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New footage of Skate and word of a demo
If you've seen our previous coverage on EA's Skate, you probably know that we consider it to be the greatest thing since the George Foreman grill changed the way we looked at the culinary world, forever. Our play date pals over at GameTrailers cornered the ever-so-modest producer of Skate, Jason Balmer, to see how the game is progressing. After seeing their footage, we're completely floored as to how incredible it's looking these days. Through the typical musings of Tony Hawk, Jason casually mentions that the game will see a September release and that a demo will be made available. Exactly when, you ask? We've asked EA for a comment on the matter and we'll let you know as soon as we hear back. As a consolation prize, please enjoy the E3 2007 trailer of Skate after the break. You'll be very glad that you did.
Video: Pre-E3 trailers recap
It's time for the first (of possibly many) E3 updates in the form of a visually pleasing trailer/video recap. Yes, developers are an impatient bunch and sometimes release trailers and videos prior to the official start of E3. So, we figured what better way to show off some of the Xbox 360 related pre-E3 trailers than by recapping them in one tightly wrapped post. Embedded after the break are pre-E3 trailers from games like Skate, Stranglehold, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, All-Pro Football 2K8, Legendary: The Box, Need for Speed: ProStreet and NHL 08. We're sure more trailers will trickle in by the hour, but for now we advise popping some popcorn, sitting back and pressing play.
Skate's learning curve is well worth it
IGN got a few hours of playtime with EA's Skate and came away very optimistic. Immediately, the IGN crew knew that Skate and Tony Hawk were two very different approaches to the skating genre, each possessing their own strengths and weaknesses with the biggest difference being the control scheme. Skate's controls took the preview team an hour or so to feel comfortable with, but once they got the hang of it everything felt very natural. The flick-stick idea makes discovering tricks a rewarding experience without the need to remember button combos. It's an interesting idea that may be well worth your time. Head on over to IGN's pre-E3 preview of Skate to see how things have come along.
Today's which-one-is-evil comparison: Skate versus Tony Hawk
We've played Skate, and we've seen Tony Hawk's Proving Ground. Today's video picks compare the latest trailers for both games.Admittedly, we think the two titles can coexist, at least for this year. Skate is a completely different control experience, while Tony Hawk is the latest in a solid franchise. We can see both games appealing to different -- or even the same -- gamers.And we're glad Skate is here to keep Tony Hawk honest. Do we really expect a 1.0 game to dethrone Tony Hawk-we-stopped-counting-version-numbers? Maybe not, but competition should make them both stronger.See the new trailers after the break.
Rockin' out to Skate's soundtrack
Yesterday, EA released the song list for their possible Tony Hawk killer Skate. Featured on the game's soundtrack are bands like Cheap Trick, The White Stripes, ZZ Top, and David Bowie giving Skate that edgy rock mix of skating fun. Complete list of songs that'll be available on the Skate soundtrack is available after the jump.We all know a soundtrack isn't going to dethrone Tony Hawk's iron grip on the skating genre, but we think Skate's other features make it more than a worthy contender. The soundtrack is more or less "butta" on the skater toast.
EA cranks up 45 tracks for the Skate soundtrack
Ladies and gentlemen, prepare to mount your high horse. EA has announced the soundtrack to Skate and it is all over the place in its rocking. In our interview with the folks at EA Blackbox, we asked about the tunes we'd be thrashing to and their supplied artists were a fine example of the variety found on the soundtrack.Checking in at 45 songs, Skate features everything from punk rock legends Black Flag, influential hip-hoppers Gang Starr and the likes of Rick James. There are a few more contemporary acts in there such as The White Stripes and Nirvana, but for metal heads nothing will sound better than Slayer. An oddity at best, the included N.W.A. track, "Express Yourself" has also appeared in the soundtrack for Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4. Check out the full soundtrack and endless groaning and moaning behind the cut. We've also supplied iTunes Music Store links (when applicable) to each of the tracks so that you may sample the unknown.
Skate soundtrack announced, more impressive than expected
"Oh, no," we thought, "another skating game soundtrack. Bring on the O.C.-inspired punk bands or washed out bands from yester-year." We were wrong to assume such a thing! The band lineup for upcoming title skate does have a few staples of the industry, but they go beyond the normal bounds and acquire some songs that we wouldn't mind bobbing our heads to as we pull off some basic tricks.The song listing is pretty diverse, from David Bowie to Slayer. There are the generics, like Sex Pistols or Nirvana, others like White Stripes or ZZ Top, and more. The songs aren't the biggest hits from the bands, but to have a selection that varied is a lot of fun! Feel free to check out the full listing if you're very curious and let us know if skate will truly dethrone that long-standing king, Tony Hawk.
