NFTs
Mario and Sonic were left out of the Olympics in favor of NFTs and eSports, says former series producer
If you’re a fan of video games and the Olympics, you may have noticed that two longtime competitors were absent from the Stade de France in Paris this year — Mario and Sonic. The two most recognizable mascots in gaming have headlined a tie-in game for every Summer Olympics since Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games in 2008. For this year’s Paris event, however, both have been notably absent.
Was the couple fooled by their recent discovery? cinematic fame? No. In fact, the decision not to have an Olympic-related game this year came from the International Olympic Committee, not anything on SEGA or Nintendo’s part.
This revelation comes from Lee Cocker, who previously worked as an executive producer at sports marketing and digital media company ISM Ltd, which is responsible for managing the Olympics’ video game license. In that role, Cocker worked on nearly every entry in the Mario & Sonic series.
Talking to EurogamerCocker explained that the IOC chose not to renew its licensing agreement with Nintendo and Sega, effectively ending the franchise when the deal expired in 2020. “They wanted to look at other partners and NFTsas well as esports, Cocker told Eurogamer. “Basically, the IOC wanted to bring [it] “turn inward and look for other partners to get more money.”
So what exactly is the IOC doing in the absence of Mario and Sonic? Well, for starters, it’s worth noting that the Paris Olympics do have an official video game, a free-to-play title called Olympics Go! Paris 2024 (which somehow manages to be an even clunkier title than the Mario & Sonic games, despite using fewer words) available on mobile and PC.
nWay is also responsible for Olympic NFTs, offering “an officially licensed collection of Paris 2024 commemorative NFT Digital Pins.” The company website states “You can claim a Legendary or Epic pin showing the Paris 2024 mascot holding a flag and waving.”
Regarding eSports, earlier this month the IOC announced the first Esports Olympics in conjunction with the Saudi Arabian National Olympic Committee, to be held in 2025. The decision has led to accusations of sportswashing by Saudi Arabia, given the country’s poor human rights record. Not that Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman particularly cares, telling Fox News in 2023, “If sportswashing will increase my GDP by one percent, then I’ll keep doing sportswashing.” Something tells me you wouldn’t hear Mario or Sonic say that.