skate
Latest
Whatever 'it' is, the DS Skates It
EA has announced that their PS3/Xbox 360 skateboard series Skate (or skate. if you want it to look all pretentious) is branching out onto popular systems (the Wii and DS). Skate It, developed by Skate's Black Box along with Exient, translates the motions of jumping and doing your basic skateboard stuff to stylus gestures drawn over a picture of a skateboard. Producer Scott Blackwood said of the new control scheme " ... it's a totally new way of controlling your skater yet somehow very familiar... it feels right."Will a new control scheme be adequate competition against Activision's mysterious new DS skateboard game technology? It's an interesting time for DS skateboarding games. Check out the link for a few (nice-looking!) screens of Skate It in action on the DS.
EA wants you to "Skate It" on Wii and DS
Much to the disappointment of many a Stephen King fan, the "It" meant to be skated is not, in fact, the psychotic clown that gobbles up kids and makes your tea turn into blood. Skate It's executive producer, Scott Blackwood, tells IGN (you know, those guys who unofficially revealed Skate's Wii and DS incarnations last month) that the "It" is largely up to you. "Rails, pools, ledges, banks, mega-ramps, gnarly downhill streets ... you make the call." Blackwood explains that the team behind the well-received original game "are working co-operatively with partner studios to make Skate It," with DS development duties handled by UK developer Exient. Why bother bringing Skate to the Wii? Blackwood is glad you asked: "It's all about bringing that authentic Skate feeling to the Wii remote and stylus, or and for the full on immersive types, the Wii Balance Board." And here we thought a port of Sega's Top Skater would be the first one to let us do an alley-oop in the living room.
Skate It: EA announces it
A month after IGN (basically) leaked the existence of a Wii/DS version of Skate, IGN has revealed it -- for real this time! Developed by Skate developers Black Box and EA Montreal, Skate It is a spinoff from the PS3/Xbox 360 game, although since it doesn't have a storyline or anything, whether it's a continuation or a sequel or a spinoff or whatever doesn't really matter. It is based on the same engine.The Wii version will use Wiimote motion controls, of course, but it will also use the Wii Balance Board! Check after the break for a trailer demonstrating the controls, and hit the link for IGN's interview with producer Scott Blackwood.
IGN posts about Skate on Wii, then pulls story [Updated]
Oh, IGN, you so crazy. Yesterday, it was posting a story about Pandemic working on a Batman game and then promptly removing it. Today (well, technically last night) it's skate being ported to Wii and DS. The story apparently went up Tuesday and was soon removed. What's interesting is that both the mysterious Batman project and skate are EA titles. So ... did IGN get some exclusive info and then let the bat out of the bag too early, deleting them moments before uncle EA could wrest his whippin' belt free from his dungarees? We're betting yes, but we'll almost certainly never know.[Update: If you're interested, here's the cached article, thanks to tipster Robber Tom.]
IGN reveals then unreveals Skate
Oddly, IGN announced that EA's Skate would be coming to the Wii and DS, but then pulled the article soon after. It seems as if EA wasn't ready for this announcement to be made, although now it's a little too late -- the evidence is on Google.While there's a small chance that this announcement was a mistake, or a belated April Fools' joke, we're going to make the safe bet that an official announcement on the game, to be called Skate It!, will be coming soon.We also find the timing of this announcement interesting. It doesn't surprise us that EA would try to capitalize on its franchise by bringing it to Nintendo systems, but why bring Skate to the Wii after all this time? Could it be because the Balance Board will soon be available with the release of Wii Fit? We think so.[Via Destructoid]
Brace yourself: More Skate, Burnout, Need for Speed confirmed
In a move that will shock the industry, EA revealed to analysts that sequels to Burnout: Paradise and Skate are in the works. More specifically, EA Games president Frank Gibeau said the two series would "see extension" before April of 2009. Extensions? Can't you just taste the vision?Gibeau also said that after a disappointing sales year, Need for Speed would be returning to the touchstones that made it a hit before, and adding open-world racing and a new "highway battle mode" -- does it count as stealing if you do it from your own company? It's a great time to be alive for people who love EA games, but hate being surprised.
Skate vs. Tony Hawk: skate wins
In a recent earnings conference call, Electronic Arts revealed that the first entry in its new skate franchise successfully managed to topple Tony Hawk, which has essentially been the only name in skating games for several years now. According to EA, skate managed to outsell Tony Hawk almost two to one (we're assuming the call is referring to Proving Ground, the most recent Tony Hawk title). This figure doesn't take the Playstation 2 version of Proving Ground into account, which seems fair considering skate was only available on current generation consoles. Honestly, the fact that the first iteration of a brand new franchise could outsell Tony Hawk speaks volumes. Looks like it's time for an overhaul if Tony wants to get back on top.