Joystiq Interview: Skate's EA Blackbox, new screenshots
When it comes to games not called Halo 3, EA's Tony Hawk killer, Skate, is most definitely near the top of our "most anticipated" lists. In our last preview, we dumped an unbridled amount of praise upon it and for a very good reason: it embodies the feeling of skateboarding more than any game to date. For those of us who've spent our lives skating, getting our hands on this title was practically a spiritual experience.And so, we sought more information from the good folks at Canada's EA Blackbox and have returned with an in-depth interview with its creators. From online multiplayer to recorded films and why we won't be seeing female avatars, there's something for everyone in this Skate love-in.%Gallery-3866%
Want a new way to skate?
Tony Hawk, your days are so numbered! Actually, it would be more appropriate if we were to say "arcade-style skating games, your days of off-the-wall tricks are numbered!" See, the upcoming PS3 and 360 title skate isn't like Tony Hawk games and others in that it plays more like a skating simulation. Gran Turismo for the X-Games, so to speak. For those instantly turned off by the mention of a sim, don't worry. Black Box is still approaching skate like a video game, so they'll let you have quite a bit of fun. We'll tell you how. The dual-analog control scheme is innovative and a huge draw for those trying to find something new in their skating titles. Create your own skater isn't limited to five standard skins, but a completely unique character for every player. skate sports 40 brands of apparel, so mixing and matching your dress is just the start. Roll up the sleeves, perhaps roll up one pant leg, tilt that hat sideways ... it's possible. Skateboard physics are paramount -- choosing between soft and hard wheels greatly affects your performance. Along with altering your trucks (tighter or a bit more on the loose side) is a good idea when taking on specific challenges. Sounds intense? It is. No stats, no set tricks, nothing locked away. The experience depends solely on your ability to perform tricks using the unique control scheme and manipulating the physics to your advantage. There's no hokey-pokey story to play through -- more like the Quest Mode in Virtua Fighter 5, with an open world like Grand Theft Auto. Gain clout by owning skating arenas, win competitions and just create your own story. Wanna be an underground legend, or a magazine-cover mogel? Your choice. It sounds like a very ambitious project and we're extremely interested to see how it pans out. But we want to know what you guys think -- will taking a more realistic approach to a mostly arcade-inspired genre breathe new life into it? We'd like to imagine so.
Joystiq on Skate: watch your back Tony
Joystiq recently got a significant amount of hands-on time with the upcoming Electronic Arts title Skate. As we have mentioned myriad times before, the question on everyone's mind is whether or not Skate is better than Tony Hawk. According to Joystiq, the answer is an emphatic "Yes." Skate ditches the complex button combinations of Tony Hawk in favor of a slick, streamlined setup that relies on the analog sticks. The left stick controls your body and the right controls your feet. It takes some getting used to, but Joystiq has nothing but praise for the new system. Joystiq's conclusion: not only can Skate compete with Tony Hawk, it has already displaced it. Follow the "read" link for the full preview.
Joystiq hands-on: Skate
Skateboarding, like punk rock and Lindsay Lohan, is rebellious by nature. And however crass and in-your-face the scene can be, there is a fine line between being a rebel and just being a dick. When you successfully complete a series of intensely complex button combinations that total up to millions of points and you're rewarded with a virtual Bam Margera farting in your face, it certainly feels like the latter of the two.The foulness of this scenario, however, is a perfect metaphor for the Tony Hawk series as a whole: it's crude, low-brow and ultimately out to beat you down. Over the past eight years, Neversoft's Tony Hawk series has had more in common with something like Killer Instinct than it has the craft of skating.Skate is a disruption. It's the 800 lb. gorilla tossed in a cage full of hapless puppies. Its rebellion, like skateboarding, is through mere existence. It isn't just challenging the rule of an eight year tyrant, but the very notion of how "extreme sports" titles are handled.God save Tony Hawk because Skate is coming and it is heavy.
Skate slaps Tony Hawk, demands satisfaction
When you talk about EA's upcoming Skate, it's inevitable that you will compare it to Tony Hawk. There's just no way around it. EA knows this (they have to, they're EA). We've asked the Tony Hawk question repeatedly when discussing Skate. Is there any it can topple the Hawk? With their latest video, it looks like EA is giving us their own answer. Skate looks to completely change the traditional control method of Skating games. There are no button holds and direction presses here. No, tricks (at least the ones without grabs) are controlled entirely with the right stick, EA calls these Flickit controls. Check out the video and weigh in one more time: does Skate stand a chance against Tony?[Via Joystiq]
EA's Skate video shows off "Flickit" controls
EA's Skate game continues to look impressive, and the hype that it'll be the Tony Hawk monopoly franchise killer might actually have some weight behind it. What's especially cool is when they throw up the Tony Hawk control scheme under Skate, letting you compare the two. You'll see which one looks more intuitive.With all the flicking you'll be doing, it's almost like Wii-ing on your 360. Click here for an HD version.
