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Skate 3: Good times with product placement
Self-identification through product choice is a mainstay of the skateboarding scene, from t-shirts to shoes to skate decks to the soundtracks on skate videos. It's all part of the culture, so it's only fitting that a skateboarding game – say, Skate 3 – shares in that. To celebrate this common thread, let's play spot the product placement after the break!
Skate 3 video gets by with a little help from some friends
EA has been pushing the community aspects of Skate 3 since unveiling the game, and this latest trailer is no different. Focusing on the Freeskating mode, the video demonstrates how easy it is to hook up with some friends and navigate the different parts of Port Carverton. For the most part, these are things players could do in Skate 2 -- been there, done that. But there is one interesting item of note here: the team films. The trailer only briefly touches on that functionality near the end, which, come May 11, will grant foursomes their own 15 clicks of fame via the official Skate website. Gnarly!
Skate 3 trailer takes us to the urban playground
Here's the thing about this Skate 3 trailer: it's freakin' nuts. Does it have narration from Skateboard Sense? Check. How about some raw meat grinding a huge ledge? Yup, it's there. What about a brief section where some dude goes crazy, pounding everyone around him with a skateboard? How about zombies and big heads and tons of bails and -- okay, you get the picture. It's probably the most non sequitur trailer we've seen in a while and definitely the craziest Skate 3 trailer yet. Check it out above.
iPad apps: defining experiences from the first wave
There are now over 1,348 approved apps for the iPad. That's on top of the 150,000 iPad-compatible iPhone programs already available in the App Store. When Apple's tablet PC launches, just hours from now, it will have a software library greater than that of any handheld in history -- not counting the occasional UMPC. That said, the vast majority of even those 1,348 iPad apps are not original. They were designed for the iPhone, a device with a comparatively pokey processor and a tiny screen, and most have just been tweaked slightly, upped in price and given an "HD" suffix -- as if that somehow justified the increased cost. Besides, we've seen the amazing potential programs have on iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Windows Mobile and webOS when given access to a touchscreen, always-on data connection, GPS, cloud storage and WiFi -- but where are the apps that truly define iPad? What will take advantage of its extra headroom, new UI paradigms and multitouch real estate? Caught between netbook and smartphone, what does the iPad do that the iPhone cannot? After spending hours digging through the web and new iPad section of the App Store, we believe we have a number of reasonably compelling answers. Update: Now includes Wormhole Remote, TweetDeck, SkyGrid, Touchgrind HD, GoToMeeting, SplitBrowser, iDisplay, Geometry Wars and Drawing Pad.
Interview: Skate 3's Chris "Cuz" Perry
At PAX East, we managed to bend the ear of Chris "Cuz" Perry, one of the Skate series' producers -- you know, the dude from those developer diary videos? Yeah, him. He was rocking the Skate 3 booth, showing off the game, so we did what we do best: cornered him and started firing off questions. See what he had to say below! Could you tell us what your name and position is? My full name is Chris Perry and I'm a producer on Skate. You guys really kept up support for Skate 2 through DLC long after the game came out. Is that something you plan to do with Skate 3? Official policy is that we can't talk about that, but it sounds like it's a good idea! %Gallery-77563%
Video: Skate 3 ramps up user-created content
If we told you that the user creation tools in Skate 3 were robust, we'd be selling the game short. From the highly customizable skate parks (that can be shared online) to the revamped graphics creator, there's no doubt that the devs at Black Box have upped the ante on user creation in a significant way. While there's always the worry that the Skate franchise could start packing in a bit too much (the Tony Hawk-ization of Skate, if you will), it looks like the folks in charge of improving the annual franchise know to keep the game focused on skateboarding culture and real physics. We'll be checking out the game this weekend at PAX East, so look for a more thorough opinion soon (and feel free to tell us in the comments below what you want to know about the game). %Gallery-77563%
Skate 3's 'Skate School' as taught by Coach Frank
There's nothing quite as satisfying as learning how to skateboard from a crazy old coot named Coach Frank (as played by ex-pro skateboarder Jason Lee -- you know, the guy from Mallrats?). Experts that they are, the folks at EA developer Black Box are well aware of the attraction, and they've employed the character to teach Skate 3's "Skate School" mode. Frank acts as a framework for the fleshed out Skate 3 tutorial, teaching players how to nail tricks and polish their execution -- it probably helps that he's full of goofy, if occasionally awkward, humor to lighten up the mood as well. And hey, if we learned anything from the previous two Skate games, we're going to be spending a ton of time just figuring out how to ollie without faceplanting over and over (and over), so we could use the levity. %Gallery-77563%
Tony Hawk says iPhone game is 'dropping soon'
It would appear that finger skating is about to go "pro" with a Tony Hawk game for iPhone. The pro skater recently tweeted, "In the PR world, this is considered 'going rogue,' but I'm too excited. This is real & dropping soon." The attached picture, as you can see above, appears to be an iPhone version of his venerable skating series. The message has since been deleted, but as we saw it on the feed of an Activision employee, we feel pretty confident it's on the level. Man, Tony just couldn't be more of a rebel, could he? Not only is he a skateboarder, putting curb wax on church steps and listening to rock 'n' roll too loud ... on his boom box, now he's using his Twitter feed to take on the corporate fat cats! Is there such a thing as too extreme?
