By John Walker on July 19th, 2011 at 2:26 pm.

You know what would be a surprise? If Ubisoft, right, had a release date for a new game on all formats, yeah? But then – okay – at the eleventh hour announced that the PC version was going to be delayed! Imagine it! Because yes, yet again, Ubi have pulled the same tiresome trick with Call Of Juarez: The Cartel. Now the game – which was to be just about the only major release in July on PC – has slipped to the 16th September. We’ve contacted Ubisoft to find out why this keeps happening to their PC games, and will let you know their response. The consoles still get the game this Friday. In its absence, you can watch the first twenty minutes of the game, via CVG, below.
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I think I am going to create a strongly written mail in french, and send to Ubisoft.
“Helllo..
Ca va? Cava bien?
Je mappelle Tei. Je suis desole your PC strategy suck. Fix it”
My french is not robust, but is polite.
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Can I just request that you post in Franglais more frequently, Tei.
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I just sent a shorter version. It goes like this:
“Hello?. Ubi?.
FUCK YOU”.
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Oh UbiSoft, what did we do to deserve your scorn :(
What’s going on with their UbiMAN protection as well? Does the gentleman still stand at your shoulder and tut disapprovingly, as it were, or does he just sit on a bench watching you through opera glasses these days?
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I can’t shake the feeling this going to be a fiasco like the latest Kane & Lynch game. It just feels wrong on a very fundamental level.
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Probably because developing for the PC requires more QA, to test on all hardware configs etc, and then fixing those issues. Also maybe a little because they think it’ll reduce piracy which they think will increase sales.
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Actually, I think that the opposite factor, games on consoles needing to be more or less 100% bug free to pass certification, eats a big part of the QA time as well.
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stahlwerk, I’d like you to meet Fallout: New Vegas. Fallout: New Vegas, stahlwerk.
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Or any number of other buggy as hell console games, of which there are lots. Ever since consoles were able to patch I swear bugs have gotten worse. On the plus side at least if there are bugs they can/might patch them unlike the old days.
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I read an article yesterday about how their stocks dropped %15 because stockholders were predicting terrible review scores. They should start rolling in today.
Also, the new Driver is up for preorder on Steam, with the same release date as the consoles. Will it hold? :)
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I read that last sentence as ‘Will it blend?’
Damn you, internets.
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bend?
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The new driver sounds awful. Then again, the series is no stranger to awful incarnations.
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I know the principle should offend me, but this game looks like such utter shit I can’t be bothered.
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Same here
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So…a shit game AND a shocking misuse of the IP?
Take note, X-Com FPS developers.
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Had to preview the game, and while it looks like it might be fun in coop, I’ll pass on the retail release. The shooting is a bit “meh” (at least in the previewcode) and most of the stuff that made the previous Call of Juarez games fun to play is gone. Other little annoyances such as the hardcoded locations for the “secret” mission objectives will cause harm to the coop experience when playing with experienced players…
And I just don’t see this game get a proper following that will allow me to easily find coop partners without having to force my friends to buy this game.
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Yes, because that went terribly well with HAWX 2.
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Wait, there was a HAWX 2?
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Oh hey that reminds me… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1JOFhfoAD4
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Can we get them on false advertising and fraud charges then.
They have done this enough times that we should know its going to happen, but they are using the PC release date to push sales, and if proven that they had no intention of releasing on the same day then they are gaining a monety advantage using this.
Its time they had some legal sticks shoved all the way up there butt, might teach em a lesson.
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Oh, i am sooooo suprised… the same way people are suprised every year when it’s suddendly spring, the snow melts, and their houses drown. Again and again.
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While you’re asking them about that can you ask them why the PC version of Ghost Recon: Future Soldier seems to be quietly disappearing?
Thanks!
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Not surprised really.
I was shocked to see a TV advert for the game a few days ago, and at the end I was concerned that the PC boxart/release wasn’t shown (but the consoles were), so I checked on Steam and it says it will be unlocked in over 2 months’ time… : (
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I’m still boycotting Ubi over the nefarious AssCreed 2 DRM.
At this point, they would have to outdo Valve and Blizzard combined in goodwill gestures for me to consider their products.
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Except for RUSE I hope. Because not only does RUSE not have the UBIDRM (and it was released during UBIDRMs peak) it also came out on PC, is not an obvious port – and is AWESOME (because it’s the opposite of Starcraft – all thought, little twitch)
Also, why the hell would “Let’s segregate the Internet”-Blizzard have any goodwill whatsoever? They’re retards, and I’m not someone who uses that word lightly.
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RUSE had no LAN support.
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I wasn’t trying to imply either Valve or Blizzard were 100% perfect and criticism proof. But they’re the best examples of PC focused developers/publishers, with truly outstanding post launch product support, that I can think of.
Have a look at the patching history for either Diablo II or Warcraft III. Not to mention they still have running online support, 9-11 years after release. If you take that for granted in this industry, you’re just setting yourself up for disappointment.
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http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-07-19-call-of-juarez-the-cartel-review
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The Ubistore price-jacked my ACB purchase when it was supposed to be 50% off during their summer sale, and two weeks of emails with both the store support and corporate support went precisely nowhere.
I’m half tempted to post the entire retarded exchange for your collective schadenfreude, but the bottom line is that they don’t even know what their own discount prices were, or who sets them, or how they get on the website.
My recommendation is to never do business with the Ubistore ever. The risk of getting stuck in support roulette is higher than any discounts can possibly offset.
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If you post it, I will read it.
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If they do this with the new Assassin’s Creed, I’ll be sad, then angry, then I’ll get distracted by the deluge of other games coming out and forget about it until Lewie points out a really cheap price to me. And delaying a not very anticipated game like this so it has to fight off the big boys isn’t clever at all.
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doesn’t matter. saw the game in action today. total corridor shooter. seems to be on the same level as homefront storywise.
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Not a smart move, I think.
I would have bought the game this month, because there are no other high profile competitive releases and I have a lot of time on my hand.
But in September I will be playing other games like Deus Ex 3 and perhaps Warhammer 40K Space Marine and Dead Island. And in October there are already Rage and Batman Arkham City waiting for me.
So I will skip this game now. I will perhaps buy it later for a bargain price when there’s nothing else going on. What a morons.
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a game that might have sold a few copies for being in an uncrowded period gets delayed to a time where EVERY FUCKING GAME COMES OUT A THE SAME TIME
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