SKATE will have no downloadable content
One of the major trends of this console generation is the prominence of downloadable content, released sometimes simultaneously with the title itself. That's why it's so surprising to us that Electronic Arts, one of the pureyors of the DLC for consoles, will not be offering any downloadable content for SKATE.In an interview with EGM, executive producer Scott Blackwood said that they are "not planning any new content for Skate 1 ... We didn't want to go back and ask [people] for more money to get more shoes and shirts." Blackwood added,"that's not how we wanted to enter this market."Blackwood also lamented on the dearth of female characters in the game, noting that "we are going to make it up to [the players]. When we do it -- and we will -- it's going to be done very well." Given that DLC is reportedly not an option for the first title, look for female skaters -- and the possibility of paying a premium for more in-game shoes and shirts -- in the inevitable sequel, SKATE 2.
DLC for skate? Nope
Perhaps you are unaware of the full weight of the headline above. Let us break it down. Point one: skate will have no downloadable content. Point two: skate is an Electronic Arts product. Are we seeing the import of this message yet, hmmm? Anyway, on with the story. EA Black Box producer Scott Blackwood told EGM (via Eurogamer) that there are no plans to add downloadable content to skate because "We didn't want to go back and ask for more money to get more shoes and shirts," adding, "That's not how we wanted to enter this market."What the hell is going on here? EA pumping out games with innovative concepts and not charging us for useless extras? We're frightened ....
Skate video: if you have to bail, bail like this
We must admit, we haven't played skate beyond the demo, but we dig its realistic chops. Of course, if you're going to have realism these days, you're going to need some ragdoll physics. The funny thing about ragdoll physics is that they can work both ways. On one hand, they can illustrate some truly painful bails. On the other, their unpredictable nature can result in the actions contained in the video above. We'd like to see someone recreate that. Give the video a watch so you can see what we're talking about.[Via Joystiq[
Worldwide PS3 releases for the week of October 7
Happy Folklore week! Sure, Japan has had it for a couple of months now but since then we've been waiting patiently for the localisation process to be completed. This week our waiting pays off. But Folklore isn't the only big hitter to be released this week. Here's the full release list:US Games FIFA 08 Folklore Sega Rally Revo European Games Skate NBA 08 Folklore Asian Games NBA Live 08 Rise From Lair The Godfather: The Don's edition Not a bad haul. We're really pleased to see that Folklore is being released in the same week in Europe and America. We're also happy to see Skate finally get its PS3 release over in Europe. As for Asia, we're intrigued to see how well Lair (named Rise From Lair over there) sells, considering its critical acclaim. Don't forget, if there's a game on the list that looks interesting to you then feel free to order it, regardless of territory. Your PS3 loves games from other regions. Release dates are subject to constant change, so make sure you check with your local store before venturing out of the house.
Worldwide PS3 releases for the week of September 24th
Whoosh! That's the sound of games literally flying off the production lines and onto shelves. Today's release list is possibly the best yet. Remember when we were having weeks like these? Thank goodness those are over. Here's the full release list:US Games Skate World Series of Poker 2008 EU Games Stuntman: Ignition SEGA Rally FIFA 08 Ratatouille Asian Games Warhawk The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion This week at least one high profile game being released in each territory. We're intrigued to see how Oblivion and Warhawk will do over there here in Japan. All of these games are subject to the constant change in whim of the Game Fates, so don't start moaning if any last-minute delays occur. It's not our fault.If you see something on that list that you like the look of, but it's not in your region, then don't fret. Simply import the game and play it on your region free PS3. Simple. Which titles will you be picking up?
Why no skate demo?
Waiting for a demo on the PlayStation Store is like waiting for a bus. You know it's bound to come, but only vaguely know what time it should probably get there. The demo for skate seemed to hit a few more red lights than other demos -- a demo has been available on a certain other system for a week and we expected a demo for the PS3 this week. No dice! So, what gives? Patrick Seybold explains: "contrary to popular reports, I believe that the Skate demo was just officially submitted to us for test last week. Its obvious that many of you want it, and we'll do our best to get it up there as soon as we can. Hold tight."We know it takes a little while to make sure a demo is solid enough to slap up on the PS Store, so holding tight is really our only option. It's kind of funny, though. EA claimed to have sent this demo several weeks ago for approval, but Sony says they only got it last week. EA has done very little to merit our trust, but why would they give one platform a demo faster than another? Conspiracy theorists, assemble! The rest of us, wait until this Thursday and we'll probably have the skate demo at last.
