Nike 2014 U.S. Olympic UniformsRevealed

U.S. Snowboarding unveils Sochi 2014 Olympic uniforms

Greg Dacyshyn, Chief Creative Officer at Burton Snowboards, said the following through a press release...

“We’re really proud that the 2014 uniform builds on Burton’s legacy of creating fun, unconventional designs that stray from the formal, traditional look of most uniforms. The vintage quilt and flag print of the jacket combined with the corduroy pants give the uniform a ‘heirloom hippie’ vibe that lines up with snowboarding’s laid-back culture while paying respect to America’s longstanding creative heritage. It will stand out in Sochi for sure.”

Mario & Sonic 2014 Bundle Price Confirmed!

The bundle, which comes with the full game and a blue Wii Remote Plus, will retail for $59.99. That's only $10 more than the game by itself! It'd be nice if the remote was customized with art from the game, but it's a great dean nonetheless.

Ralph Lauren 2014 U.S. Olympic Uniforms Revealed

With 100 days to go until the 2014 Winter Game in Sochi the Ralph Lauren 2014 U.S. Olympic uniforms were revealed on the Today Show this morning. I like the classic look!

London 2012 Olympic Games BBC [Blu-ray] (2012)

I ran across this while poking around online today. It seems from all the reviews I have read that the NBC home video release was somewhat of a bust. I have high hopes for this release though. This set was produced by the BBC and includes the full opening ceremony 7 hours of highlights and the closing ceremony.  I don't know if I'll ever be able to get a hold of a copy, it's currently going for $80 on amazon.com, but I remain hopeful that I can catch it someday.

Olympics Shirts at GAP Stores

Gap stores in the USA currently have shirts with popular Olympics logo and mascots on them. I had intended to share this a few weeks back but hadn't got the chance. The good news is now that the London Olympics are over the shirts are on clearance! They were originally $24.99 each but are now down to $14.99 which is a much more reasonable price to begin with. At our mall there is a Gap, Gap Baby, and Gap Kids and they all had different shirts aimed at their specific demographic. Go out and get them now before they're gone!

NBC's coverage of the 2012 London Olympics is available on Blu-ray and DVD!

Amazon has listed both Blu-ray and DVD editions of NBC's London 2012 coverage highlights. I know I haven't written much about the London Games as they were happening, but I intend to do a write up soon. In the meantime you order one or both of these sets from the links below. I do get a small percentage of the purchase price of these sets if you do order from the links below. That money will go towards allowing me to pick up more Olympics related good and media and review it here for you all. Your support is much appreciated. Thanks!

    

United Kingdom Pavilion in Epcot is Selling Commemorative Olympic Merchandise

While Disney Theme Park Merchandise hasn’t developed anything specifically for the games there is an assortment of Olympic-themed items at the United Kingdom Pavilion in Epcot's World Showcase. Here is a quote from Sylvie Brumbaugh, Product Developer for World Showcase, with a little background and more details... "With the games taking place in London, I thought it was important to have the United Kingdom Pavilion carry some kind of merchandise to commemorate this event,” explained Sylvie. “I worked directly with the United States Olympic Committee to identify a small assortment of items including T-shirts, mugs, plush and a few other things.”

Source: Disney Parks Blog

Official Announcement and High Res Images of LEGO's Team GB Minifigures

I'll be honest... I was not expecting these at all and I was shocked and thrilled at the same time when I first read about these. I noticed that nowhere in the press release does it mentioned the olympics though. It seems as if this license is directly with Team Great Britain and not the IOC directly. Someone at Team USA missed a great opportunity at getting in on this one! I would LOVE to get my hands on just one of these, but given that they will only be available in the UK it looks like my chances are slim. Read on for the official announcement from LEGO and jump down the the bottom of the post for some more high res images of the figures:

NEWS RELEASE

DATE: THURSDAY 17TH MAY 2012

OFFICIAL TEAM GB LEGO MINIFIGURES LAUNCHED

To celebrate the London 2012 Games, the number one selling toy in the UK market* is back with an exclusive special edition line of Team GB LEGO Minifigures

With less than 71 days to go until the UK’s biggest sporting event of the century, for the first time in history LEGO has launched a special edition range of Team GB Minifigures. The collectible range will only be available in the UK to commemorate this once in a lifetime event for the nation.

