In spite of its heavy emphasis on hacking, Watch Dogs can sometimes feel a bit too much like Grand Theft Auto. "Just like a Rockstar thug, Aiden can just as easily hop into any car on the street, race around, buy weapons at a dealer, run over pedestrians, and call attention to the police," I wrote in my last preview.

At a recent preview event in San Francisco, I got to try out nearly four hours of the game, including a good deal of multiplayer. Like the campaign, Ubisoft's game shines when it's doing its own thing, rather than trying to go toe-to-toe against Rockstar's heavy-hitting franchise.

Read more: Three multiplayer modes detailed »

Which version of Watch Dogs will look the best? Assuming you have the right hardware, it should be PC. A new video from Ubisoft shows off the PC version in action, and it highlights some of the exclusive features coming to Nvidia cards.

For example, the PC version will use Nvidia's HBAO Plus (Horizon Based Ambient Occlusion), which will make for more realistic shadows. Nvidia's TXAA anti-aliasing will also be utilized.

Watch: PC prettiness »

Of course Watch Dogs is going to have a DLC Season Pass. It's not too different from the usual offerings Ubisoft have created for their Assassin's Creed series.

Read more: New single player campaign »

The long-awaited (and long-delayed) Watch Dogs is set to release on May 27, which means PC players have until then to make sure their systems can handle the CTOS' technological onslaught. The game is now available to pre-order on Steam and the listing includes the minimum and required specs for anyone hoping to experience Aiden Pearce's journey on their PC.

Read more: Minimum and recommended requirements »

The delay of Watch Dogs meant the development team got to include several ideas that would have otherwise been scrapped and saved for a sequel, according to Ubisoft VP of creative Lionel Raynaud. Even so, though, the team couldn't fit in all of their concepts, and so the company is already hinting at a sequel.

Read more: "It wouldn't feel new enough to be worth a new IP" »

Every once in a while, publishers will prepare special editions of upcoming releases that differ by region. For instance, US players would get some form of downloadable content and physical extras, such as a soundtrack or a collectible figurine, while audiences in the UK and Japan would get something else completely. Many of these special editions never get a release in the Western market.

Even now, there are a number of high-profile games with tempting bonuses that haven't been announced for our shores. Let's take a look at what isn't coming our way.

Read more: Might be time to call your importer »

Given Ubisoft's ambitious online plans for Watch Dogs, it's unsurprising that the company is running a beta for the game. A closed beta has been spotted on Xbox Live for Xbox One, although whether or not it'll be made available to the public has yet to be determined.

Read more: Multiplayer detailed »

Today, Ubisoft announced Watch Dogs' new release date: May 27. It's about half a year after the game was originally supposed to ship, before Ubisoft very suddenly delayed the game just a month before launch.

Senior producer Dominic Guay says that the last-minute delay happened because "we still could have shipped" the game on time. "It was not like we were failing miserably, the game didn't work, or it couldn't be played! We'd been playing this game from front to back for so long it really looked like this would happen."

Read more: Early Access prices going away »

Watch Dogs is releasing on May 27, Ubisoft has confirmed in a new story trailer. The game will be available on PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC. However, the Wii U version will arrive at a later date. Senior producer Dominic Guay told Joystiq that the Wii U version is coming "a few months" after the other versions.

Watch: The story trailer »

Nintendo has seen better days. Wii U has failed to capture the attention that its predecessor has. However, Nintendo isn't ready to give up the fight just yet--and, for that matter, neither should Wii U owners.

The "no games" argument doesn't hold particularly true for Wii U, especially with a Game of the Year-winning library. And the system will continue to get a fair share of games in 2014. While there are several more set to be announced throughout the year, here are a few known titles that will undoubtedly get fans excited about owning the system.

Read more: Lots o' games coming to the platform »

Watch Dogs will be delayed on Wii U after all, Ubisoft announced today. During an earnings call, the company recommitted to its spring release target for the vast majority of systems, but said the Wii U version will come "at a later date."

Read more: Sheds light on pre-order cancellation rumors »

Ubisoft has temporarily lost the trademark for Watch Dogs as someone pretending to be CEO Yves Guillemot requested the "express abandonment" for the name.

A request to leave the name was first spotted by NeoGAF member Rosti. The trademark would have covered not only the upcoming game, but toys, TV shows, and other merchandise.

Read more: Forged signature »

Sometimes, canceling a game can be a great source of inspiration. Ubisoft was working on a driving game, potentially to be part of the Driver franchise. However, after its cancellation, it laid down the foundation to become Watch Dogs--Ubisoft's anticipated open world adventure.

"This was years ago. Then we were thinking, 'no, this is not the way we want to go with a driving game,' so we cancelled that and restarted," Ubisoft president Laurent Detoc explained. "The decision was made that there was another driving game being made and this one should be an open-world game where the guy comes out of the car and does other things."

Read more: 'Driver wasn't canceled in favor of Watch Dogs' »

Watch Dogs may have been delayed to next year, but if you play Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, you'll get a small Easter egg regarding Ubisoft's next open world game.

Spoilers follow.

See: the evidence »

PlayStation snagged exclusive DLC for both Watch Dogs and Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag. But, "exclusive" typically means "timed exclusive" in this business, and that happens to be the case here too.

Read more: Just a six month wait »