WRUP: getting board edition
And so it begins, the epic battle for video game skateboarding dominance. For the last several years, if you wanted to play a skateboarding title, you had but one choice: Tony Hawk. Now, EA enters the ring with its take on realistic skateboarding, aptly titled skate -- the game should finally be hitting shelves today. It just so happens that there is a demo out for Tony Hawk's Proving Ground as well. Now that you've got a chance, we suggest you give them both a go (you can always try out the skate demo if you're skittish about purchasing). The skateboard war has begun, and round one needs a winner.Still, skateboarding isn't for everyone (we can barely even stand up on one of the things), so we have to ask, as usual, what will you be playing this weekend?Leaderboards:Xbox 360 Fanboy LeaderboardXbox 360 Fanboy Leaderboard Mk. IIX3F Gamertags:Richard Mitchell -- SenseiRAMDustin Burg -- SuperDunnersDavid Dreger -- Knuckles DawsonWhat were you playing? (WRUP archive)
Tony Hawk Proving Ground demo now Live
For the first time in a very long time, Tony Hawk has some real competition this year from EA's Skate. Though Tony Hawk Proving Ground has already won the award for most appropriate title of the year, the contest for the top skating franchise is still wide open. With the Skate demo already available, you can now officially lay odds on how the battle will pan out as the THPG demo backside kickflips its way on to Xbox Live.You've seen the comparison videos, now you can get some hands-on time with both. Here's the big question: Which one will you be getting? Will you welcome a new succinctly-titled overlord, or will you keep Tony in his throne?%Gallery-3120%
Skate misses rail, suffers minor delay
A post on the official skate message boards has confirmed that the game has suffered a minor (and unexplained) delay. Those of you rushing out to pick up your copy today (complete with "new game Tuesday" smell) will be disappointed to learn that skate won't be hitting stores until Friday. Granted, it's not a long delay at all, but for those that have been longing for skate's unique new take on the sport, an extra two days can be a lifetime. Ah well, you can play through the demo just a few more times, can't you?[Via 1UP]
Achievement lists for a bunch of retail and XBLA titles
Over at Xbox 360 Achievements, there are a slew of new Achievements listed for retail and arcade games alike. They have Two Worlds, Skate, which came straight from EA, Fatal Inertia, NHL 08, & Medal of Honor: Airborne. On the XBLA side of things, there is the cheaper of the two Arcade games that came out today, Space Giraffe, Fatal Fury Special and we're especially happy to see Sonic 2 make it there as well. A cool little reveal about Sonic 2 is that it will have online multiplayer, derived from the splitscreen multiplayer found in the Genesis version. So, those are plenty of lists for you to examine for your next target of 1000 or 200 Gamerscore. Retail: Read: Two Worlds Read: skate. Read: Fatal Inertia Read: NHL 08 Read: Medal of Honor: Airborne XBLA: Read: Space Giraffe Read: Fatal Fury Special Read: Sonic 2
Skate demo ollies onto Marketplace
After an unfortunate delay, the demo for skate from Electronic Arts has finally hit Xbox Live Marketplace. The demo is, according to Joystiq, a spiritual experience. You have thirty minutes to grind as much fun as you can out of the skate park included in the demo. A tutorial helps you master the flick-it controls, and then you are set loose upon the new skating frontier. When your done, don't forget to upload a movie of your exploits for all the gaming world to see. Should Tony be watching his back? You tell us.
Skate demo is now available on Xbox Live, PS3 demo coming soon
After being held up for six days, EA's Skate demo has finally arrived on Xbox live, begging to be downloaded and obsessed over. We're just a tad bit obsessed with it ourselves, going as far as calling it "a spiritual experience." Will you reach gaming nirvana as well? Not unless you can achieve that state within thirty minutes of this timed demo.Your thirty minutes in heaven takes place in the community center skate park in the suburbs and it's fully equipped to experience a good chunk of what's possible in Skate. After a brief tutorial of the flick-it controls, you'll be let loose on the park, free to do whatever you please.What really makes this demo special is the ability to save and upload a movie using the saved films feature so please, feel free to share your creations with the rest of the class. As for PlayStation 3 owners, your demo will be arriving sometime soon as folks at EA have said that it's been completed, sent out and is now in Sony's hands.
Skate demo back on track, releases next week
First we were promised it on August 15th, then we were told about its delay, but now EA is now ready to commit to a new release date for the somewhat highly anticipated Skate demo. Confirmed to be available on the Xbox Live Marketplace next Tuesday, August 21st is the once (hopefully not twice) delayed Skate demo for everyone to download and enjoy. So skater gamers, get your download fingers ready for Tuesday when you'll get to experience EA's version of Tony Hawk skating fun and solidify your opinion of which skating game purchase you'll be making this year.