The Team GB LEGO Minifigures spark the sporting imagination, so you can stage your very own Games.

At just £1.99 each, the Team GB LEGO Minifigures will be in stores from 1st July 2012 in John Lewis and other good high street retailers.

There are nine exclusive Team GB LEGO Minifigures in the line-up, including:

Brawny Boxer
Punching his way to the top, this lean machine in blue is ready to float like a butterfly and sting like a bee for Team GB!

The Stealth Swimmer 
Like a fish in the water, the Stealth Swimmer is ready to torpedo through the water into to pole position.

Relay Runner
Sprinting to reach the winning line, could this give Team GB a relay team victory?

Judo Fighter
Taking down her opponent’s one at a time, this mistress of martial arts knocks down anything in her way to grasp that gold medal.

Tactical Tennis Player
First on the court in his gleaming whites, this tennis ace will knock the white socks off of any competition.

Flexible Gymnast
Balance and co-ordination is the name of the game for this agile Olympic contender.

Wondrous Weightlifter
Powerlifting his personal best, the crowd looks on as this burley guy weighs up his chances of going for gold.

Horseback rider
Riding her way to the last hurdle, this athlete won’t be horsing around when it comes to winning!

Agile Archer
Complete with bow in hand, let’s hope this little fella will be on target on the day!

-Ends-

LEGO and the LEGO logo are trademarks of the LEGO Group. ©2012 The LEGO Group.

Find out more about LEGO Minifigures at minifigures.LEGO.co.uk.

The Team GB LEGO Minifigures will be in available from July 2012 in the following stores: Argos, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Hamleys, WH Smith, John Lewis, Smyths, and Toys R Us.

Did you know?
• *LEGO Minifigures are the top selling toy in the UK (February 2012, NPD)
• The LEGO Minifigure has been around for more than 30 years
• 43% of households in the UK with boys have bought LEGO Minifigures at least once
• If all the LEGO Minifigures in the world got together it would be the most populated country in the world
• Over 4 billion Minifigures have been produced over the last 30 years

Further information on LEGO:

LEGO and the LEGO logo are trademarks of the LEGO Group ©2012 The LEGO Group
The LEGO Group is a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company is still owned by the Kirk Kristiansen family who founded it in 1932.

The LEGO Group is engaged in the development of children’s creativity through playing and learning. Based on the world-famous LEGO® brick, the company today provides toys, experiences and teaching materials for children in more than 130 countries. The LEGO Group has approximately 10,000 employees, and it is the world’s third largest manufacturer of play materials.

LEGO products are sold in more than 130 countries worldwide.

Source: FBTB

More Details Emerge on SEGA's London 2012 Video Game for PS3 & Xbox 360

With the London Olympics right around the corner,  SEGA® of America, Inc. and  SEGA® Europe Ltd. have confirmed the official release date of London 2012 – The Official Video Game of the Olympic Games™. The game will be released on June 26th, 2012 for PC, Xbox 360, and the Playstation 3.

The London Olympic Games are less than 100 days away, and as always, anticipation is building for the massively iconic event. Atheletes from all over the world prepare to meet in England’s capital to compete for the greatest awards the sporting world can offer.

In London 2012 – The Official Video Game of the Olympic Games fans can take part in the action from the comfort of their own home. Also, with the game’s launch in June, players will have the chance to represent their nation and prove themselves to be a champion in over 45 events, including single and multiplayer competition across a variety of playable modes including Kinect™/Move® support.

Some of the key features of the game includes:

Go for Gold
Compete in over 45 events including all the blue ribbon events plus some all-new events to Olympic videogames offering the ultimate depth and variety.

More ways to play
Compete in a wide range of challenges and game modes including Olympic Games, Events Mode, Online Mode and Party Play.

Feel the Burn
Play using Motion Control with a dozen different events enabled for PlayStation®Move and Kinect™ for Xbox 360®

Compete for Global Glory
Take the competition online with leader boards tracking personal medal counts, and earn National Pride points with each medal you win for your country – keep playing and improve your nations standing!

The Ultimate Olympic Games Experience
Get closer than ever to the experience of the Olympic Games with reactive commentary, super-realistic graphics and TV style presentation.

