Tony Hawk's new 'Ride' game includes motion-sensing skateboard controller for shredding your mom's new carpet

We'd heard rumblings that Tony Hawk was working on something with motion controls -- which seems only natural after EA's Skate hit the scene with its intuitive Flickit control scheme, and Shaun White's game put the Wii's Balance Board to good use, both making the Tony Hawk method of arcade-style button mashing feel a little dated. Well, Tony's new Ride is looking to change all that, with a skateboard peripheral that looks like... a skateboard. It's hard to tell from just looking at it how precisely interactive the controller will be -- it seems basic balancing and leaning would be in, while Christ Air-ing your little sister in the face wouldn't go over so well. According to the man himself, Hawk is quite good at the game, and skateboarders should find the transition easy. A promo video is after the break, and apparently on June 2nd we'll be seeing this thing in action.

Update: We added another video after the break, including video of the actual board in action. Turns out the motion controls are quite detailed, and in advanced modes even allow for in-place 180s, but nothing seems to involve lifting the board actually off the ground. Grabs can be performed by actually grabbing the edge of the board, with infrared sensors picking up your hand position, and pushing is performed by running your foot along the side of the board. Ollies and flip tricks are obviously going to be a bit different than the real deal, while manuals and steering are pretty much spot on, and apparently there's a lot of choice as to how much "realism" you'd like in controlling the thing. Tony Hawk also sees the controller as a "standard," which could work with snowboarding games, surfing games, exercise games and other assorted cash cows for Activision.

Gallery: Tony Hawk's 'Ride' motion-sensing skateboard in action

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[Via Joystiq]

[Mattvega @ May 15th 2009 9:12AM]

Want... like now please!

[Platinum_Skeet @ May 15th 2009 9:48AM]

I just got a feeling of FAIL after seeing that video... I still don't think it can compete with Skate 2 even with the motion control...

[yode @ May 15th 2009 9:12AM]

I look forward to Christ-airing my sister in the face

[teasphere @ May 15th 2009 10:31AM]

I'm actually really up for this. I wish you could truly ollie/kickflip but other than that it sounds pretty cool. Just like when I'd take the trucks off my Santa Cruz Cruz Missile III so I could practice in the house or yard.

I do see the first major injury involving a spinning ceiling fan and a tall kid... I've been there.

[TRS @ May 15th 2009 10:40AM]

christ air is my favorite trick in Tony Hawk :P

[mdscinto @ May 15th 2009 9:13AM]

Kids everywhere will be kick-flipping into dads 52". Does this thing come with a leg strap?

[rawrawrawr @ May 15th 2009 9:22AM]

So that you get pulled into the 52" as well?

[mikec.jones @ May 15th 2009 9:28AM]

You do realize it's not a surfboard, right? Without enough room to tap the tail, I really don't see much air time with this thing. Although, living in an apt building, this could be more fun for the downstairs neighbors than World Tour drums are.

[Ryujin @ May 15th 2009 5:02PM]

Which is the drop off point for this product, buy the game or buy a decent board if you're going to do the hard work anyway. The only plus i see from this is seeing if your better then ur japanese friends or videos of kids doing a 900 judo air off the top step\balcony. I want THPS to excel and all but this sounds like it belongs in the Arcade.

[Nathan dalton @ May 15th 2009 9:29AM]

"shredding your mom's new carpet"?

Yikes.

[Tom @ May 15th 2009 9:35AM]

Hahahahaha brilliant

[freehunter @ May 15th 2009 10:03AM]

I'll shred YOUR mom's carpet!

[TentosToys @ May 15th 2009 11:55AM]

"We should shred each other's mothers" Dang SNL songs stay in my head for weeks.

[James Dumoulin @ May 15th 2009 12:08PM]

i thought the same thing

[Greg @ May 15th 2009 9:47AM]

I really hope the future of videogames doesn't entail more and more precise physical movements since I'm only getting older. Hopefully it will be cyclic and sitting on your ass using a simple non-motion sensored controller will be the fad in 50 years, when I'm not agile enough to get up and shoot balls at my NBA Live 2059 bball hoop on the wall in my living room.

[kal326 @ May 15th 2009 11:58AM]

No joke, I use to be great good at the Tony Hawk games in the button mashing days. Then they bring out this new motion board to control they game. I'll be in physical therapy for months if I actually trying to pulling off a 1080 and that's not including the living carnage that may be unleashed on my DLP from such attempt.

[adam.plante @ May 15th 2009 3:00PM]

Dont worry motion controls are just a fad. They are a neat gimmick but they get boring really fast. They have had better ones in arcades for years and no body uses thme anymore.

