Mario and Sonic title confirmed for Winter Olympics

Mario and Sonic are likely to be paired up together in another Olympic sports title based around the 2010 winter games being hosted in Vancouver, Canada.

Dennis Kim, director of licensing and merchandise for the event, told The Province that the Olympic organiser was in talks with Sega to develop two titles for the winter games.

"Last year, 2008, they had a very successful game using Mario and Sonic at the Beijing Games, as well as a multi-sport simulation type of game," Kim explained. "That's what's being discussed and planned for Vancouver. We are feeling optimistic about sales because of the Beijing experience."

While Kim specified that one title could be the return of the Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games franchise, originally released for the Beijing Olympics, the other game would be a more realistic simulation.

"We have had meetings with them and they have been here and we'll continue to meet with them," he said. "They want to get a real sense of accuracy, particularly with the landscape and the venues and the look of the games."

Last week, Sega announced that it had penned a deal to develop a number of titles around the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, having secured the official license.