The addition of a pre-load feature for pre-ordered games on the Sony Entertainment Network with PS4 firmware 1.7 made many assume that the option would debut with Watch_Dogs, but apparently that won’t be the case.
Sony Computer Entertainment just updated its Knowledge Center page mentioning that only certain titles will take advantage of the option, and that Destiny in September will be the first to offer it.
I contacted PlayStation support to ask for confirmation, and I was told that this is indeed true, and that Watch_Dogs won’t be available for pre-load because the developer doesn’t allow it.
Unfortunately it’s a fact that pre-load opportunities do indeed need to be negotiated with a game’s publisher, so it looks like we’ll have to wait for September in order to enjoy pre-loading our games on PS4.