It used to be a tradition that a new installment in the Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games series would appear at each Olympic Games.
Mario & Sonic cancelled due to…NFTS?!
A crossover sports game that sees Mario and Sonic’s friends team up and compete in various Olympic events, the Mario & Sonic series started with the Beijing 2008 games and recently released the Tokyo 2020 edition a few years ago. So why no Paris 2024 version? According to one of the former developers, a number of behind-the-scenes factors at the International Olympic Committee led to the series’ cancellation. In a report from Eurogamer , former Mario & Sonic developer Lee Cocker said that the IOC didn’t want to continue with the franchise in order to make more money. Their pursuit of partnerships, both in the nascent esports scene and in NFTs, were the primary reasons for the series’ demise.
For those wondering: There will be no @MarioSonicGames for @Paris2024. The franchise ended with #MarioAndSonic at the #OlympicGames @Tokyo2020. I know because I worked on every game in the franchise. #Olympics #PARIS2024 #videogames #gaming #esports #Nintendo #Sega pic.twitter.com/o5OPEksF5G
The IOC’s entry into esports has been well-documented. The committee recently voted to create an Olympic Esports Games that will kick off next year in Saudi Arabia, a location that has drawn some controversy over the upcoming event. As for NFTs, you can find them on Olympics Go! Paris 2024 , an officially licensed game from the IOC that you can play on your phone with official NFT pins that players can collect.