A new skate trailer just for you... and me... and everyone!
I grew up in the Orange County explosion -- the music, the totally "Xtreem" sports... all of that. It didn't stick, really. Maybe because I was a few thousand miles away, maybe because I was too young to have all the angst that The Offspring howled about, but now I'm starting to see how fantastic it all was. And is. And will be. All because of this skate video. No caps, because capital letters are not extreme and need to be done away with. I'm exaggerating, of course.Anyway, the video as posted on IGN is a few days old, but it's a highlight reel of skate gameplay. Hopefully this will unseat Tony Hawk from his console-skating throne. Now we've just got to find a way to stop Tom Clancy from owning the rights to history to re-write as he sees fit. Monopolist pig. Oink! Anyone else love caffeine as much as me?
Skate trailer grinds onto Marketplace
It's only a month and a half late, but the first gameplay trailer for Skate is now available for download on Xbox Live Marketplace. Originally released at the beginning of March, the trailer shows off Electronic Arts' more realistic take on the sport. Skate eschews the giant combos and tricks of Tony Hawk for a simpler and arguably more accurate version of skateboarding. If this video is anything to go by, you won't be landing many 900°s in Skate. No, it seems that the idea is centered much more around landing simple, real world tricks. Whether or not that makes for an entertaining skateboarding game remains to be seen. Go download it and revel in the HD goodness. Of course, you could also watch the streaming version that came out last month.
New Skate video: a Tony Hawk killer?
EA has been releasing some teaser videos for Skate for sometime now. These videos, however, have not contained a shred of actual gameplay footage. Instead, EA has attempted to build street cred by featuring real skaters talking about their passion. It's admirable that EA wants people to believe in their new franchise, but we opted to wait for some real footage to surface (not the shaky cam we featured before). Well, we've got some real footage now, and we're leaving it to you to tell us what you think. We know there are Tony Hawk fans out there, as well as fans of skating in general. Does this game look like the answer to your prayers, or is Tony Hawk still the king of the streets?[Via Joystiq]
EA's pure 'Skate' campaign
EA's been selling Skate without gameplay footage (pre-rendered or not). With a series of 'confessional shorts' -- featuring lesser-known, and therefore skaters' skaters like PJ Ladd, Chris Cole, Jason Dill, Jerry Hsu, and Dennis Busenitz -- EA is a building a thinly veiled promise. Skate will be pure; skateboarding without the "X," Gatorade, and lot of corporate sponsors. EA wants us to believe it's building art, not its next perennial sports franchise. This is smart advertising. But is it genuine?
New Skate screenshots roll in
Xboxygen posted new screenshots of Electronic Arts' upcoming skateboarding game Skate. Skate is EA's answer to Activision's massive Tony Hawk game franchise as they hope to dethrone the face of skateboarding (good luck). Looking at the screenshots the game appears to be coming along very nice on the graphical front. The pretty reflections, shadows, and textures look much better than Tony Hawk's Project 8. We'll just have to see if the gameplay will match that of Tony's, but we definitely see promise in the presentation of Skate. Anyone ready to ditch their Tony Hawk and pick up Skate, or is it way to early to commit?
New Skate shots, can it topple Tony?
Courtesy of our French friends at Xboxygen, we now have some screenshots of EA's Skate to go along with the shaky cam footage that Joystiq ran last month. In short, the shots looks amazing -- then again, so did the target renders for next gen Madden, and we all know how that turned out. Still, EA knows a successful genre when they see it, and it's up to them to exploit it try and make it better. The obvious question is whether or not Skate can hold a candle to the current king of skating the Tony Hawk series. Given the reception of Project 8, that might be a tough order to fill. Watch Joystiq's video after the break and join the discussion.
Skate footage impresses, asks Tony who?
There is some in-game footage of EA's upcoming Skate game up on YouTube, and it looks pretty flippin' sick. Sick in the good sense of the word, you know, to show how hip we are. It's being played on an Xbox 360, and you can color us extremely impressed.The game looks a lot more realistic and graphically intense than anything from the Tony Hawk camp. With eight games under their belt now, that franchise is looking tired (although we love the "Nail the Trick" feature in Tony Hawk's Project 8). Skate looks poised to blow them out of the water and take skating games in a new direction: realism.[Thanks, al52025]
