Today NASCAR news announced that developer Electronic Arts, who have exclusive rights to developing games based on the popular racing franchise, have put the driving sim on hold for now while they review the current business model. With the recent release of NASCAR Kart Racing for the Wii, it’s clear that EA is looking find a more casual friendly audience with which to share its NASCAR series, and as such have placed plans for NASCAR 2010 on hold while they make a decision about what will best benefit both companies. EA’s Randy Chase stated that the "old game was more for the simulation players, the serious gamers" whereas the Wii game is considered "more lighthearted, something that’s more fun for the entire family. We look at it as a respectful caricature of the sport." Blake Davidson, NASCAR’s managing director of licensed products also mentioned that as this is the last year in EA’s exclusivity deal, they are looking at their options and deciding which one would best benefit the brand. With the current exclusivity deal running out this year, this possibly opens up the series for other developers and might be able to give the series some new perpsective as EA’s current yearly release schedule wasn’t offering much in the way of new gameplay year on year. Reports from EA have stated that the Kart racing game’s preorder numbers have exceeded those of NASCAR ’09’s, and Davidson feels that the expansion on to the Wii with a less traditional more family focused title is a step in the right direction. However, the organization is still keeping its options open for the time being. We’ll keep you up to date on what happens once a decision is made.