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Robomodo CEO hints at new software for RIDE peripheral
Robomodo CEO David Michicich hinted that more software for the Tony Hawk: RIDE skateboard controller could be on its way. When asked if the developer had other ideas for the peripheral's use outside of the skating genre in an interview with Develop, Michicich replied, "We're doing a game with Activision and we're not allowed to talk about it right now." In June 2009, Robomodo president Joshua Tsui commented that the (probably going to be involved in its fair share of accidental injury lawsuits) peripheral could be used for a variety of software. "The obvious ones are snowboarding and surfing and such," he told Videogamer. With a new entry into the Tony Hawk: RIDE franchise probably already in the planning stages, it appears the hardware will see new software to help lighten consumer guilt. Sure, our dream is for some kind of Lumberjack Simulator to be in development, but the controller will more than likely focus on something closer to snowboarding. If EA hasn't jumped on that train yet, former EA employees are more than welcome to try.
Tony Hawk: Ride videos are in-game and out-of-game
We debated which of the two video assets Activision recently sent us for Tony Hawk: Ride should go a the top of the post, and which should be relegated to the unfavorable, post-jump real estate. The in-game trailer is pretty slick, and features that super catchy We Are Scientists jam. (You know the one, you hip guy, you.) However, the gameplay demonstration actually shows the peripheral being used to go on a "sick run," apparently part of a long-standing feud between Activision and Robomodo. We decided to put the "sick run" at the top of the post, if only because we want you to know that this is exactly how we looked the first time we played the game at E3. Only we didn't crash quite so much, and also, when we finished playing, Tony Hawk himself came up and gave us a high-five with one of his giant hands. Check out the video above, then click past the jump to check out its neglected (but catchy!) brother.
This Week on the Nintendo Channel: Tony Hawk Tutorial
This week's Nintendo Channel update is chock full of Wii Fit Plus stuff again, but we'd like to draw your attention to the video tutorial on how to play Tony Hawk Ride. It answers a lot of the super important questions we've had -- like, "Does this peripheral work with both male and female gamers?" and, "Is this one of the most advanced game controllers ever created?"Head past the break for the full list of this week's content.
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.
What's in a Name: Robomodo
If you want to watch friends and loved ones pretend to skateboard/fall repeatedly this fall, Robomodo's Tony Hawk Ride is the only product catering to those admittedly unhealthy urges. Here's how those monsters came up with the name. When Josh & I first talked about creating this company, I offered up the name because I felt it fit the criteria we were trying to fill: Sounds "fun" (i.e. anybody hearing it would expect to be entertained by our product) Rolls off the tongue & unique Available (i.e. its .com isn't already spoken for) "Just fits" (i.e. is applicable to what we're all about) So in translation, it means "Robot Style". The way it struck a cord with us at the time is that it was made up of two words that apart represented the team's components, and together its development philosophy. "Robo" would represent the Software Engineers and gameplay code, while "Modo" would represent the Artists and their stylish vision for it. At Robomodo, we adhere to a philosophy loop of "art supports gameplay supports art...". It's all about harmony, with the end goal of developing fun & exciting games for a mass audience. Besides, who doesn't love robots? David Lee Michicich CEO / Creative Director Robomodo Inc. Liked this story? Be sure to check out the What's In A Name archives.
Tony Hawk Ride pushed back to Dec. 4 in UK, arriving on time in NA
Despite concerns that one third of Activision's holiday peripheral triforce would be missing its North American release date, the publisher has assured us today that Tony Hawk Ride will still be arriving on November 17 as planned. A rep from Acti told Joystiq, "The game is on sale Nov. 17 in the US, Nov. 27 in Germany and Dec. 4 in the UK," confirming a two week delay for United Kingdom-ers. We may be getting the game two weeks before you folks in the UK but look at it this way: now you have two more weeks to sell off your furniture and reorganize your living room for all your new plastic peripherals. Hooray! %Gallery-71739%
Hands-on: Tony Hawk Ride
Hi. I'm Joystiq writer Griffin McElroy, and those are my feet. They're attached to my shins, which attach to a long sequence of other appendages which stop at my brain -- which at the very moment this image was taken, was likely in a confused, panicked state. It's a reflex reaction I usually turn to when placed before an alien video game peripheral, although in most cases, it quickly subsides, and is replaced with a steely determination to figure out how it works.By the time I'd reached the end of my brief hands-on session with Tony Hawk Ride, I had only just begun to deconstruct the hardware's machinations, and started determining how to deftly manipulate it in order to do sweet tricks. I was making progress in this endeavor when the demo came to a halt, but I'm still not sure my mind had completely wrapped around how I was supposed to manipulate the device. Is that indicative of the peripheral's weakness? No, I think it can be entirely chalked up to the fact that skateboarders move in mysterious ways.%Gallery-64707%
GameStop adds '80s-themed level to Tony Hawk Ride pre-orders
If you're looking to add a dash of '80s flair to your Tony Hawk Ride experience, you can either glue the skateboard peripheral onto one of those longboards, or you could just pre-order the game at GameStop. Those who choose the latter will gain access to the 80s Quicksilver Level, which is said to include a "Vert Ramp challenge sandwiched between two 747's on the runway of the Frankfurt Airport decked out in Quiksilver 80's theme including Tony Hawk himself." We guess Germany loves two things, then: David Hasselhoff and '80s-themed skateboard challenges. [Via Go Nintendo] [image credit]
More pro skaters heap praise on Tony Hawk Ride
The last time we saw Tony Hawk Ride, it was being played by a bunch of pro skaters who were falling over each other to proclaim the game's brilliance (it couldn't have anything to do with the fact they're all in the game, right?). Well, consider this video the sequel, as it brings even more pro skaters in to offer their very valid, objective feelings on the game. Can you believe they absolutely love it? We. Are. Shocked.
