2K Sports brings Olympics home

Some of the world's finest athletes have endured a lifetime of rigorous training and constant sacrifice with their eyes set on the one goal of competing at the 2006 XX Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy. Now gamers without the talent, physique, drive, or heart to go through any of that don't need to feel left out. 2K Sports is preparing Torino 2006 - the Official Video Game of the XX Olympic Winter Games, for a January release in North America and Europe for the PC, PlayStation 2, and Xbox.

Torino 2006 will feature 15 events across eight sports, but 2K Sports hasn't said which ones those will be. The publisher already has experience in two of the events, between years of making international play a part of its NHL 2K series and having just shipped Amped 3, its first snowboarding game for the Xbox 360.

Whichever events are included in the Torino game will be playable by up to four players (head-to-head or taking turns), set against appropriately snowy backdrops, and accompanied by TV commentator analysis. The actual XX Olympic Winter Games will take place in Torino from February 10-26, 2006.