Olympics Abandons Mario and Sonic Games in Favor of Mobile and NFT Ventures

A historic collaboration between Nintendo and Sega to produce Olympics-themed video games reportedly came to an end in 2020, as the event's organizers explored alternative opportunities. According to Lee Cocker, executive producer of multiple Mario & Sonic Olympics titles, the International Olympics Committee allowed the licensing agreement to expire, seeking to explore other partnerships, NFTs, and esports. Cocker stated, "The IOC essentially wanted to take control back in-house and seek out other partners to increase revenue." The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris commenced without a corresponding Mario & Sonic game, a first since the initial release in 2007 for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. Over the past twenty years, there have been four Summer Olympics tie-ins and two Winter Olympics tie-ins featuring Mario and Sonic. This year, the IOC released Olympics Go! Paris 2024, a free-to-play title for mobile and PC developed by nWay, which has previously worked on Power Rangers games. The game allows players to compete in twelve sports and unlock NFTs from the Paris 2024 Digital Pin collection. The original Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, announced in March 2007, marked the first time the two mascots appeared together in a game, following their rivalry in the 1990s console wars.