Olympic video games
Encyclopedia
"Olympic" video games is a name given to sport video games including more than one event and/or several sports. They are one of the older video game genres, having first appeared with the 1983
arcade classic Track & Field
. Since then, numerous titles have been released, usually in the immediate run up to the Olympic Games each game is intended to cover. Official IOC
licenses became a norm since the first official game, Olympic Gold
, was released in time for the 1992 Summer Olympics
.
, Accolade, U.S. Gold
and Konami
developed many of the early games. The genre is often overlooked by the gaming industry and considered little more than a novelty or memorabilia attached to the event, with some considering it as purely an exercise in licensing and merchandise. Gameplay is the common target for detractors, since it usually consists of the 'button mashing' formula used in Track & Field or 'joystick waggling' as used in Daley Thompson's Decathlon
.
However, since they are released at regular intervals, they can be used as a way to compare how graphics in computer games have changed over time: from the CGA
graphics of the first Epyx titles to the ever-evolving 3D graphics
of more modern titles such as Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008.
1983 in video gaming
-Events:* A major shakeout of the video game industry begins. By 1986, total video games sales will decrease from US$3.2 billion to US$0.1 billion.* MCA Universal files suit against Nintendo, claiming that the latter company's video arcade hit Donkey Kong violated Universal's copyright on King Kong...
arcade classic Track & Field
Track & Field (arcade game)
Track & Field, known in Japan as , is a 1983 Olympic-themed arcade game developed and published by Konami.The arcade version was released in 1983. The simple gameplay, based on quick repeating button presses, set the basics for sequels and similar games in the genre for the next decades...
. Since then, numerous titles have been released, usually in the immediate run up to the Olympic Games each game is intended to cover. Official IOC
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
licenses became a norm since the first official game, Olympic Gold
Olympic Gold
Olympic Gold is the official video game of the XXV Olympic Summer Games, hosted by Barcelona, Spain in 1992. It was released for the Sega consoles, Mega Drive/Genesis and Master System, and Sega's handheld, Game Gear.Developed internally by U.S...
, was released in time for the 1992 Summer Olympics
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
.
Evolution and criticism
Companies like EpyxEpyx
Epyx, Inc. was a video game developer and publisher in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s. The company was founded as Automated Simulations by Jim Connelley and Jon Freeman, originally using Epyx as a brand name for action-oriented games before renaming the company to match in 1983...
, Accolade, U.S. Gold
U.S. Gold
U.S. Gold was a British video game publisher and developer from the early 1980s through the mid-1990s, producing numerous titles on a variety of 8-bit, 16-bit and 32-bit platforms.-History:...
and Konami
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
developed many of the early games. The genre is often overlooked by the gaming industry and considered little more than a novelty or memorabilia attached to the event, with some considering it as purely an exercise in licensing and merchandise. Gameplay is the common target for detractors, since it usually consists of the 'button mashing' formula used in Track & Field or 'joystick waggling' as used in Daley Thompson's Decathlon
Daley Thompson's Decathlon
Daley Thompson's Decathlon is a computer game based on Konami's Track and Field, developed and released under license by Ocean Software in 1984...
.
However, since they are released at regular intervals, they can be used as a way to compare how graphics in computer games have changed over time: from the CGA
Color Graphics Adapter
The Color Graphics Adapter , originally also called the Color/Graphics Adapter or IBM Color/Graphics Monitor Adapter, introduced in 1981, was IBM's first color graphics card, and the first color computer display standard for the IBM PC....
graphics of the first Epyx titles to the ever-evolving 3D graphics
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
of more modern titles such as Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008.
Official games
- Barcelona 19921992 Summer OlympicsThe 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
- Olympic GoldOlympic GoldOlympic Gold is the official video game of the XXV Olympic Summer Games, hosted by Barcelona, Spain in 1992. It was released for the Sega consoles, Mega Drive/Genesis and Master System, and Sega's handheld, Game Gear.Developed internally by U.S...
by U.S. GoldU.S. GoldU.S. Gold was a British video game publisher and developer from the early 1980s through the mid-1990s, producing numerous titles on a variety of 8-bit, 16-bit and 32-bit platforms.-History:... - Lillehammer 19941994 Winter OlympicsThe 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Lillehammer failed to win the bid for the 1992 event. Lillehammer was awarded the games in 1988, after having beat...