Ubisoft wheeling out Shaun White Skateboarding
Like this, but on wheels New board, new surfaces to fall down, same unkempt Olympian. Ubisoft has just announced a new Shaun White game that's all about ... skateboarding? Shaun White Skateboarding is being released on unspecified platforms this holiday season. The Wii seems likely, since the first Shaun White Snowboarding game was such a hit on that platform and the follow-up was a Wii exclusive. Because we're absolutely tuned in to popular culture, especially extreme sports, we were totally familiar with Shaun White's dual careers in both snowboarding and skateboarding. In case you aren't as well-versed in Mr. White's achievements as we definitely were, Ubisoft notes in the press release that he is "the first athlete to win both gold medals in skateboarding and snowboarding at the Summer and Winter X Games." That's right. They give out medals in the X Games.
Skate 3 cover revealed (plus: new dev diary and screens)
Click image to ollie into our gallery So, there it is: the Skate 3 box art. There certainly is a lot less white space this time around, eh? Along with that, EA's also sent over a new developer diary and a handful of new screens for you to look at. The developer diary offers a look at the clean, wide-open spaces of the University district in Port Carverton -- an area not only home to various ledges and long staircases, but it's also the new resting place of the Mega Park, the series' ongoing hot-spot for huge, ridiculous air and impossible drop-ins. Head past the break to check it out. %Gallery-86541%
Skate 3 hands-on: co-op career mode
We'd heard how EA was hoping to evolve its successful skateboarding franchise by introducing team play in Skate 3, which is due in May. Last week, we finally got to try it for ourselves. While it was admittedly only a small part of what looked to be a fairly meaty experience, the co-op play was surprisingly fun. After an introduction by members of the Black Box development team, we got to team up with a couple other journos and hit the abundant pavement of Port Carverton. We played as the host for a three-player game, and, as such, had the ability to access a sub-menu that showed the various locations within the game world and the team challenge types available at each. We could then either move the team there, or put it up for a vote. %Gallery-85523%
If at first you don't succeed, Ride, Ride again
You think the first time Tony Hawk, the man himself, stepped onto a skateboard it was a sick run? Heck no -- it was pathetic. But you know what? He got back on. And the rest is history. Activision today fessed up to that new installment in the Tony Hawk game franchise, confirmed for a 2010 release and paired with the skateboard peripheral introduced with Ride last fall -- and boy was that a big fall. Shaking off signs that Ride and its board are about as beloved as worn-out Levis and antique Tupperware, Activision has committed to another run on the Tony Hawk board. "Game ratings for Tony Hawk: Ride weren't as high as we would have hoped last year, and in hindsight it took longer to optimize the hardware, leaving less time to develop the software we launched in 2009," said Mike Griffith, President and CEO of Activision Publishing, during a financial report and outlook call today. "Still, play-testing and consumer feedback have been very encouraging." "This year, with the hardware complete, we'll be focusing on improving the software in order to unlock the full potential of the board," Griffith added. "We continue to believe that this innovative peripheral redefines the skateboarding experience and could potentially have different applications in the future."
Latest Skate 3 dev diary shreds the industrial park, quarry
The second in an ongoing series of Skate 3 developer diaries where dudes sit around on a couch like a bunch of Chatty Cathys, this latest episode features one of the most ambitious locales to make its way into a Skate game: a quarry. Looking more like a multiplayer map from Modern Warfare 2 than a sweet spot to bust some darkslides, we're anxious to see if the execution will be up to snuff. If so, it'll be among the most unique and diverse spots the series has to offer. Aside from the quarry, the video above also provides a brief look at an industrial district, a new spillway and a new area dubbed 3rd & Army 1st & Air Force 2nd & Navy.
