BUMP

Slightly Mad Studios recently launched Project CARS on next-gen consoles and PC to positive reviews and encouraging sales. A truly unique racing title, it was crowdfunded by the community in a process which pre-dated the now-popular Kickstarter approach.

The route to market has been a long one, and along the way the proposed PS3 and Xbox 360 versions were dropped. However, the Wii U version remained on track - although it was stated that it would launch after the other editions of the game.

This week, a bombshell was dropped on the official forums for the game. Slightly Mad Studio Head Ian Bell posted a comment which appeared to cast doubt on the Wii U edition; Bell revealed that performance problems were impacting development and suggested that the team would be waiting on any E3 announcements surrounding the Nintendo NX system before making any further commitment.

Predictably, this caused something of an uproar among Nintendo fans, many of which felt aggrieved at the fact that this much-delayed game - which Slightly Mad has repeatedly maintained is still coming - may never arrive on the Wii U. Some also pointed out that Slightly Mad should refund those who funded the game in the expectation of getting a Nintendo version.

Bell has since been in touch to set the record straight regarding the Wii U version of Project CARS, and is keen to point out that funding took place when it was only confirmed for the PC, and therefore nobody should have pledged money in the expectation of a console release:

Project CARS/Weapons of Mass Development opened funding initially as a Free to Play PC only Racing game. This is when the bulk of the funding arrived. Funding was closed late 2013.

By vote of the members, it changed to a boxed product PC/Xbox 360/PS3 and 'maybe Wii U' game. It was always 'maybe' as we had no knowledge of the system.

It was again changed, by vote of the members, to a PC/Xbox One/PS4 next gen game with still 'maybe Wii U' and Steam OS. The funding, as I said above, was closed long before this.

We still haven't given up on Wii U 100% but if we can't make it work we will move to the next Nintendo machine.

So there you have it - the Wii U version was always 'maybe' rather than a dead certainty. Do you think we'll ever see the game on the console now? Share your thoughts below.