New video games pop up for Winter Olympics

New York: As the Winter Olympics close in, various gaming companies are coming up with new games to bring winter sports back to life. Japanese game maker Sega, which won the publishing rights for the official 2010 Winter Olympics video games, has two releases out aimed at extending the Winter Games beyond a few weeks, according to John Gaudiosi of Reuters.

Sega has released "Vancouver 2010 - The Official Video Game of the Olympic Winter Games" on January 12 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC, with 14 events like alpine skiing, speed skating and snowboard cross, giving fans a taste of the real experience. "The fact that so many kids are playing video games these days, this game allows them to discover these sports in a different way. Growing up it was watching the Olympics on TV that inspired me to try speed skating, but if video games can entertain kids and hopefully inspire them to try these sports, I'm all for it," said Kristina Groves, a Canadian speedskater.

The new "Winter Games," which has already sold over 800,000 copies in the United States, introduces events like ice hockey, curling and skiing to the mix. "We wanted the entire family, including the mom and dad who don't play games and even grandpa and grandma, to enjoy this experience with their kids," said Osamu Ohashi, the Producer who oversaw both the Wii and Nintendo DS versions of the game at Sega's Team Sonic development studio.

Ubisoft and American Shaun White teamed up for a second Wii game, "Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage," which takes an arcade-style approach to snowboarding. White said video games are a big part of the Olympics for many of the participating athletes. "Danny Kass (American snowboarder) brought his Xbox with him to Torino and we spent a lot of time up in his room playing 'Call of Duty,'" said White. "We had a ton of games up there and it's just a great way to have some fun and burn some time, especially if you're waiting for the weather to clear."