[Deedubbadoo @ May 15th 2009 9:54AM]

The sad part is my mom DID just get new carpet, but I don't live with her anymore. Maybe I will go back just to shred it! What is the weight limit on this? If I am too fat to shred in real life am I to fat shred in house?

[penetrode @ May 15th 2009 9:55AM]

although i think this is crap. I'll reserve final judgment until I play it

[thewoj @ May 15th 2009 10:19AM]

The expansion pack for the game will just sell some wheels and you can go ride the damn skateboard outside.

[Mr Maze @ May 15th 2009 10:55AM]

Or people could you know, just go outside and skate. Like I am going to do in a little bit...

[fistpittingnork @ May 15th 2009 1:26PM]

Enjoy the sun's UV rays, sucker!

[Chris C @ May 15th 2009 10:24AM]

I've seen enough skateboards rocketed across pavement while kids repetitively fail to land a trick to know this going to make for some great youtube moments. It DOES include a wire cage flat screen protector.... right?

[ultimatepwnage @ May 15th 2009 10:27AM]

after the flood of youtube posts about wiimotes crashing through hdtv's, a new hype has emerged; posts about ollies and kickflips gone wrong. im looking forward to it.

[Eddie @ May 15th 2009 11:10AM]

Q: What's the music on the first video?

[cuteSAVAGE @ May 15th 2009 11:25AM]

"Zero" by Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

[Eddie @ May 15th 2009 12:11PM]

Thanks :D

[NorCalAngler @ May 15th 2009 11:11AM]

"pushing is performed by running your foot along the side of the board"

Owners of carpet retailers around the world can't wipe the smiles off their faces.

[email @ May 15th 2009 11:26AM]

Remember when kids used to grab their skateboards and go outside to practice the real tricks?

[niri @ May 15th 2009 11:28AM]

Heh! Yeah those were the good ol' days huh?

[TentosToys @ May 15th 2009 11:58AM]

I also remember when kids would start a band with their friends - no need now - we have rock band and guitar hero!

[fitacufs @ May 15th 2009 12:51PM]

Will this be easy to use for everyone, or do you need to KNOW how to skateboard to skateboard in-game? There's still a lot of "Will this..." and "What if....."questions that need to be answered.

[Andrew88 @ May 15th 2009 12:51PM]

Me and my friends who skate used to get one of our half broken decks and play SKATE inside the house, just like HORSE but doing skate tricks on the carpet and couches and riding down the stairs, that was more fun than this looks.

[chris gill @ May 15th 2009 2:19PM]

I can't wait for someone to make a back to the future hoverboard out of that thing.

[Graham J @ May 15th 2009 2:04PM]

Second video doesn't seem to want to play.

[Crashboy @ May 15th 2009 2:26PM]

My overly-sensitive neanderthal downstairs neighbor is going to love this!

[Greg N. @ May 15th 2009 2:28PM]

2nd link doesn't work

[yasoumalaka2003 @ May 15th 2009 2:37PM]

Will I need new shoes?

[adam.plante @ May 15th 2009 3:41PM]

The reason I play video games is so I can sit on my ass after a hard days work and veg for a bit. I really cannot see myself wanting to get up and pretend to skate. Its funny that this will probably cost more then just buying a deck and skating for real.

[gerrrg @ May 15th 2009 4:24PM]

And I thought that was a hover board.

[chuuchdizzle @ May 15th 2009 6:51PM]

the concept is awesome in the fact that it will get your fat ass moving, but it's complete failure when people see you "skateboarding" in the living room like some sort of twat. so just like any other tony hawks game then.

[cheese @ May 15th 2009 11:27PM]

not exactly a hoverboard!! Just get a real board and ride over to your friends house

[AndrewNoNumbers @ May 15th 2009 11:37PM]

So I have to put my shoes on just to play a video game? Damn I don't even have skate shoes.

[ColorblindMonk @ May 18th 2009 4:56PM]

The skate board will put you so deep into Tony Hawk's Ride, you may as well be out on an actual skate board.

[seidl7 @ Jun 15th 2009 10:40AM]

when playing THRide you dont need any prior experience in skateboarding, you wont be doing actual tricks. when doing an ollie you simply have to flick the nose of the board up, you dont even leave the ground. as for you people who are worried about getting skate shoes or putting on shoes i dont think it will matter you wont be getting that hardcore.

[sk8r_dan_man @ Jul 9th 2009 12:15AM]

The Tony Hawk franchise needs a good game to pull it out of the hole it's in. the last 2 games have left me very dissapointed, if it wern't for the new control system I'd be ditching this one for sure. EA's been whooping Activision's butt these last few years, don't let me down Tony.