NASCAR 2011: The Game backtracks to March

In late September, Activision confirmed it had entered a multiyear deal with Britain-based development studio Eutechnyx to publish multiple NASCAR video games. The first of the bunch, NASCAR 2011: The Game, was pegged for release in February, but that's no longer the case.

The delay of game was announced via the game's official forums recently, and Eutechnyx's community manager explained why pushing the title back was a necessary move for the studio.

"The main reason is we simply wanted more time to polish it and hopefully make it the experience you guys are craving," reads the statement. "It's never easy to delay a game as it can cause a lot of disappointment, but we genuinely feel that by doing this you guys will be even happier with the end product."

NASCAR 2011: The Game will be a fully licensed NASCAR entry with over 22 real-world tracks. It will also support up to 16 players and have an experience system, which will unlock cars, decals, and sponsors in Career mode.

In September 2009, Electronic Arts announced that it would let its NASCAR license lapse and forgo creating further titles based on the popular sport. Activision's interest in the franchise came about a year later when it was rumored that the megapublisher would be involved with future NASCAR titles. Then at the end of September 2010, it became official: Activision would publish and distribute NASCAR 2011: The Game, but Eutechnyx would hold the license.

For more on the racing sim, check out GameSpot's hands-on preview of NASCAR 2011: The Game.