Tony Hawk Ride comes with padding for your hardwood floor
Activision will ship Tony Hawk Ride's skateboard peripheral with some extra padding in the box for those without carpets to place it on. A company representative told Joystiq at GamesCom today that the board will ship with "two strips, stickers," but couldn't precisely describe the thickness or provide an example. He implied the strips would run along the long flat bottom on both sides, which still makes us nervous for folks with hardwood floors if they -- or a rambunctious group of children -- attempt an ollie with the peripheral. For the record, the rep told us the "recommended surface [to play on] is carpet."We asked the rep if the company plans to introduce a prophylactic that could cover the bottom of the board, but were told, "[We] haven't decided on that." Assurances were made that the board has gone through lots of durability testing -- even though it's not the board we're worried about. It uses 4 AA batteries and can apparently last 30-40 hours, with a "sleep mode" kicking in after about 30 minutes to an hour.
Tony Hawk: RIDE's skateboard gets FCC'd, USB dongle required for PS3 and Wii
We still gotta wait until November 17th to do our own virtual shredding, but for now you can gaze upon the FCC's well-intentioned (but generally pretty bad) gadget photography of the new Tony Hawk: RIDE skateboard, the filing of which just went live in the commission's database. It shouldn't come as a surprise to owners of Activision's other plastic peripherals from the Guitar Hero series, but PlayStation 3 owners will have to use the bundled USB dongle to connect wirelessly to the console -- Wii, too, according to its user manual, as the usual trick of planting a Wii remote inside the controller isn't available here. Sad and ridiculous, but we can't imagine one dangling receiver will be a deal-breaker for many people out there -- unless, of course, you're able to buy the Xbox 360 version instead. Read - Wii skateboard Read - Wii dongle Read - PS3 dongle
Watch pro skateboarders uncomfortably play Tony Hawk Ride
Was it this silly when Guitar Hero first launched, with professional musicians trotted out to awkwardly "play" the game? Watching an aging Tony Hawk, grey hair in-tow, contort his body on the skateboard peripheral shipping with Tony Hawk Ride is the very definition of wahjah. Try as Activision might, we're still not convinced we need yet another peripheral for our already cramped living rooms. Consider that we've already used our BalanceBoard for snowboarding, Sony's EyeToy is sounding more robust every day and Project Natal is promising a board-free skateboarding experience. See the common denominator? No new, large plastic objects in our houses! That's a win-win to us.
Tony Hawk: RIDE makes official US debut on November 17th
Turns out GameStop's October 13th listing for Tony Hawk: RIDE was just a hair off, to the tune of 36 days or so. Activison Blizzard's sent word today that the skating simulator's official North American launch is set for November 17th -- plenty of time to practice your faux ollies before showing your family some virtual board skills over Thanksgiving meals. Additionally, Europe's now official for November 20th, but we already heard that last week. No word on pricing, but across the pond, GAME.co.uk is pushing that £99 / $168 figure pretty hard, and while we're willing to bet that's the official Europe price, we're not convinced that's any indication of what we'll be paying stateside.