- Winter Olympics: Lillehammer 94Winter Olympics: Lillehammer 94Winter Olympics is the official video game of the XVII Olympic Winter Games that were held in Lillehammer, Norway in 1994.Published by US Gold...
by U.S. GoldU.S. GoldU.S. Gold was a British video game publisher and developer from the early 1980s through the mid-1990s, producing numerous titles on a variety of 8-bit, 16-bit and 32-bit platforms.-History:... - Atlanta 19961996 Summer OlympicsThe 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
- Olympic Summer GamesOlympic Summer Games (video game)Olympic Summer Games was the 16-bit edition of the official video game of the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games...
by U.S. GoldU.S. GoldU.S. Gold was a British video game publisher and developer from the early 1980s through the mid-1990s, producing numerous titles on a variety of 8-bit, 16-bit and 32-bit platforms.-History:... - Nagano 19981998 Winter OlympicsThe 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
- Nagano Winter Olympics '98Nagano Winter Olympics '98Nagano Winter Olympics '98, known in Japan as is a multi-event sports game from Konami. It's based around the 1998 Winter Olympics and features ten Olympic events including skating, skiing, luge, bobsleigh, slalom, curling, halfpipe and snowboarding....
by KonamiKonamiis a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games... - Sydney 20002000 Summer OlympicsThe Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
- Sydney 2000Sydney 2000 (video game)Sydney 2000 is the official video game of the XXVII Olympic Summer Games, hosted by Sydney, Australia in 2000. Developed by ATD and published by Eidos, it was released for the PC , PlayStation and the Dreamcast...
by ATDAttention To DetailAttention To Detail was a Warwickshire-based British software house that endured nearly 15 years, from its foundation by five University of Birmingham graduates in September 1988 to their liquidation in mid-2003... - Salt Lake City 20022002 Winter OlympicsThe 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...
- Salt Lake 2002Salt Lake 2002 (video game)Salt Lake 2002 is the official video game of the XIX Olympic Winter Games, hosted by Salt Lake City, United States in 2002. Developed by ATD and published by Eidos , it was released for the PC, PlayStation 2 and Game Boy Advance.Following the success of Sydney 2000, Eidos trusted the Olympic...
by ATDAttention To DetailAttention To Detail was a Warwickshire-based British software house that endured nearly 15 years, from its foundation by five University of Birmingham graduates in September 1988 to their liquidation in mid-2003... - Athens 20042004 Summer OlympicsThe 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
- Athens 2004Athens 2004 (video game)Athens 2004 is the official video game of the 2004 Summer Olympics, featuring various track and field events, as well as others.- Reception :The reception of the game was quite mixed...
by Eurocom Entertainment Software - Turin 20062006 Winter OlympicsThe 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
- Torino 2006 by 2K Sports2K Sports2K Sports is a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. It comprises a single development studio, Visual Concepts, which was purchased from Sega in the year 2005. 2K Sports mainly develops and publishes American sports video games such as NBA 2K series... - Beijing 20082008 Summer OlympicsThe 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
- Beijing 2008Beijing 2008 (video game)Beijing 2008 is the official Olympic video game of the 2008 Summer Olympics held in Beijing. Developed by Eurocom and published by Sega, the game was the second video game based on the 2008 Summer Olympics to be released, the first being the fantasy-based Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games which...
and Mario & Sonic at the Olympic GamesMario & Sonic at the Olympic GamesMario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, known in Japan as , is a sports video game developed by the Sega Sports R&D Department of Sega Japan. It was published by Nintendo for Japan and by Sega for North America, Europe and all other regions. The game is officially licensed by the International Olympic...
by SegaSega, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world... - Vancouver 20102010 Winter OlympicsThe 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
- Vancouver 2010Vancouver 2010: The Official Videogame of the Winter Olympic GamesVancouver 2010 is the official Olympic video game of the 2010 Winter Olympics held in Vancouver.-Gameplay:Vancouver 2010 is a video game based on the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games. Many of the events in the real-world Olympics are playable...
and Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter GamesMario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Gamesis a 2009 sports video game developed by Sega. It was published by Nintendo for Japan and by Sega for North America and Europe. The game is officially licensed by the International Olympic Committee through exclusive license International Sports Multimedia...
by SegaSega, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world... - London 20122012 Summer OlympicsThe 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
- London 2012London 2012 (video game)London 2012 is the official Olympic video game of the upcoming 2012 Summer Olympics to be held in London. It will be published by Sega and developed by Sega Studios Australia, making this the first Olympics title to be developed in-house by Sega....
and Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic GamesMario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Gamesis a 2011 sports video game developed by Sega Japan. It was published by Nintendo for Japan and by Sega for North America, Europe, and all other regions. The game is officially licensed by the International Olympic Committee through exclusive licensee International Sports Multimedia...
by SegaSega, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
Not official
- Summer AthleticsSummer AthleticsSummer Athletics, also known as Summer Athletics: The Ultimate Challenge on the Xbox 360, is a sports game, developed by 49Games and published by Digital Entertainment Pool for the PlayStation 2, Wii, Xbox 360 and PC...
by dtp entertainmentDtp entertainmentdtp entertainment AG is a German video and computer game publisher, founded in 1995 by Thomas Baur. The headquarters are located in Hamburg and dtp today has more than 180 employees. It is one of Germany's leading game publishers. dtp is known for having published a high number of games which were... - Microsoft Decathlon by MicrosoftMicrosoftMicrosoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
- Winter GamesWinter GamesWinter Games is a sports video game developed by Epyx , based on sports featured in the Winter Olympic Games....
by EpyxEpyxEpyx, Inc. was a video game developer and publisher in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s. The company was founded as Automated Simulations by Jim Connelley and Jon Freeman, originally using Epyx as a brand name for action-oriented games before renaming the company to match in 1983... - Summer GamesSummer GamesSummer Games is a sports video game developed by Epyx and released by U.S. Gold based on sports featured in the Summer Olympic Games. Released in 1984 for the Commodore 64, it was also eventually ported to the Apple II, Atari 2600, Atari 7800, Atari XL/XE and Sega Master System platforms...
(I and II) by EpyxEpyxEpyx, Inc. was a video game developer and publisher in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s. The company was founded as Automated Simulations by Jim Connelley and Jon Freeman, originally using Epyx as a brand name for action-oriented games before renaming the company to match in 1983... - The Games: Winter Edition by EpyxEpyxEpyx, Inc. was a video game developer and publisher in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s. The company was founded as Automated Simulations by Jim Connelley and Jon Freeman, originally using Epyx as a brand name for action-oriented games before renaming the company to match in 1983...
- The Games: Summer Edition by EpyxEpyxEpyx, Inc. was a video game developer and publisher in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s. The company was founded as Automated Simulations by Jim Connelley and Jon Freeman, originally using Epyx as a brand name for action-oriented games before renaming the company to match in 1983...
(Official Game of the USOCUnited States Olympic CommitteeThe United States Olympic Committee is a non-profit organization that serves as the National Olympic Committee and National Paralympic Committee for the United States and coordinates the relationship between the United States Anti-Doping Agency and the World Anti-Doping Agency and various...
for the 1988 Summer Olympics1988 Summer OlympicsThe 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
) - The Games: Summer Challenge by Accolade
- The Games: Winter ChallengeWinter ChallengeWinter Challenge is a video game that portrays seven winter sports that are competed in during the Winter Olympics. This game however was not endorsed by the International Olympic Committee, the United States Olympic Committee, or any...
by Accolade - Track & FieldTrack & Field (arcade game)Track & Field, known in Japan as , is a 1983 Olympic-themed arcade game developed and published by Konami.The arcade version was released in 1983. The simple gameplay, based on quick repeating button presses, set the basics for sequels and similar games in the genre for the next decades...
series by KonamiKonamiis a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
Games on other genres with another Olympic related license
- Team USA BasketballNBA Live seriesThe NBA Elite is series of basketball video games, published by EA Sports. There has not been any entry in the series on a home console since 2009. In November 2010, development of the franchise was moved from EA Canada studio to Florida-based Tiburon studio...
, released for the Barcelona 19921992 Summer OlympicsThe 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
BasketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
tournament with a USOC license - Olympic Soccer, released for the Atlanta 19961996 Summer OlympicsThe 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
football tournament - Izzy's Quest for the Olympic Rings, platformer based on Atlanta Games' mascot
- Actua Ice HockeyActua Ice HockeyActua Ice Hockey is an ice hockey video game series composed by two games released in 1998 and 1999, part of Gremlin's Actua Sports series, released for Windows PCs and the PlayStation....
, released for the Nagano 19981998 Winter OlympicsThe 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
ice hockeyIce hockeyIce hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
tournament