Mario and Sonic were benched by the Olympics in favour of NFTs and esports, former producer on the series says

If you're a fan of both video games and the Olympics, you may have noticed that two long running competitors didn't turn up to the Stade de France in Paris this year—Mario and Sonic. Gaming's two most recognisable mascots have fronted a tie-in game for every Summer Olympics since 2008's Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games. For this year's Paris event, however, the two have been conspicuously absent.

Have the pair been led astray by their recently found cinematic fame? No. In fact, the...