Tony Hawk Ride comes to North America Nov. 17
Enjoy full control of your limbs while you still have it: There's just one week and two months until you US residents can hop on the Tony Hawk Ride board peripheral and promptly fall off, fracturing a least a few crucial bones in the process.The question, of course, is how much you'll have to pay for the privilege when the game arrives Nov. 17. Hopefully we'll get something more concrete than GameStop's $120 estimate soon.%Gallery-64707%
Tony Hawk: RIDE Limited Edition skateboard outed as UK version gets priced and dated
While details aren't 100 percent confirmed for those of us across the pond -- Activision has yet to come out and verify those October 13th / $120 listings -- Tony Hawk: RIDE and its white not-quite-skateboard will be launching November 20th in the United Kingdom for £99.99, or about $168 in US currency. European retailer GAME will be selling a limited edition version of the game, which will sport a red and black skateboard and surprisingly no markup in price whatsoever. You know, it's a good thing the console cycle seems to be extending beyond its formerly four-year pattern, because these plastic peripherals are gonna be doing a number on our bank accounts. [Via Joystiq] Read - Tony Hawk Ride dated and priced Read - Limited Edition listing
Tony Hawk Ride dated, priced, limited edition'd in UK
Activision has made the first official announcement regarding the price of Tony Hawk Ride. In the UK, a set containing the game and board will cost £99.99 ($169) upon its November 20 release. The only information we have for a North American price to compare is the $120 at which GameStop currently lists the game. Apparently, the game is called Tony Hawk Ride because you'll need to start riding in friends' cars after you sell your own for peripheral money.UK retailer GAME will offer an exclusive limited edition of Ride (Xbox 360/PS3/Wii), featuring the red-and-black hawk artwork seen above, for the same price. It also has the game's logo on it so you don't confuse it with a real skateboard. That would be embarrassing.
Activision details Tony Hawk Ride's 'celebrity' roster
Though we could call the list of folks showing their faces in Tony Hawk Ride a whole mess of things, one we wouldn't call it is "celebrity." Rather than drop in famous folks like Steve-O or, umm, Wolverine, the list that Eurogamer nabbed features more actual skateboarders than anything else. From Steve Nesser to Dustin Dollin to Mike "I beat up four dudes by myself" Vallely, the roster features little in the way of traditional Tony Hawk tomfoolery. Don't let the halfway-there hoverboard fool you, dearest reader, this is clearly a more serious skateboarding entry in the Tony Hawk game franchise. Peep the entirety of the list after the jump.
Tony Hawk: RIDE's skateboard peripheral turning white before launch
We certainly didn't mind that the Tony Hawk: RIDE board we played at E3 had a charcoal coloring, and that goes double for our feet. Apparently that sentiment isn't shared by the game's director Josh Tsui, who told GamesIndustry.biz that it'll be launched in a "more consumer friendly... [and] iPod-like" white color, which in our minds all but guarantees someone out there's gonna mistake this for a new version of the Wii balance board. Tsui's not shy with praise either, calling the board "the most advanced peripheral on the market." Ultimately, the color isn't gonna matter to us, and with a board-compatible sequel rumored to already be in the works, there's plenty of time to re-release the peripheral in all sorts of attractive palettes -- that'd of course be very iPod-like. [Via Joystiq]
Tony Hawk Ride board will actually be white
You can only imagine how exciting this is for me personally. Now that Activision has revealed that the Tony Hawk Ride board peripheral will be white when it finally releases, I'm among the elite few who used it when it was black. I'm at the epicenter of the maelstrom, like a guy who saw the Kennedy assassination from a different angle, or Michael Jackson's personal sandwich crust trimmer who "had noticed that he'd been acting sadder than usual, now that you mention it!"RoboModo co-founder Josh Tsui also told GI.biz, "[the board] is the most advanced peripheral on the market. It really is going to usher a next generation of controllers for games." That's great Josh, but let's try to stay focused on this color change ushering in the next generation of my personal fame. Leave all interview requests, book offers, etc. in the comments below.
Tony Hawk Ride sequel already planned
In an interview with IndustryGamers, Robomodo president Josh Tsui revealed some exclusive, shocking information about Tony Hawk Ride. We'll give you a moment to mentally prepare yourself. Are you sitting down?There's probably going to be a sequel. To the tenth Tony Hawk game*.Asked what else was happening at the company aside from development of the first Ride, Tsui said that "Obviously, we're very focused on getting this done, but being the creative types that we are, we're always writing up new game proposals and things we want to do." One of the new game proposals, of course, is Ride 2. "It's just a matter of timing," he said. "With Tony Hawk: Ride finishing up [we have to think about] the sequel to the game and where that fits into our schedules. It's a lot of juggling at this point."Of course, while Robomodo has just started thinking about the sequel, it's been an absolute certainty at Activision since, say, 1999, as have annual Tony Hawk sequels from now until they outnumber humans.*Not counting ports, handheld versions, or spinoffs like Tony Hawk's Motion.
