If you’re wondering what happened to this years’ Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games tie-in it’s not Sega that cancelled it but the IOC.
It seems fair to say that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) does not really understand video games. A few weeks ago, they announced the first ever Olympic Esports Games for 2025 but only featuring non-violent games most people have never heard of.
At least there’s a reason behind that, but the explanation for why there’s no Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games tie-in for Paris 2024 is even more inane.
In turns out that Sega no longer has the licence and that instead the IOC has given it to an obscure developer called nWay, which specialises in Web3 and NFT technology.
The first Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games was released in 2007 for the Wii and every Olympics since then there’s been a new game.
Although the games only ever appeared on Nintendo formats they were developed and published by Sega, who owned the Olympics licence for almost two decades.
Occasionally they also made more realistic tie-ins too, such as Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 – The Official Video Game.
Unfortunately, that, and the Mario & Sonic equivalent, will be the last traditional console game for the foreseeable future, as nWay has already released mobile game Olympic Games Jam: Beijing 2022 and this year has Olympics GO! Paris 2024, which is also on PC – although only Epic Games Store.
Sega didn’t give up the licence, but instead the IOC allowed their agreement to lapse so that they could go with nWay instead. Or at least that’s according to Lee Cocker, who previously work at sports marketing firm ISM Ltd. and helped to manage the Olympics licence for video games.
Cocker has been tweeting about his experience on social media today and speaking to Eurogamer confirmed that the IOC, ‘Wanted to look at other partners and NFTs and esports.’
‘Basically, the IOC wanted to bring [it] back to themselves internally and look at other partners so they would get more money.’
How that’s going to happen with the lack of marketing, and the fact that the PC version isn’t even on Steam, is a mystery but they are also selling a ‘commemorative Paris 2024 NFT Digital Pin collection’ as well.
Although there’s a few companies that didn’t get the memo, NFTs thankfully died a quick death once everyone realised what a rip-off they are. Sadly though, the IOC’s attitude towards video games is worryingly reminiscent of FIFA.
After EA refused to pay for the FIFA licence anymore, FIFA insisted that it was going to make its own games, implying there may even be one out this year.
Despite numerous rumours that Take-Two has acquired the licence nothing has ever been announced, and it’s quite probable that FIFA’s approach to official games is going to be very similar to the IOC’s.
As for Mario & Sonic, it’s unclear if and when they might ever team up again. Sonic has also appeared in the Super Smash Bros. series but there’s never been any hint of any other kind of crossover.
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