Project Cars Wii U Delay -- "There's No Conspiracy," Dev Says

The Wii U version of upcoming racing game Project Cars was delayed to 2015 not for any nefarious reasons, but because developer Slightly Mad Studios needed more time to make it a great game. That's what the game's creative director, Andy Tudor, told Eurogamer in an interview today.

"We obviously delayed until 2015, and there were some passionate people who got in touch with us about that," Tudor said. "There's no conspiracy here. We announced the Wii U [version] very early on in our development cycle, and some people think because we've been working on it a lot longer so it should be out now. The Xbox One version looks wicked, the PC version looks awesome, so does the PS4 version. It's not our goal to rush the Wii U version and have it not look as good as the other ones."

"When we say the Wii U version is delayed in 2015 because we need a little more time, that's all it is" -- Andy Tudor

Tudor went on to say that Nintendo fans are "crying out" for a game like Project Cars because there isn't a similar game available on the Wii U today, nor was there for Wii.

"It's not our job to disappoint those guys," he added. "So when we say the Wii U version is delayed in 2015 because we need a little more time, that's all it is. We just want to make sure it's of the same standard of all the other games. To do that, we just need a little more time."

As for how the Wii U version is shaping up, Tudor said he sees the game regularly and he's impressed with where it's at. "It's got dynamic time of day, weather--it looks phenomenal," he said. "And the actual console itself is quite good."

Project Cars launches November 18 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. Slightly Mad Studios has not shied away from boasting about the game, and Tudor continued this trend while speaking with Eurogamer. He said, "I think it's pretty bold to say that we're trying to beat Forza and Gran Turismo. I hope people at least put them in the same category, and see us as an alternative."

Publisher Namco Bandai describes Project Cars as "the most authentic, beautiful, intense, and technically advanced racing game on the planet." Earlier this week, the publisher announced that the Modified Car Pack will be available for people who preorder the game. It includes three vehicles: the Ruf CTR3 SMS-R, the Pagani Zonda Cinque Roadster, and the Ariel Atom 3 Mugen.

Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on Twitter @EddieMakuch