supposedly taxing 2012-era effects?
Do you honestly think the players who’ve already managed to pull apart your game to find your dirty little secrets are going to be fooled by such a transparent load of merde? Come on, Ubisoft.
Via Kotaku