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The Sad State of Olympic Video Games 
Posted on February 13, 2010 at 10:54 AM.
Another Olympics, another mediocre Olympic video game. Eurocom has been developing the official Olympic titles for years and every year it's been disappointing. Sure, the great Mario vs. Sonic titles are on the market, but they're an overexaggeration of the games, not to mention filled with fictional anthropomorphic characters.

So, here's what I'm suggesting: we need a legitimate sports game developer to take the reigns of Olympic video games. No olympic title, to my knowledge, has ever brought the pageantry of the games to life. Not even the Mario vs. Sonic titles have been anything to write home about in terms of presentation or even in terms of event variety. Additionally, no game has ever added every sport in a given winter or summer games, either, choosing to leave out hockey, baseball, tennis, basketball and soccer (for seemingly unknown reasons).

Something tells me that if this series were in EA Canada's hands, things would be different and the gameplay would get a much-needed once-over. The Olympics are an event that the world seems to look forward to, so why can't the winter and summer olympic video games be something worth the excitement?

Here may be some possible solutions to this problem:

1. Combine previous game engines into a "new game". This may seem like a lazy way of doing things, but what would happen if the FIFA soccer engine and NBA Live basketball engine were used in a Summer Olympic title for the soccer and basketball events? Similarly, what would happen if NHL 10's gameplay was used in a Winter Olympic game? Sure, it may take up more space on a disc than expected, but this may be a great way to add some good gameplay and animations to a previously mediocre display of every Olympic sport.

2. A longer development cycle. An olympic event takes place every two years. That should be enough time for a developer to put together a competent, well-rounded game. I may be mistaken, but with the way the Eurocom/Sega games have played, I can't think to myself that it's taking them this long a cycle to develop the games we see today. More care and a higher budget over the two years between Olympics should (ideally) bring a better game.

3. Better presentation/pageantry. The recent Vancouver 2010 demo has made some positive strides in this department with national anthems and realistic interactions, but it still doesn't feel like you're competing on the world's largest stage. Other sports games have perfectly emulated the "high-pressure situation" in the past, but all it seems like you're doing in every Olympic title is the same old button mashing. I know the Track & Field games still have a loyal fanbase, but enough is enough. It's time to bring the Olympics into the age of realistic, immersive sports games such as The Show and EA's NHL series. Also, commentary should be included that intensifies and immerses the gamer into the event, not just as a meaningless afterthought.

4. Competent, realistic gameplay. Many video games have figured out ways to combat button-mashing. Smackdown vs. Raw started a semi-innovative way to break submissions, for example, and its more-competent cousin, UFC Undisputed, has evolved that basic system into an innovative, complex submission counter system. What I don't understand, then, is the lack of innovation in the Olympic genre. If control schemes can move past the "tried and true" Track and Field formula and bring some innovation into the player's hands, we could be looking at a more competent Olympic lineup down the road. What the first "Mario vs. Sonic" did with its motion controls was create an Olympic game where something other than your thumbs got a workout. On the higher difficulty levels, your arms would easily get tired during the running events, a feeling I probably will never forget. That's all fine and good, but why can't the "traditional" consoles get something this enjoyable? Maybe it won't be until Microsoft's Project Natal releases that a truly immersive Olympic gameplay experience can be enjoyed.

5. Poor Use Of Olympic Licenses. Add to the fact that no developer has an Olympic or IIHF license for hockey, and this situation seems even more desperate. I remember "Olympic Hockey" back on the N64, but the game wasn't more than a Wayne Gretzky 3D Hockey clone. When a text-based sim, Eastside Hockey Manager, is the only hockey title to ever have a realistic Olympic Hockey simulation, you know something's up. If EA ever acquired the Olympic license, imagine the possibilities...we could be seeing the inclusion of NBA, FIFA or NHL gameplay in olympic titles (as mentioned above) or an "Olympic Mode" in either one of those games during olympic years with authentic arenas, presentation, uniforms and players (NHL, FIFA and NBA could even include a World Cup 2006-type "International Selection" feature that allows the gamer to correct inaccurate rosters using a pool of every international player in the game).

6. Where's Macedonia When You Need It? Everyone loves a good underdog story, and because of that, I'm annoyed that the developers always seem to include major "world powers" in Olympic games. One of the most fun aspects of EA's World Cup games (as well as FIFA 98 way back when) was to take a small nation and attempt to qualify for the World Cup against juggernauts like England, Brazil and Italy. Why Olympic titles don't feature every IOC-recognized nation puzzles me for that very reason. I would love to become the head of the Vanuatu Olympic Committee and turn the small island nation into an international juggernaut on the medal list.

7. "Olympic Franchise Mode". On the topic of managing a nation, the generic "Summer Games", released in 2008 on the Xbox 360, offered a potentially innovative feature that allowed you to manage your athletes and monitor their physical condition and talent ratings. Imagine if this idea could be expanded...as a national scout, you could discover the next Michael Phelps or Michael Johnson in scenarios reminiscient of NHL 10's "prospect game" feature. Handpicking talent from pools of candidates could also seem like a viable option as well, based upon ratings and stats. An example of this already in a video game is in Eastside Hockey Manager 2007, where, as an international GM, you can hand-select players from across the world to be on your national roster, which could also work in a licensed NBA, NHL or FIFA title. Angry at how Brian Burke selected Team USA for the Vancouver games? Take on his role and turn the Americans into an international hockey power in NHL's "Olympic Mode". Scouting, selecting and playing as your own handpicked talent against the CPU or others online will make the experience of an Olympic title more satisfying. At the end of the day, it's all about getting the most medals, however, so more emphasis should be placed on your nation's final medal count. And as for replay value, how about extending the dynasty past one Winter or Summer Olympics? Just insert some generic "Olympic-Themed" stadiums and venues, pick a major international city at random from a database, scout new athletes, monitor existing team members as they get older and continue Samoa's run to the top of the medal standings. This could potentially be a feature that breaks Olympic titles wide open...if attempted. I would definitely take this over any "Olympic Mode" any day of the week.

8. Give the Gamer Control. If you don't like figure skating, gymnastics, curling or synchronized swimming, you should have the option to skip or simulate these events, or at least refuse to compete in such events. I know these events are included for variety's sake, but come on, who really wants to play them? Include them for whatever "niche market" wants them, but don't force a gamer to endure such torture for the heck of it. That's just...wrong.

So, as another Olympic season begins, and as you watch the world's greatest athletes compete under the guise of mutual respect and peaceful competition, think of what could have been in your console at the same time. And think of why every Olympic title is the very definition of a "cash grab". Like the Olympics, the appeal of these games are over before they start...but it doesn't have to be that way. There could very well be an Olympic game that you continue to play after the actual games are over. But with the way things are going at the moment with the Sega/Eurocom line of Olympic titles, such a concept seems nearly impossible...if anything, it's something to think about.
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