Tony Hawk: details on next Robomodo project coming soon
It looks like we'll get to see the next Tony Hawk joint soon enough. The skateboarding legend recently tweeted that he just concluded a meeting with developer Robomodo. Tony Hawk said the project is already "much better than I expected," though we think he may be a bit biased on the matter. He added that details would be available "soon." As for what it is he liked so much, all signs point to a Tony Hawk Ride sequel -- the sequel that Tony himself said was already in the works during a recent interview. And should that be the case, we think Robomodo and Mr. Hawk have a lot to think about, especially if they want to avoid releasing another critical bomb. [Via MCV]
Pre-order Skate 3, get Black Box Skate Park
While most of Skate 3's marketing SLAVE has focused on the team-driven aspects of the game -- a campaign which is admittedly only two trailers deep -- today's video update provides a THRASHER glimpse at a pre-order incentive: Black Box Skate Park. It's an underground FALLEN, industrial-looking warehouse enclosure home to various pipes, ledges, and curved surfaces -- a place where lots of skateboarding can be done. Check it out in the ZERO trailer above. %Gallery-77563%
Tony Hawk talks Ride sequel, confirms board for snowboarding and surfing games
[Giant Bomb] In the realm of games that cost over $100 released by Activision this holiday season (we're counting four including the Prestige Edition Modern Warfare 2 pack), Tony Hawk Ride wasn't one that we thought of as a hot ticket item. The man who lent his name to the series, however, has a different take, saying in a recent interview with GameSpot UK on the prospect of a sequel to Ride that "We have already started that process, but who knows what the future holds." Additionally, like multiple people at Ride developer Robomodo have already intimated, Hawk confirms plans to put the game's board to use in other places – specifically, the woefully underserved snowboarding and surfing game genres. Hawk even speaks of resurrecting one-shot last-gen game Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer, saying, "I always thought that Kelly Slater's [Pro Surfer] was an underrated title for the PlayStation 2 ... I thought that people didn't really give it the attention it deserved." And us, well, we're still hoping that someone makes a bicycle peripheral so that we can finally get the reboot of Downhill Domination that we've been waiting for.
Tony Hawk Ride ready to rock indoor tricks in the US (video)
After that false alarm about an October release date, the Tony Hawk: Ride bandwagon was all set for departure on November 17 and that's exactly what's happened. Available for a cent under $120, the new game / peripheral combo will allow players to shimmy, gesture, and ollie their way to (simulated) skateboarding immortality on the PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii. The earliest European availability we can see is offered by Amazon UK, which indicates a December 4 launch for the Queen's isles and a discounted £89 ($149) price. You can check out our own feets-on with that wireless controller right here or, if you so wish, peruse the full PR at the read link. What's not optional, however, is missing the bonus "making of" video for that most radical of peripherals, which we've lovingly prepared for you just after the break.
Team up and watch this new Skate 3 trailer
EA's new Skate 3 trailer touts team-play as the stand-out addition to the franchise. The new element allows players to tackle challenges and compete against other teams online for popularity within the Skate.Feed community. Of course, it's just as easy to become unpopular, too -- just ask the guy in the short shorts.EA Black Box is once again handling the development of the game, building on the, um, building features of Skate 2. The studio is working to greatly improve the film maker and skate park editor, as well as adding new features such as an in-game and web-based "social network," plus the ability to seamlessly share parks, board designs and other user-created content a la Forza 3's storefront.Skate 3 is due in May 2010 for PS3 and Xbox 360.%Gallery-77563%
Thrustmaster T-Freestyle NW is your next Wii skate / snowboard controller
Too broke to pay Tony Hawk's royalties on a Wii skateboard / snowboard? Yeah, we feel you, and evidently Thrustmaster does too. Said peripheral outfit has just introduced its newest Wii accessory, the T-Freestyle NW. Designed with work with any skate or snowboard game that lands on Nintendo's money-maker, the board is crafted from genuine maple and sports a totally stereotypical "skull" design on the top. There's also a safety stopper to prevent any sort of toppling disaster, and best of all, this thing will be available at the end of the month for just $29.99. Gnarly, dude.
Play as your Mii, or a professional skater, or a professional skater's Mii in Tony Hawk Ride
Remember when we thought every Wii game was going to let you play as your Mii? And then remember when that didn't happen and the inclusion of Miis into every third-party game was a Big Deal? This news about Tony Hawk Ride makes us nostalgic for both of those times.Developer Buzz Monkey and Activision have received the mysteriously elusive permission from Nintendo to include Mii support, allowing users not only to play as their own Miis, but as included Mii likenesses of the pro skaters featured in the game. So if the in-game Tony Hawk avatar doesn't have a big enough head for you, there's a built-in solution.In addition to the extra Mii features, Tony Hawk Ride on the Wii will include two exclusive levels. Usually, motion controls are enough of an exclusive feature for a game's Wii version, but this time, of course, that isn't the case, and it looks like Activision has found interesting ways to compensate. Enjoy some footage from the Wii game after the break.While both Guitar Hero World Tour and 5 included Mii modes, Xbox Avatar support was new for the latest GH game. We've contacted Activision to determine whether Avatars will find their way into Ride as well.