Source: BSCKIDS

Licensed Olympic LEGO Minifigures

These are so epic!! It's a shame we can't get them here in the States, but it's so awesome that these are officially available. Here are some of the details:

• A special edition licensed LEGO Minifigures Olympic edition
• 9 characters representing athletes in Team GB colours
• Developed for the UK market and exclusively available in the UK

Source: FBTB

Michael Phelps: Push the Limit

I spotted this in the Best Buy ad this weekend. I had completely forgot that he signed a deal for a video game. It seems like the Kinect is the perfect fit for a game from him. I don't know how much fun this would be beyond the novelty of it though. I can't imagine there is a lot of gameplay variety, but I could be wrong.

Here is what the game's published 505 Games has to say about it:

Learn from and be inspired by the greatest – Michael Phelps has won 14 Gold Medals. He’s broken 39 world records. And now, he wants to bring his passion for swimming right into your living room.

Challenge your friends and family in fun and fast match ups – your front room becomes a giant pool for up to 8 people. Or take the world online with Xbox Live!

Control and have fun in every element of the race – With Phelps as your own personal swim coach, hype up the crowd, improve start reaction, dive, stroke, turn and finish. Compete in freestyle, backstroke, butterfly and breaststroke races over short and long distances.

Intelligent, intuitive and healthy Kinect gameplay. You are the controller - the moves you make in your front room are replicated on screen. Get off the sofa and truly dive into the game!
Cutting-edge water effects transport you to breathtaking locations around the world – including serene mountain ranges, grand cityscapes, skyscrapers, architectural wonders, and an 80000 seat outdoor sports arena.

Become a Champion in Career Mode - choose your path through the racing season, swerving or meeting rivals head on, and take part in the end of season Annual Games where glory and medals are up for grabs…and compete against Michael Phelps, himself.

You can find out more at the game's official website: www.michaelphelpsgame.com
You can also find the game on Amazon.com here: Michael Phelps - Push the limit

Mario & Sonic get a blue Wii bundle in Europe

In honor of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, Nintendo announced plans to launch a special blue Wii bundle in Europe this November. Despite the Sonic theme, the system (one of the new-model, GameCube-free Wiis) is a lighter blue than the hedgehog. It will include the game, a matching Wii Remote Plus, and likely a Nunchuk in the same color.

Via Joystiq.

Mario & Sonic 2012 European Pre-order Bonuses!

- exclusive tin (retailers offering this preorder have not been revealed yet)

- preorder Wii version for a free child’s large sized t-shirt (SEGA Spain)


Let's hope they consider doing pre-order bonuses herein the States as well!!

EPIC Los Angeles 1984 belt buckle for sale on eBay!

I ran across this truly EPIC Los Angeles 1984 "Summer Games" belt buckle while browsing eBay. Who wouldn't want this bad boy holding their pants up exclaiming to the world how much they love LA and the Olympics?! The description on the auction says the following:

1984 ADM BRASS BELT BUCKLE LOS ANGELES OLYMPICS 1ST ED
No. 1938 

This is a NEW never worn belt buckle I bought it during the

1984 LOS ANGLES Summer Olympics.

It has only been on display in my show cabinet

 You can find out more details or buy this piece of epicness here: http://item.ly/300575987919

*This is not my auction nor will I make any money if someone purchases it through this link. I'm only sharing it here for others to enjoy as much as I have. In fact, maybe I'll start doing this more often. There is a TON of awesome Olympic related memorabilia on eBay.

Release Date and Cover Art for Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games

So the artwork I posted a little while back turned out not to be the official artwork. Sega has announced the release date for the Wii version of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games along with the final cover art. I imagine this news was released to coincide with the one year to go celebrations taking place today. The game will debut in the US on on November 15th and in Europe on November 18th. The cover art sure looks busy. For better or worse it seems to be in line with the rest of the graphic identity for London 2012. Dare I say it, but London's tragic look is actually growing on me. I doubt I will ever love it the way I have other games, but I don't hate it all the way I once did. Additionally, it seems the game will come in a yellow box rather than the traditional white for Wii games. This change is not unprecedented. New Super Mario Bros. Wii shipped in a red case and Nintendo has release some of their more mature oriented games in black cases in Japan.

London 2012 opens their Online Shop!

http://shop.london2012.com/

Vancouver Winter Olympics Mascots Vinyl Toy Set!

Courtesy of Jeff Pidgeon's excellent toy collection, a photo of a Vancouver Winter Olympics Mascots vinyl toy set. Via.