Olympics ditched Mario & Sonic series to explore NFTs and esports

The International Olympics Committee walked away from its partnership with Nintendo and Sega for the long-running Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games series in order to explore deals with new partners, NFTs and esports, Eurogamer understands.

As the real-life Olympics gets underway in Paris, there’s been discussion online of there being no new Mario & Sonic tie-in for this summer’s Games, for the first time in almost two decades.

Speaking with Eurogamer, a veteran behind the series has now said the decision to end the popular Mario & Sonic franchise rested with the IOC, which chose not to renew its licensing deal with Nintendo and Sega, and allowed it to lapse in 2020.

“They wanted to look at other partners and NFTs and esports,” Lee Cocker, who worked on almost every entry in the series, told Eurogamer. “Basically the IOC wanted to bring [it] back to themselves internally and look at other partners so they would get more money.”

Cocker previously worked at ISM Ltd, a sports marketing and digital media firm responsible for managing the Olympic Games license in the world of video games.

Over the past 20 years, six Mario & Sonic Olympic Games titles have launched, beginning in 2007. Subsequent entries tied into London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, as well as the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver 2010 and Sochi 2014.

The Mario & Sonic Olympics series has been hugely successful, though latter entries suffered somewhat from the same sports recurring.

With Nintendo and Sega’s mascots ditched, the IOC has gone elsewhere. It’s not been well promoted, but this year’s Paris 2024 Games do have an official video game tie-in: Olympics Go! Paris 2024, a free-to-play smartphone-focused effort from San Franciso and Seoul-based company nWay, which previously developed several Power Rangers games.

There’s a PC version of Olympics Go! too, released via the Epic Games Store, though screenshots show the same touch controls and basic visuals of its smartphone versions. You can compete in 12 Olympic Sports, such as archery, gymnastics, 100m athletics, swimming and golf.

Oh, and there’s NFTs too, of course.

“Join the excitement of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 with nWay’s officially licensed, commemorative Paris 2024 NFT Digital Pin collection!” the game’s website explains.

“You can claim a legendary or epic pin showcasing the Paris 2024 mascot holding a flag and waving. You can add these digital gems to your collection through Magic Eden’s friendly NFT marketplace as part of Coinbase’s Onchain Summer event. Be sure to have an ETH L2 Base-supported wallet to secure yours today!”

Next up from the International Olympics Committee is the inaugural Esports Olympic Games next year, hosted by Saudi Arabia. Perhaps it’s best Mario and Sonic steer clear.