Ubisoft today announced that the release of its highly anticipated Watch Dogs video game has been delayed until 2014.

The release of a second game, The Crew, has also been pushed.

Watch Dogs was first introduced in June 2012 at the E3 gaming expo, and featured prominently at the PS4 and Xbox One media events earlier this year. The game was supposed to launch on Nov. 19 release for both consoles, but Ubisoft said it needs a bit more time.

"We know a lot of you are probably wondering: Why now?" Ubisoft communications manager Gary Steinman said in a blog post. "We struggled with whether we would delay the game. But from the beginning, we have adopted the attitude that we will not compromise on quality."

"As we got closer to release, as all the pieces of the puzzle were falling into place in our last push before completion, it became clear to us that we needed to take the extra time to polish and fine tune each detail so we can deliver a truly memorable and exceptional experience," he continued.

The game follows protagonist Aiden Pearce, a vigilante hacker/former criminal living in a futuristic Chicago, where technology is run by a sort of matrix of interconnected computers, or "smart cities." Ubisoft reportedly turned to security firm Kaspersky Lab in an attempt to make Pearce's decisions more realistic.

"Our long term goal is to win the next generation," Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said in a statement today. "The tough decisions we are taking today to fully realize the major potential of our new creations have an impact on our short-term performance. We are convinced that, longer term, they will prove to be the right decisions both in terms of satisfaction for our fans and in terms of value creation for our shareholders."

The change required Ubisoft to change its financial estimates, but Guillemot said the firm will make up for it next year.

"Calendar 2014 will see the return of growth to the console market," thanks to the PS4 and Xbox One, he said. "Combined with the quality of our line-up and our strong financial situation, this growth will allow us to achieve record operating income in fiscal 2014-15 and 2015-16."

New launch dates were not disclosed. The Crew was originally forecast to hit shelves in spring 2014.

Recently, Sony confirmed that Ubisoft Motion Pictures is teaming up with Sony Pictures Entertainment and New Regency for a feature film based on Watch Dogs.

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